Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => The Emergency Room => Topic started by: Lynne W on June 25, 2018, 09:30:24 AM

Title: Cory turn for the worse....(SOLVED)
Post by: Lynne W on June 25, 2018, 09:30:24 AM
Hiya, yeah sorry to say the wee cory is back in the hospital tank  :(. There is something really wrong with his gills, they are very read swollen and open and when he finally manages to get to the surface of the tank it's as if he's really jumping out for air, and sometimes gets stuck on his back when he makes it back down to the surface. He's still eating though. The pic doesn't quit show how bad it looks in real life but think you can see all is not well.

I'm thinking gill flukes so treating in the wee tank for that. But if it is that should I treat my big tank as well? I'm assuming there might be more fish affected, although everyone seems OK, (not so sure about the rest of the cories as I never see them. 

Also reading about Oil of Cloves and Vodka, for euthanising? Really don't want to go down that route but I'm not sure what's the best for him? When he's looking for food he seem OK then the next minute he's floating around out of control on his back  :(

Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on June 25, 2018, 05:44:34 PM
Sorry to read about the wee cory. :( From what you describe, and given that you've already tried an anti-bacterial treatment, I think you're taking the best course of action.

As for treating the other fish, what treatment is it? A few factors to bear in mind are that some treatments don't bode well with some fish and especially invertebrates, or harm the beneficial bacteria in the filter media, so worth weighing all that up in advance (and whether to move any snails/shrimps you have for their safety).

As for euthanising, clove oil* (+/- vodka, but the vodka only used at the very end of the process, to be absolutely certain that the clove oil has done its job) has traditionally been the best method advocated. However, more recently, a number of folk have been reporting elsewhere about the less stressful process and outcome with https://www.vetark.co.uk/pages/Aqua-Sed.aspx which might be an alternative for you to consider.
[* not a diluted form of it]

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on June 25, 2018, 06:05:16 PM
hi I've got AquaCare anti Fluke and wormer. wee guy is still handing in there. I think best to order your suggestion then if I need to use it I've got it.

I don't have any snails or shrimps etc, so assuming if OK with the filter then I could try it.


Ta
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Littlefish on June 25, 2018, 06:16:10 PM
Best wishes to your cory and I hope he gets better soon.
Good luck with the treatments.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on June 25, 2018, 07:14:35 PM
A further thought: do you have labyrinth fish such as gouramis? Sometimes they don't respond well to some treatments.

If not, then, yes, it sounds as though it might be worth treating the main tank. Monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrates for at least a couple of weeks after completing the treatment course, to see that they remain "on track". The accompanying information for the treatment suggests the filter bacteria ought to be ok, but definitely best to err on the side of caution by monitoring these.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on June 25, 2018, 07:46:12 PM
oh maybe not so good then I've got 3 pearl gouramis. maybe I should just keep an eye on the other fish, I've started doing much bigger water changes since I saw one of Sue's comments on another post, so maybe if they all look OK I could leave for now.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on June 25, 2018, 10:45:25 PM
Good plan re the water changes - always helpful. Looking at this thread https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/fish-medicines/medicines-for-treating-different-conditions/msg35552/?PHPSESSID=7e5bcc3e10a5b35eecad4fc0facfd93e#msg35552 , you might actually be fine with your medication for the main tank unless it happens to have tea tree oil in it.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on June 26, 2018, 08:24:36 PM
thanks for the link to the thread. wee guys is still hanging in there, really strange, he's still eating, so I'll just keep monitoring him, got the Aqua-Sed delivered today though in case I do need it.

Really not that confident he'll recover so when he's got less good days than bad then it'll probably be time. Just wish I could be off work to watch him more closely.


 
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on June 26, 2018, 09:11:48 PM
Best of luck for whatever happens.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on June 29, 2018, 09:49:13 PM
Well, the wee guy is still hanging in there  :D. really not sure at all at what is going on, it looks as if he's got a hole in one side just behind his gills, although his behaviour is more normal now he's still eating and not flopping upside down. Although today he has taken to just swimming up and down the tank glass, is he looking for a friend?

He's had one dose of anti fluke and wormer, and it said if not sure of the diagnosis then not to dose. So I haven't, but put in some anti baterial in case it's something that can be resovled by that.

Anyway I'll just keep at it and see how he goes, but I'm really happy that at least he doesn't look so distressed, althought not sure how it'll end up.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on June 29, 2018, 10:10:17 PM
Glad the wee guy is still hanging in there.

Your decision to use anti-bacterial treatment is probably a good idea - probably before you started using the forum, I had a tetra with a hole in her side but didn't actually start treating until much later down the line, by which time the hole had become larger and kept going through recurring phases of seemingly becoming infected; for that reason, I think you're taking the right course of action in treating this how you are.

If it's any consolation, I also have a fish who's currently "hanging in there" (literally - she rests completely on her side a couple of inches above the sand) and am not really sure how the situation is going to end up - I suspect adversely in the next week to few months - but she doesn't look distressed, so I'm leaving her be for now, following a treatment course at the end of last week / early this week.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on June 29, 2018, 10:20:04 PM
Thanks @fcmf I'm kind of winging it so good to get some reassurance that I'm not doing something totally wrong.

Sorry to hear about your wee one, I'm realising fish deaths is just something I'm going to have to get used to.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Littlefish on June 29, 2018, 10:27:26 PM
Best of luck, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: TopCookie on June 29, 2018, 11:34:11 PM
Good luck to both you guys...  :)
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on July 02, 2018, 06:54:01 PM
hiya, been away for the weekend just outside Carlisle, so maybe in some of your neck of the woods.

Wasn't sure what I'd come home to, but the wee guys is still hanging in there  :D he even seems to be getting longer barbles!! although his sides behind his gills still doesn't look great. But he's swimming around and yes still eating. Given him another dose of anti bacterial along with mini water change and I'll keep doing this for the 4 doses and see how he is.

@fcmf how's your wee one doing?
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Littlefish on July 02, 2018, 07:04:06 PM
Thanks for the positive update, that's great to hear.  ;D
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on July 02, 2018, 07:50:23 PM
Great news, @Lynne W - let's hope the sides behind the gills start to improve soon too. Just checking - it is sand you have in the tank and not gravel? Do you know what the brand is? The reason I'm asking is that cories sift through the sand and expel it from their gills, so, if it were large or sharp, it may be that that is contributing to the problem.

@fcmf how's your wee one doing?
Thanks, Lynne. Huge one, as opposed to wee one, might be a more appropriate term for her - it's as though I have 1 whale and 9 fish in the tank, due to the amount of food she consumes and whatever else may be going on internally. She's actually doing very well now, thanks - but, because of the way she tips over onto her side when resting, rarely stops swimming. If I were less experienced, I'd be tempted to think she's on the mend / healed - but there are lump-like protrusions under the scales and I suspect there may be something going on internally and/or that she'll wear herself out eventually and succumb just as I think she's learning to "manage" her situation, so I'll not be resting on any laurels for the foreseeable few months ahead.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on July 02, 2018, 08:02:25 PM
@fcmf glad to hear you "huge" one is manging OK, at least she doesn't seem to be suffering.

Quote
Just checking - it is sand you have in the tank and not gravel? Do you know what the brand is?

It's sand I've got from Madienhead, I think it's their own brand as it's just called Aqua Substrate? It's fairly fine, but whether is rounded or sharp I coudn't really say, to me it just feels like sand :-\
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Littlefish on July 02, 2018, 08:21:25 PM
If it feels like sand it's fine.
I've bought a pack of black sand previously, and when I rubbed it between my fingers it felt more gritty, so was too sharp. Also had someone on the axolotl forum report her little one had a red tummy & toes. She had black sand as well, which turned out to be the same stuff, so she had to change what xshe had in her tank. Shame I can't remember the brand  ::)
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on July 09, 2018, 06:23:54 PM
Hiya, title of the post isn't really appropriate any more as the wee guy is doing much better, that's 2 weeks he's been in the hospital tank and initially dose with gill fluke and wormer and more recently anti bacterial. I can do one more dose of the anti bac. but then according to instructions I shouldn't dose any more.

He's looking much better the hole in his side seems to have cleared up and his colouring around this area is starting to get back to normal.

Now I'm starting to wonder how long I should keep in the tank opposed to putting him back in the main tank, no other fish in the main tank have any symptoms and I do feel for him being all alone.

If I give him another dose and leave him for another week it he's still looking on the mend should I put him back in the main tank?

As always views welcome.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Matt on July 09, 2018, 07:32:06 PM
That sounds sensible to me... to be honest I might not wait the full week.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: fcmf on July 09, 2018, 08:02:18 PM
Once treatment is finished, I tend to move across the fish from the hospital tank into the main tank after the main tank's next scheduled water change, when the water will be at its optimum/cleanest, which of course is what your fish will need.

Also, beforehand, I've also tended to have a day or so of gradually diluting the hospital tank's medicated water by replenishing it with clean water and even some water from the main fishtank; this way, the fish ought not to find the transition from medicated to unmedicated water too difficult and it reduces the likelihood of medicated water getting in the main tank (where it could be harmful to the filter bacteria and any invertebrates in particular). Running some carbon in the hospital tank's filter also helps, and I tend to leave the carbon in there after the fish is transferred (for 24+ hours or so), plus have a few days of having the filter running in the hospital tank with an overdose of dechlorinator in the water, in order to decontaminate the equipment (including nets, decor, etc) of any copper or other medication ingredients.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Lynne W on July 09, 2018, 09:43:53 PM
cool I'll start prepping him to go back in main tank! keeping everything crossed that he does OK.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....
Post by: Littlefish on July 10, 2018, 11:07:09 AM
Great news.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Cory turn for the worse....(SOLVED)
Post by: Matt on July 10, 2018, 09:17:15 PM
In recognition of this great news, I've added the (SOLVED) tag to this thread  ;D