Cory with bloody barbels

wonder woman · 05-13-2004, 11:17 PM

I have an adult cory which, I have just noticed, has a bloody mouth/ barbels. This is a sign of infection, correct? (My gravel is not sharp, it's the regular small black aquarium gravel). He is in a planted tank, with a pH of about 7.6 (due to co2). My quarantine/ hospital tank has a few other residents in quarantine, but its' pH is 8.0 (tap water pH), so I'm afraid to put the cory in the hospital tank with such a difference in pH. I have a small (2 or 3g) empty tank I can temporarily set up for the cory, but it is not cycled at all. What should I do? Should I set up the other tank, and take the water from the tank the cory was in? Also, what should I treat the water with? I have either Maracyn, or Maracyn 2 (I forget which), can I use that?
Any help GREATLY appreciated!

anonapersona · 05-13-2004, 11:32 PM

I don't know about medications with cories, they are sensitive, you might ask at planetcatfish.com.

Meanwhile, I suggest moving him to the bare tank and doing huge water changes daily, 75% or so. Don't worry about if the small Q tank is cycled or not, you'll be doing water changes so often it won't matter. I have cured cories of really nasty things with massive water changes and a bit of Melafix. Try that before you use harsh chemicals.

Do not mix him wth the other fish, he is totally open to opportune infections right now and needs isolation.

Then, investigate what caused the problem. How are your nitrates? too high? We assume that nitrates run low in planted tanks but if the plants are slowed down for some reason the nitrates can build up if you aren't testing regularly -- as I found out myself recently!

wonder woman · 05-13-2004, 11:39 PM

Anonapersona-
I'll set up the little tank and try the Melafix route. Would it be best (because of the differing pH) to take all the water from the cory's original tank, though? I don't want to stress him out more than he is already by tossing him into water that's 4 degrees harder than he's become used to.
I honestly don't know what my nitrates are. I ASSUME 0, but you know what they say about assuming...all of my other fish are fine, my plants (heavily planted tank) are doing well, but I'll test tonight just in case.

anonapersona · 05-16-2004, 12:42 AM

Sorry I was slow to respond. You've probably solved the problem by now, but in general, going to harder water is Ok but going to softer water is more difficult. You will be changing water frequently so he has to get used to the tap water anyhow. I have a Hagen CO2 unit on a lightly planted Q tank just to keep the pH similar for that reason.

wonder woman · 05-17-2004, 09:19 PM

Well, I've had Mr. Cory in the hospital tank for a few days now, and the bloodiness seems to have gone away. I'm a little worried about putting him back in the planted tank yet, because I don't know what was causing the injury. I did a 25% water change/ gravel vac, so maybe in a few more days, I'll put him back. I was really hoping to hear from someone with a cory with the same problem. If anyone has, please let me know.
Thanks for your advice, anonapersona!

anonapersona · 05-18-2004, 04:12 AM

I had a cory that lost most of his barbels and they never grew back. I think it was from being in the first tank as it went through establishing the cycle. He was the only survivor.

He also survived being added to a tank of new cories fresh from shipping that then went through a terrible bout of what I think was flexibacter. They lost fins and barbels and more than half of them died. Those I treated with Melafix and huge water changes. I had also used Metronidazole on them just as a parasite treatment since they were wild caught. The fin erosion and deaths stopped when I started the Melafix. I kept up massive water changes for a long time, 50% a day for several days, then gradually slowing to every other day, then finally to once a week.

I never did treat with anything stronger than the Metro and the Melafix. Water changes are the best thing for sick fish, and cleaning the tank well is necessary to remove whatever may be falling off the fish.

05-13-2004, 11:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
wonder woman Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 490	I have an adult cory which, I have just noticed, has a bloody mouth/ barbels. This is a sign of infection, correct? (My gravel is not sharp, it's the regular small black aquarium gravel). He is in a planted tank, with a pH of about 7.6 (due to co2). My quarantine/ hospital tank has a few other residents in quarantine, but its' pH is 8.0 (tap water pH), so I'm afraid to put the cory in the hospital tank with such a difference in pH. I have a small (2 or 3g) empty tank I can temporarily set up for the cory, but it is not cycled at all. What should I do? Should I set up the other tank, and take the water from the tank the cory was in? Also, what should I treat the water with? I have either Maracyn, or Maracyn 2 (I forget which), can I use that? Any help GREATLY appreciated! __________________ -Christina- MEMBER: #15 Eheim Pimps Club, Cory Addicts Anonymous, COAST, AGA. 550g pond= koi, comets/shubunkin, water lillies. 165g RES turtle pond in progress. 100g planted tank= 240 watts c.f., 1 DIY 1-gal co2 jug, platies, angels, lace gouramies, congos, black neons, otos. 30g= cories, platies, platy fry, ghost shrimp. 18g= platy fry 10g= baby RES tank- Turtlebuddy 30g= temp. adult RES tank- Myrtlemamma 20gL= temp. juv. RES tank- Tweak and Mertle

05-13-2004, 11:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
wonder woman Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 490	Anonapersona- I'll set up the little tank and try the Melafix route. Would it be best (because of the differing pH) to take all the water from the cory's original tank, though? I don't want to stress him out more than he is already by tossing him into water that's 4 degrees harder than he's become used to. I honestly don't know what my nitrates are. I ASSUME 0, but you know what they say about assuming...all of my other fish are fine, my plants (heavily planted tank) are doing well, but I'll test tonight just in case. __________________ -Christina- MEMBER: #15 Eheim Pimps Club, Cory Addicts Anonymous, COAST, AGA. 550g pond= koi, comets/shubunkin, water lillies. 165g RES turtle pond in progress. 100g planted tank= 240 watts c.f., 1 DIY 1-gal co2 jug, platies, angels, lace gouramies, congos, black neons, otos. 30g= cories, platies, platy fry, ghost shrimp. 18g= platy fry 10g= baby RES tank- Turtlebuddy 30g= temp. adult RES tank- Myrtlemamma 20gL= temp. juv. RES tank- Tweak and Mertle

05-17-2004, 09:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
wonder woman Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 490	Well, I've had Mr. Cory in the hospital tank for a few days now, and the bloodiness seems to have gone away. I'm a little worried about putting him back in the planted tank yet, because I don't know what was causing the injury. I did a 25% water change/ gravel vac, so maybe in a few more days, I'll put him back. I was really hoping to hear from someone with a cory with the same problem. If anyone has, please let me know. Thanks for your advice, anonapersona! __________________ -Christina- MEMBER: #15 Eheim Pimps Club, Cory Addicts Anonymous, COAST, AGA. 550g pond= koi, comets/shubunkin, water lillies. 165g RES turtle pond in progress. 100g planted tank= 240 watts c.f., 1 DIY 1-gal co2 jug, platies, angels, lace gouramies, congos, black neons, otos. 30g= cories, platies, platy fry, ghost shrimp. 18g= platy fry 10g= baby RES tank- Turtlebuddy 30g= temp. adult RES tank- Myrtlemamma 20gL= temp. juv. RES tank- Tweak and Mertle

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05-13-2004, 11:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
anonapersona Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,614	I don't know about medications with cories, they are sensitive, you might ask at planetcatfish.com. Meanwhile, I suggest moving him to the bare tank and doing huge water changes daily, 75% or so. Don't worry about if the small Q tank is cycled or not, you'll be doing water changes so often it won't matter. I have cured cories of really nasty things with massive water changes and a bit of Melafix. Try that before you use harsh chemicals. Do not mix him wth the other fish, he is totally open to opportune infections right now and needs isolation. Then, investigate what caused the problem. How are your nitrates? too high? We assume that nitrates run low in planted tanks but if the plants are slowed down for some reason the nitrates can build up if you aren't testing regularly -- as I found out myself recently!

05-16-2004, 12:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
anonapersona Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,614	Sorry I was slow to respond. You've probably solved the problem by now, but in general, going to harder water is Ok but going to softer water is more difficult. You will be changing water frequently so he has to get used to the tap water anyhow. I have a Hagen CO2 unit on a lightly planted Q tank just to keep the pH similar for that reason.

05-18-2004, 04:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
anonapersona Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,614	I had a cory that lost most of his barbels and they never grew back. I think it was from being in the first tank as it went through establishing the cycle. He was the only survivor. He also survived being added to a tank of new cories fresh from shipping that then went through a terrible bout of what I think was flexibacter. They lost fins and barbels and more than half of them died. Those I treated with Melafix and huge water changes. I had also used Metronidazole on them just as a parasite treatment since they were wild caught. The fin erosion and deaths stopped when I started the Melafix. I kept up massive water changes for a long time, 50% a day for several days, then gradually slowing to every other day, then finally to once a week. I never did treat with anything stronger than the Metro and the Melafix. Water changes are the best thing for sick fish, and cleaning the tank well is necessary to remove whatever may be falling off the fish.

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