Cories And Salt

[Akasha72]

Hi everyone
 
For years I've known that corydora's and salt don't mix and that they can't tolerate it but no-one has actually told me what salt does to them. Does it kill them instantly? Does it make them just a bit sick? What actually does it do to them? Does anyone know?
 
 
I'm asking because I have a pepper cory female who developed a sore at the beginning of her tail several weeks ago as soon as I saw it I treated the tank with melafix and it seemed to look a bit better for a few days but then it re-appeared and so I ran another course of Melafix. The 2nd course seemed to help it more but then during the movement of all my fish to a temporary tank I noticed it looked sore again. I held her back from re-adding to the main tank along with the tetra that has some weird body fluke things and put them both into my 30 litre tank along with some Waterlife Octozin (anti-biotic med). Once the 3 day course of Octozin was done I checked on them both and neither looked any better really, in fact the cories tail was now growing fungus.
 
I got them both into a bucket with a bit of water and emptied the 30 litre entirely of all water and re-filled with 100% fresh dechlorinated water before adding both fish back. I'm now on day 4 of another course of Melafix and the cory is looking a bit less 'furry' on her tail but I'm sat here thinking - I wish I could try a mild salt water solution and see if that would heal this up once and for all.
 
Which leads me to my question above. If I risk adding her to a mild salt water solution what will it do to her? I'm not going to do anything that will cause her pain and distress but I really want her tail to heal now 

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have seen Ian F. state that corys can live fine in a low level of salt on Planet catfish in a thread from 2006:

 
From what I gather the myth started with the fact that a lot of the naked catfishes were intolerant of salt and it very soon expanded to encompass all catfish.

Corys are pretty much OK with salt in low levels and if regular water changes are made there should be no excess build up.

from http/www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17184&p=286103&hilit=corys+salt#p286103
 
For sure corys should handle salt as a med for short term treatment. Use plain old salt, nor a marine mix. You should be fine with table salt. You mmight want to read this thread form PC as well http/www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=35797

 

[Akasha72]

thank you TTA. I was going to give both the tetra with these weird body fluke things daily salt baths and the cory if I could too. I've kind of run out of idea's for both of them now. 
 
I'll give that link a read though before I do anything. I know the tetra will be fine with it - it's the cory I wasn't sure about

I have epsom salt ... I'm reading this link and they are talking about table salt not being okay cos of additives for anti clumping (or something) ... I'm presuming epsom salt doesn't have this? It's the epsom salt I normally use to bath poorly fish in
 
Any thoughts TTA (or anyone else) before I try it?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

No, you are missing the point- the amount of iodizing or anti-clumpimg agent in table salt is so low you would have to bring the salinity level to well above normal salt water levels before you got close to having enough of either to harm fish. As many like to state it, your fish would be pickled before either agent would reach harmful levels.
 
Read here: http/theaquariumwiki.com/The_Salt_of_the_Earth
I used to chat with the author in my early days on fish sites.
 


 

 

[Akasha72]

okay ... I'll just use normal table salt then and leave the epsom salt for other things. Thanks very much

 

[nic1]

Hey, I have just gone through the Same thing with my group of bronze Cory's, first off I wouldn't use melafix IMO it does nothing and is only sold as well as primafix to desperate fish keepers who need help.
I have had my Cory's for a year now, they are tank bred and live happily in my little community.
About three months ago I noticed one of my bronze Cory's had a fluffy growth so I did a50% water change, about a week part and it got worse and spread to his tail eating a chunk out of it, then I noticed a couple of the other corys had white spot so I treated with esha exit and esha 2000, that didn't work on the fluff but it got rid of ich, so I was back to square one.

Then I noticed all of my Cory's had this fluff so I waited did a water change and treated with tetra general tonic, 4 got better.
I waited again then I realised that the original Cory was still fluffy, but even more so, so I did a water change and treated with water life protozin... They were a bit better but still not well enough to recover totally.

At this point I was racking my brains, reading a lot and not really getting answers so I stopped all medications did an initial 30% change, removed all the decaying leaves and anything that would drive the ammonia up likeuneaten food, debris under rocks and logs.
Then I startednto do 10% water changes every other day... And you know what? They all recovered but the first one who is still a bit fluffy on his fins but every day I look at him he is getting better, today he looked great swimming with his brothers and looking like a different fish.
I think it was just bacterial and good old water changes did the trick, when he's completely healed I'm going back to my normal 25-30% weekly regime.
Hope this helps
Also, the Cory's were the only fish afdected.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks nic, I'm guessing your cories where like my lil lady and not affected in other ways? Mine is still swimming round like nothing is wrong. She's eating fine and apart from this furry tail there appears to be nothing wrong. Initially she did seem to be breathing heavy - but that was when she was bleeding and so it must have hurt. Now, you'd think there was nothing wrong.
 
The tank she's in is bare bottomed - there's just a small piece of wood in and I did move that today and clean under it when I did my water change. I think I'll follow your advice then now. Stop the melafix and resort to just water changes. I may do one bucket a day - this tank only holds 4 buckets of water so a bucket per day is easy. 
 
Thanks for the help. I'll let you know how it pans out

 

[nic1]

Yeah, they were acting normally, eating and pooping fine just this fluffy white frustrating everlasting thing on their fins.
Fingers crossed for you

 

[Akasha72]

this was here when she first hurt herself 
 

 
It was mostly a slight cut on the underside of her tail but now it looks like her tail is rotting and it's covered in fur. 

 

[nic1]

Oh poor Fish, mine had the same symptom, it took a while but after a week of 10% every other day changes he started to heal, it always Gary's worse before it gets better.
Do you have any pics of her now or are the lights out for the evening?

 

[Akasha72]

yeah, lights out now. I'll get a picture in the morning and show you how far it's progressed. I feel sorry for her and I want her well

 

[nic1]

Gary? Sorry iI'm on my tiny phone and predictive text is on.
It always gets

 

[Byron]

I am not in complete agreement with some of what has been suggested in this thread, concerning salt and soft water fish especially corys.  With no disrespect to Mr. Fuller whose very brief comment was cited, there is more at risk.
 
Salt used as a remedy short-term is very different from long-term or regular use.  We need to be clear on that point.  When it comes to corys, salt does impact them.  No Corydoras species are found in saline water.  Those species which inhabit coastal rivers and streams are never found anywhere close to where the fresh water begins to mix with saline water.  They avoid it like the plague.  This evidence one can ascertain from any of the cory collectors.
 
Here is a link to an article on salt (common and Epsom is included) by Dr. Neil Monks.  He notes that theraputic use is usually OK, but regular use with soft water fish is likely to cause problems.
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm
 
Akasha, I see you posted in the PC thread; it will be interesting to see the responses.  I note that every poster save one in that thread is cautioning on salt with corys.
 
Byron.

 

[Akasha72]

Gary? Sorry iI'm on my tiny phone and predictive text is on.
It always gets

 
It's okay, I got it. I know all about predictive text lol
Hi Byron, yes I posted my question on PC too as I wanted to throw the question out to a wider audience and get further opinions. Not because I don't trust the advice here, but because it's always good in these things to get several views.
 
I'm fully aware of the cory-salt advice and it doesn't sit right giving her a salt bath. I want to avoid doing that if possible as the last thing I want to do is a) make her worse or b) kill her completely.
 
As I've said, in all other signs - she's well. She's eating and swimming normally but her tail looks awful. I want to make it better if I can because I care about her. 
 
The tank she is in doesn't have a light unit and so it's impossible to show you all how she looks right now. Once I have some natural light in the morning I'll take a photo and see what we think can be done.
In the meantime Nic's advice of water changes can't hurt and if I have the same outcome as he did then all's well.

 

[Akasha72]

thank you for that link Byron. I've read the bit about salt 'dips' mostly as that's what I'm planning to do with the tetra. I'd never add salt to my tank. I only use it as a dip for sores/cuts/external parasites. I've used it a few times as getting a good external parasite treatment in the U.K is hard work. 
 
I'm shying away from dipping the cory though unless several people say 'yes, it's fine to dip her'. I'd be so upset to lose her and I'd rather find another way to cure her