Cory Is Sick

[darkmerlin21]

About a week ago I noticed that one of my cories has a large white spot on his nose... almost looks like he scraped of the tip of his nose. I had a female guppy that died in the same tank from what I am assuming was some sort of fungus. She had white on her fins.. not like salt though, covered the fins evenly. I started adding Melafix to the tank when I noticed the cory but a week later, it looks the same. He is acting normal, eating and stuff. The only thing that he does do that concerns me is when he goes to the top to get air, he goes crazy. It's not like my other cory who simply swims to the top at mach 10 and grabs a quick breath.. the other one kind of splashes across the surface for a few seconds. The spot is the same but today I noticed white on the edges of his fin. Should I be using a different med?

My tank: 5 gallon, 2 bronze cories, 9 guppy fry
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: Can't find a kit so no idea

I want to move the cories to my 10 gallon with the adult guppies but need to fix this first. Any help appreciated.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like columnaris is it fluffy on the fins, the spot on his nose does it have a red spot in the centre of it, or a circling of red around it.

 

[darkmerlin21]

The spot does not look fluffy and it has no red spot in or around it. I know that I posted here about the guppy and someone(maybe even you..lol) had suggested columnaris but I don't think the spots look "fluffy" at all. I am totally new to this so I don't really know what to look for. Like I said, it looks like he scraped the tip of his nose off. It is even flat from a side view. I have a pic but I don't know how to post to here (cannot figure the photo bucket thingy out). Sorry, I know I am asking alot with not a whole lot of info for you in return. I would just like to get rid of it before it spreads to the fry and I don't want to medicate with the wrong thing just for the sake of medicating.

 

[WILDER]

Is it a mucky greyish spot on the nose.

Is it a mucky greyish spot on the nose.

Was it fluffy the white stuff or stringy looking on the fins.

 

[darkmerlin21]

Nope... no mucky and no greyish.. I am sorry. This is frustrating. It looks flat and white.. The white that I noticed on the fin is just along the edges and it looks like the fins is just "faded" along the edge. That is also how the nose looks... faded. But it is like the tip was sliced off and instead of bleeding, it has just healed and now has a scar that looks faded out from the rest of him.

 

[WILDER]

Well corys are prone to bacterial problems so i would go ahead and treat it as bacterial.

 

[darkmerlin21]

Do you have any suggestions about the type of meds to use? I am in Canada, if that helps. Thanks for all your help and time.

 

[WILDER]

Can you get maracyn one and two.

 

[darkmerlin21]

Umm... I can try. We only have one lfs here in town(besides Wal-mart). I will have to go and see what they have there. If not, I guess I will have to make the effort to get into the city. Thanks again.

 

[WILDER]

Good luck, what substrate do you have by the way as if it's gravel he could of grazed his nose on that.

 

[darkmerlin21]

I do have gravel and I had thought of that... hence the treatment with Melafix. If it were not for the guppy going the way she did and the appearance of white along the fin, I would have just assumed the gravel did it. Now I am not so sure. My other Cory is fine though... for now.

 

[WILDER]

I new the fins wasn't due to the gravel, but i thought the nose could be, good luck.

 

[darkmerlin21]

I know what you mean... and you could be right. The nose may be from the gravel and he was just unlucky enough to contract something on top of that.. Thanks again.