Help With Sick Panda Cory?

[missPenguin]

One of my new panda corys seems to be really quite sick. It's the little guy who has one barbel shorter than the rest, he's just lying on the bottom breathing quite rapidly and he keeps trying to move, but doesn't seem to be able. Also one of his eyes seems to have a little bit of a reddish outline, other than that there are no physical signs.

I noticed last night that he was a little off colour so I put in some myxazin by waterlife, but if anything he seems worse. It seems to have happened quite suddenly [over a 36 hour period]

Water stats are Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm and Nitrate 10ppm. Yesterday the ammonia was 0.25pmm but I did an immeadiate 50% water change and that seemed to bring the ammonia back down again. It's the only time the ammonia has gone above 0 in the 11 days they have been in there.

The tank has an airstone and plenty of surface dsturbance but I don't know what else to do to help him.

Is there anything else I can do to help the little guy or would it be kinder to buy some clove oil on the way home tomorrow [I reall really don't want to do this but he seems he is really miserable].

The other 2 seem absolutely fine.

 

[WILDER]

He has a bacterial infection, and to be honest he dosn't sound to good, doing all that you can using the right med, but it sounds to late, sorry.

 

[missPenguin]

He has a bacterial infection, and to be honest he dosn't sound to good, doing all that you can using the right med, but it sounds to late, sorry.

I'd got quite fond of him as well, he was the smallest and the cutest. Poor little guy.

I guess this just shows the impotance of quarentning new fish, whilst the other 2 seem ok at the moment, there's no guarentee they won't be affected. Also it's a lot easier to spot potential problems in a 5 gallon tank than in a heavily planted 25 gallon tank.

 

[WILDER]

I know they are cute.
Fingers crossed bless him.

 

[missPenguin]

I know they are cute.
Fingers crossed bless him.

Thanks.

He seems to have perked up slightly since I put the tank lights off and I have just watched him have a swim about, he's now having a very half-hearted snuffle through the gravel, so maybe all hope isn't lost. Definately not himself, he's usally the most lively. If he makes it through the night, maybe he has a chance.

 

[WILDER]

The red ring around the eye sounds like speticemia, and when they lose there barbels it's a bacterial infection, plus they need there barbels to find food.
Hope he does make it bless him, best of luck.

http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

Look under septicemia.

 

[missPenguin]

The red ring around the eye sounds like speticemia, and when they lose there barbels it's a bacterial infection, plus they need there barbels to find food.
Hope he does make it bless him, best of luck.

http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

Ouch!

Are the other 2 at risk then?

I know corys don't like salt, but, given it's emergency [and I read somewhere pandas can tolerate a very small amount of salt], could/should I add some salt to the tank?

Just a thought I had

 

[WILDER]

I would issolate him as when they have septicemia the bacteria off the fish enters the tank.
To be honest the salt won't do anything might help regrowth of the barbels and that it.
Even if you have to put him in a container at the top of the tank.

 

[missPenguin]

Hmm excellent article, however I am fairly cerain it's not my water quality as in 11 days, they have had 6 water changes, mostly to try and keep the nitrates low. The tank was fully cycled using a fishless cycle.

I also have pimafix and melafix, is it worth putting n either of those meds too?

 

[WILDER]

You could add some melafix but you will have to increase aeration with two meds in the tank, corys are very prone to bacterial problems, that why i gravel vac mine twice a week.

 

[missPenguin]

I would issolate him as when they have septicemia the bacteria off the fish enters the tank.
To be honest the salt won't do anything might help regrowth of the barbels and that it.
Even if you have to put him in a container at the top of the tank.

Problem with isolating him is he's already in my quarentine tank and the only other appartus I have is a breeding trap [unwise buy, never actually used] with kind of defeats the purpose as it has holes anyway. The olny other possible thing I have is a milk carton in the bin I could dig out and give a good wash.

 

[WILDER]

Any tupperware boxes, or an icecream box. Plus if he dies you don't want the other fish pecking at his body as tthey can catch it that way too.

 

[missPenguin]

You could add some melafix but you will have to increase aeration with two meds in the tank, corys are very prone to bacterial problems, that why i gravel vac mine twice a week.

Increasng aeration shouldn't be necessary as there is loads of surface disturbance as well as the airstone. I've just had another good old stare at him and he has livened up consderably snce that light went off. He's having a snuffle with his mates.



It couldn't be something to do with the light could it?

I've also been amkng sure I vaccumed the gravel when I water changed as well as I know corys are sensitve little souls.

 

[WILDER]

You could leave him in tonight, no it's not the light, he does have a bacterial infection, probably feels better with the light off, less stress.

 

[missPenguin]

Well I've added melafix as a precaution and jiggied with the water pump to increase surface disturbance. I'll see how it goes tonight.

Many thanks for all your help, I'll keepng my fingers crossed he makes it. At least there's some actvity now the light is off, I'll probably leave it off. I have a small plant in there [decoration/hisind spot] but I'd rather loose the plant than the fish! Actually, could I move the plant to the main tank or would that risk transmtting the infection?