Sick Albeno Cory

[Plecc]

Hi all,
One of my albino Cory's has fallen ill, really ill i think!
About two weeks ago a sore patch developed along the base of his tail fin, which looked like it had been scraped on something sharp within the tank.(don't think it was caused by another fish nipping at him)
That day i did a 30% water change and a few days later the sore patch disappeared and all looked fine.
Four or five days later i noticed his eyes and abdomen both looked a bit swollen and he was spending most of his time panting at the bottom of the tank.
My LFS said i needed to treat my tank with interpet No9 (anti internal bacteria)
I have now completed the full treatment with interpet No9, done another 30% water change, and put some carbon foam in my filter to remove any leftover medication.
But my Cory is now looking worse than ever, severe abdominal swelling, (almost doubled in size) his eyes look sore and swollen and now the area under his tail fin is starting to look like it has fin rot which is also now effecting his dorsal fin.
Does anyone have any idea what is going on?
None of my other fish are behaving strangely apart from my other albino Cory which looks like it is showing the early signs of fin rot on it's dorsal fin, this was probably caught from the really sick Cory as they both spend all there time together.
So, what do i do next, treat with No9 again and hope for the best or is there a better treatment more suited to these symptoms.

Thanks.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Plecc

Your lfs was right about it being a bacterial infection and now it seems like it has become worse. What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?

One of most important things to keep corys healthy is keeping the tank and substrate clean and free from uneaten food. This is especially a challenge when you keep BN plecos in the same tank as I see you do. Since they like to graze on vegetables, which can easily pollute the water, be sure to do larger and more frequent water changes than you think are usually necessary. They are big waste producers too, so take care to vacuum the gravel well. If you have any doubts about whether or not your tank is as clean as it might be, give it a good cleaning right away.

Then start another course of treatment, either with the medicine you are using, or another brand. Keep a close eye on the other fish for signs of infection too.

If the water temperature is high, lower it to no more than 75 F. and increase the oxygen content in the water by adding an airstone. This will make the environment less hospitable to harmful bacteria and slow their multiplication.

I hope this helps your little cory.

 

[Plecc]

Hi Inchworm,

Thanks for the quick reply.

My water parameters are all good, i do weekly testing with a liquid test kit.
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5mg/L
Water condition has been stable for quite a while.
I vacuum the substrate (fine pea gravel) every 7-10 days when i do my regular water changes of just over 30%.
All food for the Pecos and Cory's is put into an upturned shell, this helps make sure any leftovers of cucumber and algae wafers don't sink into the substrate.
My water temperature is a consistent 74F and i have a large air stone running 24/7. (and real plants which i think also helps to oxygenate the water)
When vacuuming, even weekly, there is still a lot of waste bellow the gravel but i always keep cleaning until the water flowing through the vacuum goes totally clear.
The one area i don't clean regally is under the larger bits of rock and bog wood, should i be?
I will start another treatment session i a day or two, i just want to give the carbon filter a chance to remove any nasties before i take it out for the treatment.
Is Interpet No9 the best for my symptoms? it doesn't mention fin rot, i think No8 is the one for fin rot, should i use both or just stick with the No9?
Or do you know of any all in one products that will treat both problems? (i don't want to stress out the healthy fish any more than i need to)