What's Wrong With My Cories?

[allydawn17]

My cories seem to have dark/yellowish/reddish spots near their cheeks, and it seems fairly new unless I just haven't noticed it before. I recently moved them to a 55g from a 15, and It's currently in the beginning of cycling (I know I know, fish-in cycling is bad, read my previous post before lecturing me on it! special situation.) Other than this, they seem perfectly fine, eating playing etc. What could this be? Should i be worried? I also have an angel in the tank and he seems perfectly fine, is he at risk?

 

[ag-au]

Are the spots behind the gills? Well if the red spot is behind the gills, since the tank isn't cycled it could be nitrate poisoning. If there's a spike in nitrates due to the uncycled status,  cories will get irritated red gills. I had cories in my 30g before I moved, I thought maybe they were sick, too; but if they are a light colored species, their red gills will show through.  they were panda cories, white/black. Good luck! Cories are a little picky as far as water quality goes, so ithey are not the hardiest fish to cycle with.

 

[allydawn17]

The spots are near the gills, yes. I have panda cories as well, and I'm used to their general redness but this is new, and has a yellow tone to it.
my readings are:
ammonia: 0.25 (before i did a 20% water change about 5 mins ago)
nitrate: 0
nitrite: 0
Ph: 7.6

 

[AquaPit]

Mine had the same problem too three mths ago when I first had them..

I didnt do a proper cycle and lucky enough they survived... Mine's quite resilient..

At first I thought it was just them eating their food(I usually feeds Fish Granules) which is red in colour and got stuck in their almost see through gills..

Hope they recover to whatever it is they are facing and hope someone here will get you some answers to why it is happening to your cories..

 

[allydawn17]

It definitely is looking more yellow and I'm thinking it's ich. This isn't my picture, but this is about what it looks like:

 

[Ch4rlie]

This is sounding a bit like Columnaris (Cotton Wool Disease) as a symptom of this may include yellowish brown or white lesions on the gills, skin, or fins.
 
I would suggest you post a pic or video of this cory with these symptoms.
 
Reddish areas near gills tend to point toward nitrite/ammonia poisoning since your tank is not cycled.
 
You've probably already read this but will link it anyway just so that you understand what cycling a tank is about, am not sure about fish in cycles though as i have not done this but hopefully someone can give you the link on how to do fish in cycle.
 
BTW was the 15g cycled? if so, taking all the media from that 15g filter to the 55g filter would help a great deal.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

That's definitely not ich. Ich is tiny white specks that look like grains of sand on the fish, not a yellowish tint. I think ch4rlie might have id'd the issue.


Special circumstances call for special treatment. Stealing filter media from the original filter, increased water changes, etc. When you have special circumstances, you need to take special care of the fish. D o some reading on columnar is and check to see if those symptoms fit.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Realise I forgot to add the link on my post! 
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

 

[allydawn17]

The 15 gallon is not cycled, it was about 3 weeks into cycling when i removed the fish and put them into the 55 gallon. I am continuing to fishless cycle it, but it's nowhere near cycled. I have read a ton of articles about fish in cycling, and i believe I'm doing it correctly though i've only fishless cycled in the past. My LFS whose advice i generally trust (told me about cycling, very good about what fish need what tank size and so on) told me it looks like ich, but i wasn't sure about that. Here is a picture of my fish, let me know if the link works because I'm not sure if it will.
 https/docs.google.com/file/d/0B8-bHJ0wimyecTFKaHBLQTNFeU0/edit
I bought API super ick cure powder packets, should i not use these?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

That's not ich.

This is ich... http/www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/freshwater-conditions/ich.aspx

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ok, at this stage i would say might be an idea if you have any friends or family who has a tank that been up and running for a while to ask if can take some media from their filter or ask LFS if you can purchase some of their (some LFS do sell mature media)
 
Failing that, a bottle of Dr Tim's One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria or perhaps Tetra Safe Start may help you get some bacteria to help your cycle progress.
 
As for that pic, am fairly certain that is not ich.
 
Ich symptom tend to look like tiny grains of salt/sand on scales of fish.
 
Sometimes adding wrong meds to tank can make things worse.
 
I'd suggest you read up on Columnaris, and see if this matches what your cory symptoms are.

 

[Lillefishy]

From the pic there looks nothing wrong with it, it's just the colouration.
This is a melini from Ian Fullers site, you can see the same yellowish colouring
http/www.ianfuller.com/genera/corydoras/c_melini/corydoras.html

 

[Ch4rlie]

From the pic there looks nothing wrong with it, it's just the colouration.
This is a melini from Ian Fullers site, you can see the same yellowish colouring
http/www.ianfuller.com/genera/corydoras/c_melini/corydoras.html

 
That pic is not the OP's own fish, its from a website really.
 
Although could very well be natural coloration as your link shows.
 
Perhaps if allydawn17 could post a picture of own fish, that may help a greta deal.

 

[allydawn17]

Apart from the cycling dilemma, I shouldn't do anything? And if it is columnaris, how can I treat it? Thank you all for the help!

 

[Lillefishy]

The op posted a link to a pic of their fish #9
Ally dawn, the link you posted on #9 of the melini, is that your own fish?