what disease/growth is this?

discus fever · Post by **discus fever** » 30 Mar 2010, 06:22

Hi, I have a 180 gal tank with corys, angels, plecs, and discus and one of my corys has a strange growth on its side. This tank gets a daily 10 gal water change and temp is at 86. Please excuse the filth in the gravel as I was in the process of removing all the gravel to switch to sand. This stirred up much more detritus than I would have believed to be in there.
This growth looks like the skin is raised and bumpy. I do not know if I would call it a fungus. It almost looks like the texture of a scab if you had a wound on your person. If anyone needs more tank parameters i can post them. I can probably get a better pic if needed also. What is it and how do i treat it? Thanks

wrasse · Post by **wrasse** » 30 Mar 2010, 08:16

Its not the clearest of photos. Is it spreading on the body? Are you certain none of the other corys have the same thing? Could it be a heater burn?
Are your corys feeding well? They don't look 'full', also I can't make out any barbels...?
If its a single case I would not treat the whole tank for one cory, can you quarantine it?
But then again, all that detritus might be an indicator something is not right and it could be related. Also the gravel looks too sharp for corys, to me.

discus fever · Post by **discus fever** » 30 Mar 2010, 17:42

This is the only one with it and
Yes I can QT if needed. I took the gavel out because it was sharp and I think that is why the barbels are missing. It also was hard to keep clean. The tank is much cleaner now. they do eat well and act as if nothing is wrong.this has been on the fish for a couple of weeks and doesn't seem to be spreading. Thanks

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 30 Mar 2010, 18:02

The gravel is unsuitable for corys & a THIN layer of sand is far better as long as it is a small round grain type of sand. Barbel loss can be due to other things more obviously than sharp gravel such as bacterial infection which might be a case for consideration as there seems to be so much muck you have discovered which can't have been too good for bottom dwellers.

QT is by far the best option & a broad spectrum anti-bacterial treatment would be a starting point, although i cannot say specifically what the infection is. I can't really see clearly enough but the fins look small- almost nipped off in places - is this possibility? (pectorals in pic 1 LH fish, dorsal on pic: 1st few rays look shorter than the bulk of the soft tissue?) Scrupulously high quality water will be invaluable in allowing any recovery. After a period of treatment with an anti-bacterial remedy let us know how the fish is & we can go from there depending on how things are

discus fever · Post by **discus fever** » 01 Apr 2010, 04:53

finally got some better pics,I think.These fish just move too fast. The area in question does not photo well either. It does show much definition in the pics. Also, what recommendations can be made for broad spectrum antibiotic for corys? Thank you,

wrasse · Post by **wrasse** » 01 Apr 2010, 07:17

It may be too late for this fish, its in such a sorry state. It looks malnourished, dark, no barbels and wasted fins. I doubt it is recoverable.
Tank cleanliness and frequent water-changes are anti-bacterial, changing to a sand substrate should make that easier. That and a good diet is needed to avoid your other fish going the same way.

discus fever · Post by **discus fever** » 01 Apr 2010, 15:04

that isn't a very happy diagnosis.

This tank does get daily water changes. I am afraid the first pics I posted gave a bad impression. I was right in the middle of removing gravel and everything was stirred up. That was not the normal state of this tank. It is now bare bottom for the most part. Just some wayward gravel pieces,sand, and debris off the driftwood and plants. I feed quality foods to my discus in this tank several times a day and this cory is never late to the table and is very active.It eats all day long. My discus and angels spawn weekly so I would think water and food are ok. nitrates are 10ppm or less. I would imagine that fins and possibly the barbels will grow back now that the sharp gravel is gone but the problem on it's side needs meds but I am unsure of which one. I am fairly new to corys and do not know what they can tolerate. Any suggestions? Thanks

wrasse · Post by **wrasse** » 01 Apr 2010, 19:15

I should have acknowledged your water-change regime is very good - 10gallons per day - And this will be very effective for all your fish (particularly the corys) with the new sandy substrate. But I do think the detritus and sharp gravel have made your corydoras unhappy.
A more direct treatment for your corys would be to quarantine them, strong aeration. I would use General Tonic by Interpet, which is a liquisil formula. Its very good. But I don't know if its available in the US. And while in quarantine, gradually reduce the temp to about 78degF. Give them plenty of frozen live food for the first week, but be careful that all food is eaten.
Hope that helps.

discus fever · Post by **discus fever** » 01 Apr 2010, 19:58

Thanks for the reply. I do not think general tonic is available in the U.S. but at least two of its ingredients (acriflavine and methylene blue) are. I will see what I can find today. Thanks,

what disease/growth is this?

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