itchy cories

[lesley]

I think something may have been posted about this a little while back... I can't remember where I saw it, and I already tried the search feature, so maybe it was on another forum.

Anyway, my cories have been scratching on leaves and the gravel, so I'm thinking they must have some type of parasite or something. I've looked at them pretty closely and don't see anything with the naked eye. They have beeneating well, and appear otherwise healthy. I treated for ich about two months ago, but haven't seen a recurrence. Any ideas on what this infection might be and what I can use to treat it?

[Manix]

Sounds like a parasite. What did you use to treat for Ick before?

[lesley]

Hm... I forget what it was called. It's a white bottle with a green and yellow label, I think. It was the typical green stuff, but the LFS said that the cories would be fine with it.

I did notice when I treated that the cories looked a little unhappy.

Looked it up.. it might have been Rid-Ich.

[Manix]

Are the cories still itchy? Do you have any other fish with them? How are they? It's possible your having a relapse of ick. How are your water readings, are they normal? I know...thats alot of questions, but I don't want to reccomend you treat your fish for the wrong thing.

[lesley]

Still itchy. I'll go home and to a test tonight. I've been slacking on the tests. The tank has been set up for over a year and I do a 20-30 percent change once a week.

I have some black neons in the tank that look perfectly fine, but i did notice that my pearl gourami has a little bit of an off look. Maybe a slight cloudiness to the eye.

The cories have no visible infection, but are still scraping. They're not clamping fins or showing any other signs of stress. It is a bit warm, the temp has been hovering about 80-82 F because it's so hot in my house.

[Manix]

To me the temp. would help fight off the ick. Definantly. do the tests and see what happens. Keep a close eye on them (of course you will, who wouldn't). I won't say go ahead and treat cuase I don't know what they may have. It could be the temp. Check back tomarrow and we can go from there. Hopefully, it's nothing serious. Goodluck.

[lesley]

So try to lower the temp? I'm not sure how I can do that aside from not running the lights or maybe a fan, but we're expecting several days of 100+ temps. I could do evening water changes with cooler water, but that might stres them further.

By the way, thanks for your help Manix.

[Manix]

I just wish I could be of more help. Youcould try lowering the temp. But it's just gonna bounce right back. That will stress the fishies just as much. Lets wait and see what those water readings are and see how your fishies are doing in the morning.

[lesley]

Okay. I won't be on the computer tomorrow though (going fishing) so I'll post on Monday. Thanks.

[Manix]

It's Monday. How are your fish doing Lesley?

[lesley]

I totally forgot to test. I vacuumed and did a water change on Saturday, but for some reason didn't think to test my water. The cories are less active lately, and so haven't been itching as much, just mostly loafing around in the back parts of the tank.

I WILL remember to test tonight... I'll write it on my hand.

[Manix]

Well, the loafing around isn't a good sign either (unless thats what corys do). No visable signs of disease?

[lesley]

nothing except for the itching. they still come out and eat when i feed them, but the rest of the time, they just sit around. Usually when I do a water change, they become fairly active, probably because I have stirred up a bunch of debris and stuff from vacuuming, but this time they were still relatively inactive.

Oh, I did notice that one of my panda cory's fins weren't looking too great. His dorsal was a bit torn when I bought him, but now his pectoral fins and caudal fin look a little ragged too. Will be keeping an eye on that.

[Manix]

Better have a good variety of meds stocked up just in case. Lets hope you won't need them.

[Manix]

Any updates yet?

[Dtman]

I know that my Rift lake cichlids will scratch if I let the nitrate level get too high, but it looks like your water change regimine would take care of that...unless you are overfeeding.

[elmj]

lesley : i would suggest that you take out the panda cory and put it in a seperate tank to medicate if for its torn fin. because i had two panda corys that fins was slightly bitten when i bought them. i didn't think much and everyone told me that the tail would grow back. true enough, one of my panda corys fins grew back and he went back to normal. but the other never made it. i shd not have assumed it would grow back i guess. always felt bad that it died cause it was partly neglect on my part!

so perhaps healing it now is better!

hope that helps!

[lesley]

I wish I could quarantine him. Unfortunately, I don't have another tank.

Just to update... all of the cories still look fine, but are still itching occasionally. I'm going to keep an eye on them and see if anything develops.

[Sensei_the_dojo]

If you use incandescent lighting rather than flourescent, then keeping your lights off might help lower your temp a few degrees. I live in New Mexico and it gets pretty hot here. I started going without tank lights a few months ago. Not only does it keep my water at a more comfy temp for the fish, I see a LOT less algae.

[lesley]

Sensei-

I've thought about doing that, but I have fluorescent and I don't think it will make that much difference to keep the lights off. Plus, I have the tank planted with some hygro and crypts, so I don't think the minimal decrease in temp will be a benefit in the long run. Thanks for the suggestion, though.