# No one is helping...



## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

I know you all are going to tell me to be patient or something, but I'm really f-ing distraught right now. I NEED someone to tell me how to help my cory catfish and no one in that section of the forum is getting back to me.

Please, hes like akashi, i've had him just as long.

Ok, heres the story, somehow a long time ago he cut up his nose on my rocks in my tank. So I removed them and replaced with gravel.

None of my other cories ever got hurt.

Then, about 2-3 days ago he has a HUGE f-in gash in the side of his face. What the hellllllll!!!! And one of my other cories has a slice under his little fin.

So, I removed the fake log I had in there and a rock I had in there.

There are no fish that are even a little threatening in that tank. Right now 6 cories live together with a pleco and 13 neon tetra.

Someone help me, in those eyes I've never seen so much pain....please help me.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Melafix and Pimafix to prevent infections and aid in healing is about all you can do.


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## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Can you get us a pic of the fish and the tank?


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

I really wish I knew what to tell you. I didn't answer because I was hoping someone might have better info than me. If he were at my house, I would isolate him to a hospital tank and use some type of anti-bacterial treatment to hopefully keep it from getting infected. Maybe melafix, maybe something stronger if things looked really bad. There was some type of med that I recall being used to treat open wounds, but I can't think what it was. I'll see if something on the net jogs my memory.


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## Christine (Nov 4, 2005)

Acriflavin is what I was thinking of. This is a UK site, but you can get Acriflavin here by several companies. Im not sure about those wound seal products.. maybe something to look into.

http://www.ntlabs.co.uk/product_details.php?product_id=7


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## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

*cries* thank you! I'm so worried about him, I will do all of this as soon as possible...especially since my 5g is now cleared out.


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## SvenRhapsody (Feb 3, 2006)

There's always a lot to be said for doing some nice daily water changes, increasing the temp a little, and keeping a close eye on him.


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

Are any of the other fish in the tank with the cories aggressive in any way?
I don't think that the rocks, or fake log you have in there should really do any damage to your cories.
I have noticed in that past, that if a fish would go up and nibble on one of my cories, or just rub up againest one they would dart really fast and run into something in the tank... But that was back in the first few days when I introduced them..... Have you had these cories long?


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## Sable (Nov 6, 2006)

How big is the tank? (It might give a clue.)


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

Kageshi17 said:


> IThere are no fish that are even a little threatening in that tank. Right now 6 cories live together with a pleco and 13 neon tetra.


It's not the other fish.


RC


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## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

I've had them for about 6-8 months and they used to live in a 20g long and now live in a 29g long. Tonight, though, I am moving my 4 cories to a 5g for meds etc. I cant just isolate one, they HAVE to go together seeing as they have never been apart.


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## TigerBarb12 (Jan 7, 2007)

not sure, just listen to puffer pita


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

I agree. When you have a wound, Melafix is a good thing to add to the tank. the important thing here is to prevent infection from setting in before it has a chance to heal. Melafix has tea tree oil, (a natural antimicrobial), and a slime supplement, sort of like a bandaid. It's a very good product. It will mess with your biofilter, so be prepared. Take out the charcoal if you treat the tank, too. 
Good luck with your little dude.


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## Sable (Nov 6, 2006)

All right; sounds like they have enough room that they're not stressed and picking at each other (neons do pick on bigger fish sometimes). I'm confused, though: You say you're moving 4 cories together because they've never been apart, but then you mention you've got 6 cories in other posts.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Sue, have you had problems with it messing up your biofilter? I've used it in almost all of my tanks, in combination with Pimafix, and have never had a problem with it interferring in any way with the biofilter.


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

Yeah, I have. I did get a nitrite spike when using it to treat a wound on one of my mono argentus.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Interesting. I wonder why?


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

*shrug* At the time, I guess I assumed it killed or stressed out the nitrosomonas colony. 
Idon't think it wasn't a total wipeout, things were back to normal in a week or two. It was so long ago that I forget the details.


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## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

Sable, haha, I know its confusing, seeing as my signature is really weird and doesnt really reflect whats going on right now (my sig is what I am working toward) But I have 6 cory catfish still, but 2 of them I just purchased. They usually stay together, dont like people at all (even looking at them), and are really big. Hahaha but my 4 spotted ones have never been apart, like people, and stay out in the daylight and sycronize their swimming for all to see. They almost seem like a traveling circus. Hahaha. 

I have a question though. I rarely ever see my cories open their mouthes...like ever. They always just use their little bristle noses to dig around for food. I was watching my hurt cory yesterday and he was opening his mouth...like he was gasping for air! I really hope he makes it...poor little guy.


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## Kageshi17 (Sep 6, 2006)

And yes, I am going to treat him with malafix. I just have to wait until the weekend when I have even a few spare moments to run to the store and pick it up.


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## Kyoberr (Dec 6, 2006)

I don't really have an idea. I have two spotted cories and sometimes the pleco gets a little annoyed around them and chases them away. Maybe yours are getting a bit more agressive. My cories have never been hurt from a pleco though.


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## fate2006 (Feb 10, 2007)

Dunno if this was covered, but a sand or extremly find ground substrate is recommended for cory cats... Change from rock to gravel, that was the wrong choice, the only choice to go with is from gravel to sand and this should prevent furthur injuries...


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

fate2006 said:


> Dunno if this was covered, but a sand or extremly find ground substrate is recommended for cory cats... Change from rock to gravel, that was the wrong choice, the only choice to go with is from gravel to sand and this should prevent furthur injuries...


Not true.
It is recommened that cories have sand as substrate for the tank that there are in, but it is not neccessary though for keeping cories. You should not have any jagged, or sharp pointy rocks as the substrate for cories, for if you do it can cause injuries to the fish. 

What do oyu have for substrate in the tank?


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