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Yesterday I observed some spots on one of my cory cats. They were very small and fine and almost golden looking rather than bright white. I figured it was probably ich but was in denial for most of the day (What! Ick on my cories?! Never!). Finally, that afternoon, I stopped by the LFS and picked up some Rid Ich+ by Kordon (formaldehyde and zinc-free chloride salt of malachite green). On my way home I started worrying about my plants. I have no idea what medications are ok for live plants. I decided to wait to treat the tank until I asked on this forum. However, when I came home I could not find any cory with spots so I didn't treat them. This morning I again saw the same type of spots on one of the cats. Then I saw a second cory, my littlest one, with one spot below his dorsal fin. No! I went to get my camera, thinking I would take a picture of the strange spots to show you all, but when I returned I seemed to see spots on several fish. Then I couldn't find any fish at all with spots. Then I saw one with quite a few. ?? This was while the whole school was at the front of the tank feeding on some shrimp pellets so I know a fish didn't just go away and come back. I am somewhat confused. My only experience with ick was on a betta a few years ago. I seem to remember the spots being larger and bright white. On the cories, I can only see them when I have my face almost pressed to the glass, they are that small. I have a fine sand bottom on my tank. Am I being paranoid? Could it be sand particles sticking to the fish? I am worried. I certainly don't want sick fish. I don't want to dump a bunch of meds in my nice tank either, if its not necessary. The cats are all very active. They school everywhere together, have hearty appetites, and generally don't appear sick at all. My LFS is getting in a new shipment of freshwater fish today and I was planning on adding a school of ottos and a female dwarf gourami which I saw there eariler this week(female gouramis are impossible to find in this area!). I won't buy any fish if this is ick... Please advise me...


The tank has been set up for almost a month. The fish have been in it since Friday.

Tank: 55 gallon with live plants and driftwood
Lighting: 2 wpg 10 hpd
Substrate: Flourite with play sand layer on top
Filtration: Emperor 400
Heater: Acura 200 watt
Stock: 6 Corydorus Paleatus

Temp: 74-78 (I have a thermometer at each end of the tank and they both read differently)
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0 (reading probably isn't trustworthy as I use Prime as a water conditioner)
Nitrite: 0 -.05 ppm (color is somewhere between the two)
Water changes: 3-5 gallons everyother day. Replace with room temp tap water.

If you need more info please let me know. Thank you!

I think it is, or could be ick. Ick would seem possible because they break off the fish and go into the substrate, which then releases hundreds of little ickies. I dont know the scientific name of the stages, but the pattern seems likely, although i wouldnt think that they go on and off the fish that quickly!

The live plants wouldnt be hurt, but the cories will be. The cories are sensitive to meds, and might trigger something.....

The theorie about the sand on fish is actually quite believeable to me, and i would like to assume it was this, however, i dont have a pic. What would really help is if the fish were flicking hard or sturdy objects, rubbing on objects, pressed fins, or discoloration. This helps!

I would wait a while on treating until somebody can professionally diagnose your problem. Until then, just watch and see for the symptoms of it. If everythings fine, then dont worry! Just Maybe add some different colored sand to test out the sticking sand theorie!

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I'm sorry I don't have a picture. I tried, really I did! My camera just isn't appropriate for underwater macros and I got lots of pictures of transparent catfish because they were moving too fast for the shutter... Oh well...

So far I haven't observed rubbing or anything like. All the fish seem perky. I will keep watching them. Thanks.

In that case, i think it is safe to assume it is not ick. Although precautions may still need to be taken. Try that experiment, if it dosent work, vaccum the excess sand and treat with 1/2 the dose of the meds.

Close one eh?

Good luck!

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Gold spots are oodinium , a kind of epithelial protozoa. There are commercial cures, my personal choice would be esha exit, which has been very effective for me, and safe for cories. If its not just cack from the bottom of the tank sticking to the fish, and if its not whitespot then oodinium is likely , it can be visible or not depending on the iridescence it produces and lighting conditions.

Well they aren't all gold..and they aren't all white either... It just seems odd to me. Since I can't get a picture to show you, I will just have to assume for the moment that it is sand/tank gunk or whatever sticking to them. If any start showing signs of distress I will definetly medicate. I won't buy more fish until I'm sure. LHG, after reading some of your old posts I looked for the Exit product but couldn't find it at my LFS or at the big chain stores. I live in a smaller area and there is not much demand for aquaria. I had to order my plants and flourite online... Are there any other products/ingredients that you can recommend? The product I bought for ich states that it treats some other protozoan diseases too. If the fish do have oodinium, what symptoms should I look for? Thanks.

Lioness,
the product you have chosen, Kordons Rid Ich + Is safe and suitable to use in full dosage on scaleless fish. You should have no problem whatsoever with it.


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