Salt treatment for corydoras habrosus fungal infection

[andieb]

Hi guys, 

I'd really appreciate your advice.

One of my corys is acting lethargic and I noticed that it has white fluffy fungus on its fin. I read in this article about treatments: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/fish-fungus but I can't find Maracyn and Ich-X at the fish store near my house, and it's closed now anyways. I have a feeling my fish is not going to last very long since he's not moving much atm. I still placed a curb side pick up order for API Pimafix Fish Fungal Infection Treatment and aquarium salt that I can pick up tomorrow. 

The article mentions that using salt is effective but it doesn't mention whether it's safe for corydoras. I have a 10 gal tank with just some decorations, a heater, a filter, and sand that is otherwise empty that I could move the fish into to treat it. I was thinking of starting with treatment level 1 explained in this article: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/aquarium-salt-for-sick-fish. 

Or I could use the Pimafix.... if I use this, I could treat the cory in the main tank without moving it, cause I read that it's safe for shrimps and snails. Is this correct?

Which option do you guys think is best? Or are there any other options?

Thank you so much for your help! 

 

[Colu]

I would treat with pimafix and aquarium salt I would start with 1 table spoon for 3 gallons and gradually increase it to 1 table spoon for 2 gallons if the fish starts to have a reaction to salt I would do a 50% water change immediately

[andieb]

Unfortunately, the store modified my order because apparently they don't have aquarium salt in stock even though it was on their website so I may only have pimafix tomorrow 😞 I hope it still works. I guess using table salt is off the table? 

[Colu]

I would only use aquarium or Epsom salt in your tank 

[andieb]

Upadte: WOW that was stressful. When I came back from picking up the pimafix from the store and the fish had fallen to the bottom of the tank and he was being eaten by one of the snails. By the time I got the snail away the fish was dead and a chunk of his side had been eaten.

Anyways, I decided to treat the tank anyways just because I figured the fungus could be in the tank and the other fish could have it but not be showing it yet. I added exactly the dose described on the bottle, and almost imminently my snails went to the surface and started gulping air. Over time, they started doing odd behaviours like coming out of their shells and then retracting back in over and over as if something was hurting/startling them every time they came out.

I decided that it the pimafix was hurting them, and I needed to move them to the spare tank. I had to change the water in the spare tank first though. The entire time I was prepping the spare tank, one of my snails basically just sat on the floor of the tank convulsing. I moved them into the spare tank as fast as I could, and while moving them they were dripping a lot of slime. 

All three are now just lying on their sides convulsing.  I'm really worried and it's horrible to watch.

I read that pimafix was safe for snails but from my personal experience I will NEVER use it again on a tank with snails. If you are thinking of putting it in a tank with apple snails, I'd suggest removing the snails to a safe tank or remove the sick fish and treat it somewhere else. 

[Colu]

Pimafix is oil based it can lower the levels of desolved oxygen in water I would put an extra air stone in  tank 

[andieb]

That might explain why the snails at first were syphoning at the top of the water. But they're still syphoning even now that they're not in the tea tree oil water. Can tea tree oil affect the snails ability to do oxygen exchange under water?

[Colu]

I have read that it shouldn't effect snails but a never used it with snail so am not sure

[andieb]

I read that it was safe too, that's why I thought it would be ok to use but now that I've dug a little deeper I see other people have experienced similar things. Weirdly, all the little tiny pond and ramshorn snails in the tank are fine. Also, just as an update, the snails are ok now. They're walking and around and eating and now they're actually mating... lord.