Fin Rot and Missing Panda Cory Cat

[saa5886]

I noticed this morning that it appears a couple of my sweeties have fin rot, and my Panda Cory Cat was laying on it's side on the bottom of the tank.
I immediately called work to tell them I may be a little late, and got started on a 50% water change.
The Cory Cat immediately hopped right up, started swimming, and swam right under some driftwood. Well, I havent seen him since. It's been say....25 minutes.
I have to go to work now, and don't get home til 6:30pm most nights.

I'm pretty sure this is happening because of the driftwood I added last week. I boiled it for three hours, yes, three, before placing it in, though.

I also added salt back into the aquarium last night little by little. I would say, 6 tablespoons over a period of 3 hours. (I had forgotten to add salt in the water after my last water change). Could the salt have affected him?

Anyway, as far as the fin rot, I'm hoping the clean water will help. I'm thinking of doing yet another water change tomorrow. Do you think another 50% would be too much?

 

[i3k]

I don't think driftwood has anything to do with your problem. You boiled it for 3 hours so that would take care of any bacteria on it. The tannins are harmless to fish.

Your cory is most likely stressed out and is hiding some where...those things are tiny and can hide all day long without you spotting them. Try feeding a little bit to see if it comes out.

50% water change is a good start...try keeping the gravel clean and do more frequent water changes to take care of the fin rot problem. Do you have any stresscoat? This would help with healing those damaged fins.

 

[saa5886]

Well, I found it, and it was dead. Looks like the fin rot is getting worse. I'll do another change in the morning. Another 40% change maybe...

 

[Petty Officer Salamander]

Are you treating ich, or throwing treatment at an unknown cause?

 

[mudraker]

First, what are your water parameters?

Is the driftwood really driftwood or just a dry piece of wood sold as driftwood?

If it is new driftwood and boiled for three hours, it will still be leaching tannins, which will radically lower you ph in a very short period of time. This is very bad for all of your fish.

Also, you added way too much salt in way too short of a time. A teaspoon every 12 hours or so is as fast as you should go.

Corries are very sensative to changes in the water, especially when it comes to salt.

Fin rot is caused by dirty water and cured by clean water.

Post you water parameters before and after the PWC.

You may find you also had a ph crash and need to work on that driftwood for several more weeks.