Are cory sensitive to acriflavine?

Twistersmom

3 of my rainbow fish came down with a bacterial infection a couple months ago. I started treating with daily water changes, no improvements. So, wanting to stick with snail safe meds, I started using Melafix and Primafix with water changes every other day, still no improvements.
Then did a week and 1/2, treatment with Maracyn and Maracyn-two. No improvement and the Maracyn cost way to much to continue treatment in a 65 gal tank.
So moved the snails in a 20gal QT, and switched to Acriflavin. I am guessing Acriflavine is not Mystery snail safe?
Problem, the cories did not eat tonight. With the Acriflavin, I have to do daily 50% water changes. The cory seemed a little slow to move out of the way during the gravel cleaning, and thats a little strange for them. This is day four of the Acriflavin treatment, with little improvement.

The reason for treating the whole tank, was because I believed it to be contagious, but only the same three fish are sick.

I could move the cory into QT with the snails, or move the three sick rainbows into qt and quite treating the whole tank. Only problem with that, I don't know when it is safe to put the snails back into the 65 gal. Afraid to put the snails in another fish tank, not sure if they could be carriers of the disease.

Sorry for the novel, any advice is welcome.

PS, there have been no new fish added to the 65 gal for months, so why the outbreak, I have no clue. There has been no water quality problems either. The fish have sore spots, with missing scales, one with cloudy eyes, and a few white patches. Looks like a columnaris outbreak. The rainbows are still eating and act healthy, just look bad.

Lupin

Snails don't carry bacterial infections except for flukes. You could move them back in the 65g once acriflavine is removed completely. I'd err on the side of caution. Acriflavine has not been tested with apple snails specifically yet nor do I have intentions to do the experiment myself. I am a softie for snails.

I can't remember the last time I treated my main tank with acriflavine but I think the cories were okay although not really all that lively as they often were. I'd just treat the rainbowfish separately to be safe.

Twistersmom

Maybe I will just place the snails in a 10 gal with fish for now, till I believe the acriflavine is removed.
Not sure how to tell when its safe to put the snails back in the 65. That Acriflavine is some nasty stuff! The whole tank is a nasty green haze, my hand are turning yellow from water changes.

Also, do you think I should stick with the treatment of Acriflavine in the 20 gal qt, or would another med be better?
The missing scales seem to be looking better since I started the acriflavine treatment, but still see a lot of white stingy areas on one of the fish.

Lupin

I wouldn't touch the acriflavine with bare hands, Twister. It does stain. How are the rainbows doing with acriflavine? Acriflavine is indeed a harsh treatment. If it does not work after a week, I'd switch to tetracycline or a combination of Maracyn and Maracyn 2.

Twistersmom

The rainbows do not seem bothered by it, but through the green water, its hard to tell if there has been much physical improvement. Perhaps I will go back to the Maracy and Maracyn-Two in the 20 gal QT, will not cost as much to treat in the 20 gal. My ph is close to 8, not sure if the Tetracyline will work in such a high ph?
Thanks so much for your help!

Lupin

Ahh..Good point. So this leaves us to deal with Maracyn and Maracyn 2 instead. Tetracycline does not indeed work well at that pH.

Rohland

Cories don't do well with medicine in the water. You may want to remove them while your doing treatment.

Twistersmom

I think you are right. My plan is to move the 3 sick fish into the 20 qt, with no other fish developing the disease after 2 months, I feel it is safe not to treat the tank as a whole. It will be nice doing 50% water changes in a 20 gal daily, instead of the 65!

Twistersmom

I killed my poor fish.

I thought I would post this so others can learn from my mistake. Yes, the disease is contagious, but next time I need to resort to a stronger medication, I will not be treating everyone in the tank. The fish with signs of illness will be moved into QT.

After noticing that my cory where acting sluggish after 4 days of the acriflavine treatment, on Thursday and Friday, I did 50% water changes with no meds added, to start removing it. My plan was to wait till today, to move the rainbows into the QT, and decide what tanks I want to move the apple snails into.

When I got home from work on Friday, all four of my skunk Cory where dead. I also have 5 albino Cory in the tank, all where acting weak, one on its side. In a mad rush, I moved the cory into the 20 gal qt, with the snails. Then I started to worry that enough of the medication was on the cory to kill the snails. Did a 50% water change in the 20 and added carbon to the filter. This morning, all the snails are still alive, and the cory are looking better. Even the cory that I thought for sure would be dead this morning, has righted himself.

My plan now is do a few more big water changes, before moving the cory back and freeing up the QT tank for the rainbows. Hoping the rainbows will not deteriorate to quickly, without treatment for a few days.

Wishing now, that I had just stuck with the Maracyn and Maracyn-Two. I have never had any fish, shrimp, or snails fall ill from the use of the med combo.

Lupin

I am sorry to hear that, Twister.