I have a Corydoras paleatus for fishkeeping hobby who recently got sick. About a month ago, she started to have flatulence and was found floating on the water surface. She appeared to be bloated because of gas in her stomach. The gas in her stomach caused her to float, lose her balance, and bloated. Then I tried massaging her stomach to help her pass gas and it worked (some gas came out from her cloaca and a little came out from mouth and gills). This treatment went on for 5 consecutive days. I didn't know what caused her to be in this condition at first. I put her in a quarantine tank with only about 5 cm of water. I change the water everyday, and I also put an aerator in it.
About 3 weeks ago, I noticed that she now had gas-filled lesions on her body, and also red blood streaks on her tail and the back of pectoral fins, so I did a bit of research to find out what disease symptoms these are. I read a book by Dr. George Post, "Textbook of Fish Health" as a reference. There, I found a matching disease with the symptom (gas-filled lesions), which is Edwardsiella septicemia. Then I looked up about the bacteria that caused the disease on the internet at http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu, which is where I learned how E. tarda, the bacteria that caused this disease, cleaves red blood cells and releases hemoglobins. From there, I concluded that Edwardsiella septicemia patients will have a lack of oxygen because they lose hemoglobins in their blood. So this is perhaps what caused the flatulence in my Corydoras.
I also found another website that describes the disease at http://aqua.intervet.com/diseases/enteric-septicaemia/ProductAdditional_127_113305.aspx . According to that site, the symtomps are:
- Starts as an enteritic infection. The vent may appear congested, with mucoid and haemorrhagic intestinal exudate.
- In advanced cases, fish become lethargic.*
- Progresses slowly from the olfactory sacs, through the nasal route.*
- Listlessness and erratic swimming are resultant behavioural signs. Affected fish may display rigor or uncoordinated muscle twitching when handled.
- Petechia and haemorrhages around the mouth, on the throat, abdominal region and fin bases.*
- Anaemia, exophthalmia, abdominal distension or dropsy in advanced cases.
- Glls often appear irritated with petechia.*
- 1-2 mm raised lesions scattered on the body. These lesions progress in to shallow ulcers.*
- Internally, haemorrhages and necrotic foci in the liver and other internal organs. Enteritis, systemic oedema, accumulation of yellow- or blood-tinged ascitic fluid in the body cavity and enlargement of the spleen.(?)
- Concurrent infection with Flavobacter columnare is common.
Those marked with * are the symtomps my Corydoras is showing.
The treatment I've done after finding out about the disease is injecting her with 0.5 mg Oxytetracycline (according to the textbook) through her mouth. I couldn't make her eat at first, so I tried injecting the drug directly into her mouth. On the second day of treatment, the red blood streak on her tail and the back of pectoral fins disappeared, but up to now, her lesions don't seem to be getting better. Sometimes the lesions disappear, but the next day they keep coming back. Here's a picture of the fish and the lesions:
I have treated her with 500 mg/L Chloramphenicol (dip treatment for an hour a day) but her condition hasn't improved at all. So now I'm looking for other alternative treatments. I would also welcome if anyone has other opinions or diagnosis about my fish's disease, because I might have made a mistake in diagnosing it.
I've tried contacting several ichtyologists and micrologists but they couldn't help me. I'm kinda desperate here.
Btw, I don't think I can obtain Aquaflor, the medicine from Intervet (the website I mentioned above). Their local distributor in my country doesn't sell it.
About 3 weeks ago, I noticed that she now had gas-filled lesions on her body, and also red blood streaks on her tail and the back of pectoral fins, so I did a bit of research to find out what disease symptoms these are. I read a book by Dr. George Post, "Textbook of Fish Health" as a reference. There, I found a matching disease with the symptom (gas-filled lesions), which is Edwardsiella septicemia. Then I looked up about the bacteria that caused the disease on the internet at http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu, which is where I learned how E. tarda, the bacteria that caused this disease, cleaves red blood cells and releases hemoglobins. From there, I concluded that Edwardsiella septicemia patients will have a lack of oxygen because they lose hemoglobins in their blood. So this is perhaps what caused the flatulence in my Corydoras.
I also found another website that describes the disease at http://aqua.intervet.com/diseases/enteric-septicaemia/ProductAdditional_127_113305.aspx . According to that site, the symtomps are:
- Starts as an enteritic infection. The vent may appear congested, with mucoid and haemorrhagic intestinal exudate.
- In advanced cases, fish become lethargic.*
- Progresses slowly from the olfactory sacs, through the nasal route.*
- Listlessness and erratic swimming are resultant behavioural signs. Affected fish may display rigor or uncoordinated muscle twitching when handled.
- Petechia and haemorrhages around the mouth, on the throat, abdominal region and fin bases.*
- Anaemia, exophthalmia, abdominal distension or dropsy in advanced cases.
- Glls often appear irritated with petechia.*
- 1-2 mm raised lesions scattered on the body. These lesions progress in to shallow ulcers.*
- Internally, haemorrhages and necrotic foci in the liver and other internal organs. Enteritis, systemic oedema, accumulation of yellow- or blood-tinged ascitic fluid in the body cavity and enlargement of the spleen.(?)
- Concurrent infection with Flavobacter columnare is common.
Those marked with * are the symtomps my Corydoras is showing.
The treatment I've done after finding out about the disease is injecting her with 0.5 mg Oxytetracycline (according to the textbook) through her mouth. I couldn't make her eat at first, so I tried injecting the drug directly into her mouth. On the second day of treatment, the red blood streak on her tail and the back of pectoral fins disappeared, but up to now, her lesions don't seem to be getting better. Sometimes the lesions disappear, but the next day they keep coming back. Here's a picture of the fish and the lesions:
I have treated her with 500 mg/L Chloramphenicol (dip treatment for an hour a day) but her condition hasn't improved at all. So now I'm looking for other alternative treatments. I would also welcome if anyone has other opinions or diagnosis about my fish's disease, because I might have made a mistake in diagnosing it.
I've tried contacting several ichtyologists and micrologists but they couldn't help me. I'm kinda desperate here.
Btw, I don't think I can obtain Aquaflor, the medicine from Intervet (the website I mentioned above). Their local distributor in my country doesn't sell it.
