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My poor catfish!! Corydoras dis., use 8/22/07
Good morning, we are fairly new aquarium owners, we have 2
gravel cleaner Corydoras and one of them has a very swollen belly, we
thought it might be pregnant but today it is finding it very difficult
to swim and keeps going to the surface. Sometimes it falls back down to
the bottom like its dead but then will swim back up. Not keeping
it's balance very well. The other one looks fine and is sat on the
bottom as normal. Please could you give me some advice on what to do. I
can't seem to get a clear enough picture but will try if you really
need one. They are a grey colour with a pinkish tone, about 2 inches
long. Thank you so much Sharon <Hello Sharon. Corydoras aren't
"gravel cleaners" -- that's your job. Indeed, forcing
catfish of any kind to root about dirty gravel causes infections to set
in, typically associated with eroded barbels (whiskers) and, in serious
cases, reddish sores on the belly. A photograph will help, but my
assumption without one is that your catfish are suffering from poor
water quality. In a new aquarium the ammonia and nitrite levels quickly
reach toxic levels. Catfish will try and mitigate the problems by
gulping air, which is the dash to the surface your catfish are doing,
but eventually the ammonia and nitrite cause damage to the fish, which
is the odd behaviour. Even in the short term, prolonged exposure to
nitrite and ammonia will kill them. Using your test kits (which I hope
you have!) ensure the ammonia is 0 and the nitrite is 0. If this is not
the case, do a 50% water change. Repeat the water test and, if
required, 50% water change every single day until you get 0 ammonia and
nitrite for two or three days on the trot. At that point, you can scale
things back to 50% water changes per week. Cheers, Neale>
Wormlike parasite 5/30/07 Hello there,
<Good morning> I have a problem with two Bronze Catfish, they
seem to have a parasite that I can't identify. One of the Bronze
Cats is new, I've had it for a few days. My tanks isn't very
old (less than two months, but I have been monitoring it closely and it
has cycled). It is a 90 litre tank (24 ish gallons). Currently my temp
is 79, pH is 6.8 , ammonia 0, nitrites 0 (I only tested for nitrates
once about three weeks ago and there were none, the tank is quite
heavily planted so I'm guessing whatever nitrates have been
produced are being used up or removed during water changes). I
don't think that water quality is affecting the fish, but
nevertheless the Bronze Cats seem to have extremely tiny, whitish,
wormy looking things attached to the very ends of their fins, they are
difficult to see with the naked eye. There don't seem to be any on
their bodies, they just seem to be on the ends of the fins, hanging
like little tassels that move when the fish are swimming. They are very
small, they must be less than a mm long. There seem to be more on the
newest Bronze Cat, but I believe that the other bronze has caught them
now too because I noticed a few today ( I'm afraid that they are
spreading). I have 2 Pepper Cats and two Sterbai Cats and they seem
unaffected, none of the other fish in the tank seem affected either
(Neons, Gouramis, SAE etc.). These parasites don't seem to be
bothering the fish so far (no clamped fins, scratching or heavy
breathing) but I know that this could change. These two Bronze Cats
also seem to each have another problem as well ( I know this is getting
boring but I think it's better to get all the details out in the
open). My older Bronze Cat is a long finned variety, very pretty, but I
think that someone likes the look of his magnificent dorsal fin because
sometimes it suddenly looks munched or shredded. It heals readily and
does not seem to get infected so I don't think that it's fin
rot. I don't keep any 'aggressive' fish in my tank, but
maybe a naughty baby Clown Loach might have nipped him? ( Who knows
what any of the fish get up to when the lights are off?). The newer
Bronze seems to have lost the barbels on one side of his mouth, it
doesn't look infected. This seems to have happened quite suddenly
as well ( it was while I was inspecting this that I noticed the
parasites). I think that the barbel may have been damaged during
feeding. I try to break up a few small sinking wafers for all my bottom
feeders to have an even chance but I have still noticed that the Clown
Loaches are pretty dominating at feeding time. My Betta also gets quite
aggressive as well. Could the barbels have been severed during a
feeding frenzy? I realise that the parasite and the injuries may be
related because the fish may be more susceptible to infection if
they're injured. But do you have any idea what the parasites are
and how to treat them? <Mmm, microscopic examination would be the
route to go here, but likely some type of Fluke (Trematode)> My
other issue is with a new Blue Ram. I bought a male and a female (they
get along well) and it is the female who is looking rough. She has got
small white patches on her body and fins. They aren't Ich spots but
they don't look cottony or fluffy either. Could they be a fungus
infection that is just starting out? Or is it bacterial? <Impossible
to state for sure... but the fish being new, I would be very
conservative here re treatment> I don't know what to treat with.
I have a malachite green/Methylene blue/quinine solution which is meant
to be a sort of 'cure all' tonic, <The Malachite is quite
toxic... I would hold off for now> but I am afraid to use it with
the Clown Loaches being in the tank now, and I don't want to
destroy my biological filtration either. Would the medicine that I have
be suitable to treat the worm parasites and the fungus or would you
recommend something else? Should I treat the whole tank? ( I don't
have a QT but could do a short soak in a bucket?) Sorry this is so long
but I would really appreciate any advice you could offer. Kind regards,
Jessica in New Zealand <I would treat the worm problem with an
Anthelminthic (likely Flubenol or Prazi(quantel)... covered on WWM (see
the indices, search tool)... and the current problem with the Ram...
not at all, other than maintaining good (soft, acidic, warm) water
quality. Bob Fenner> Peppered Catfish with blisters 5/28/07 Hi
There <Hello.> Would love some advice <OK.> I have a
Peppered Catfish (had him for approx 9 months) and he has in the past 7
days developed these water type blisters around his dorsal fin, they
are see through bubble blister things!!! <"A" peppered
catfish? I hope you have more than one in the tank. They are *very*
sociable catfish, and the bigger the group, the better. At least keep
three or four.> I have tested water all is fine as usual and PH 7. I
know that they do not like salt however I do have salt in the water as
they are in a community tank and they have been fine for the past 9
months. <Do not add salt. It is bad for them. Repeat after me:
freshwater fish do not need salt in the water. Tonic salt is snake oil,
sold to unsuspecting aquarists to extract cash from them in return for
overpriced uniodized cooking salt (which is all it is). If you know
they don't like salt, why are you adding some anyway?> I also
have Albinos in there and they are fine along with the clown loaches
maybe they are more tolerant than the Peppered? <No.> So to my
questions is my catfish getting old and has a bacterial problem?
<Probably not.> Will it spread to other fish? <Depends what it
is. If Whitespot/Ick, then very likely yes. If simply a viral growth or
tumour, then probably not. Need more of a description that "bubble
blister things" to identify the problem. What's the size of
the blister? Are they on the fin membrane, the spines, or the skin
around the base of the fin?> What should I use to treat her?
<Until you identify the problem, don't treat with anything.
It's entirely possible that the salt is irritating the skin of the
fish and causing physical damage, hence the blisters. So the treatment,
such as it is, might well be stop adding salt and keep your catfish in
a freshwater aquarium, not a brackish water one.> I have been told
by a friend that salt just sits at the bottom of the tank and when you
gravel vacuum you do not get rid of the salt so maybe it has become to
salty and maybe burned him? <If someone was foolish enough to add
the salt directly to the aquarium then yes, grains of salt could sit on
the bottom of the tank. They don't "burn" the fish in any
meaningful way because the fish could easily swim away from any
irritant like a salt grain. But if small fish swallow whole grains of
salt that would be very bad for them indeed (much as if you swallowed a
whole cup of salt). Even in this worst-case scenario, the grains of
salt would quickly dissolve, certainly within an hour, probably much
less. Salt doesn't come out of solution again under normal aquarium
conditions, so grains wouldn't "re-appear" on the
substrate, so that part of your friend's story is nonsense.> I
did just try to add some other Peppered and they died after a couple of
days but they were very small and came from a freshwater tank at the
LFS. <Quelle surprise. Please, stop adding salt to the aquarium.>
Any info would be appreciated........ <Do please have a read of this
article for an overview of the Corydoras group:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callichthyids.htm .Peppered
Corys are lovely catfish, and I've kept and bred them myself.
They're essentially very hardy (mine live in a pond over summer)
and very rewarding animals if treated properly. But adding salt to the
Corydoras aquarium is at best pointless and at worse stressful to the
fish.> Many Thanks Faye <Good luck, Neale> Cory problem, no useful data 5/25/07 Hello! I have a Cory...sorry I don't know which kind, but a fairly common one. Recently I noticed that just about his entire mouth has disappeared! The barbels and what I call the snout. There's nothing left but a tiny hole and I don't know if he is eating through that. <Have seen this before... sometimes from collateral shipping damage... on occasion from sharp gravel, other objects in a tank... Can be caused by being attacked, or even consequent bacterial infection... from something/s amiss in the way of water quality> He's certainly not as active, but is not showing any other signs of fungus or infection. Gills look fine. Must be losing weight. What is the prognosis? Will his barbels and snout grow back? <Might, depending on how damaged, the root cause/s...> How can I help him because he's so sweet. I have already set him up in a hospital tank. I put Methylene Blue in his water. Thanks so much...I really want to save him! Elise <... Need to know what the system consists of, maintenance, water quality, foods/feeding... Even tankmate species... Can't guess w/ what little you've provided here. Bob Fenner> Cory cat behavior or disease - 05/01/07
Dear crew, Tank specs: 10 gallon, heated to 79 degrees (with a heater
that wont stay attached to the side of the aquarium, driving me crazy
and always having the tip touching the gravel*. is this a problem?),
<No> filtered with a hang-on filter rated for 5-15 gallons,
ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5 30 minutes before weekly maintenance
which consists of a 20% water change, quite often twice a week, a swish
of the filter in aquarium water or a change if needed, hand picking of
algae <Shouldn't have much of this...> and an occasional
swish of the sponge media when theres too much algae. Eco-complete
substrate, java moss, a planted plant I cant remember the name of and a
floating Anacharis that tends to tip more then it floats. One small
lace rock. <I'd pull this... soak in some warm/boiled water...
test the water for phosphate... may be a principal contributor to your
algae growth...> Plant light florescent for the lighting, on about
12 hours a day. Two panda Cory cats, two albino Cory cats, a male Betta
and lots of pond snails (that I purposefully introduced*. I like them).
Feeding twice a day with tropical flakes for the Betta, shrimp pellets
for the Corys, frozen white worm larvae, frozen daphnia and Brine
Shrimp Directs Beef heart Plus flakes for all. (My Corys LOVE the beef
heart flakes.) Feeding is switched up every day, one thing at a time,
so no, Im not feeding everything all at once. They fast one day a week
as well as fasting my plants one day every two weeks or so (which has
done wonders for algae control). <Mmm...> The tanks been set up
for a couple of months with fish just being added in the last month or
two. No quarantine as the place we bought the Corys quarantines and the
Betta was added first. Whew! I hope thats all the information you need.
My problem resides with my Corys. First, I was told they would school
together, which they dont. The pandas live under the heater and the
albinos swim around. I would like to get more of each to complete the
school. How many Corys could I comfortably fit in the 10 gallon?
<Well... I'd rather that you had just five or so of one
species...> We have two other larger tanks that I could move either
school of Corys in if theres not enough room to complete the schools in
the 10 gallon. <Oh! Good... small, odd numbers of this genus are
best in most hobbyist settings... One species if the systems are
small...> Second problem. I used to have a fifth Cory cat, albino.
Two weeks ago he became paler then the other albinos, no pink cast to
his body. He would still scrounge around for food when I fed them. (I
feed them at the same time in the same place every time. Even the Panda
cats know when to come out.) But other then that, he appeared rather
listless. He would even waft in the current and tip a bit. But when I
bumped him or another fish bumped him, he would move a little. However,
I happened to be leaving that day for a five day vacation and worried
that he would die while I was gone and rot in my tank, causing havoc to
everything else, I froze him. Now one of my other Cory cats, who used
to be active and pinkish, is acting the same way. He acts more active
when hes scared into moving, but other then that, he just sits around,
blinking, with not much gill movement (though I know theyre labyrinth
breathers, <Yes... of a sort... facultative...> so I dont know
whether this has much to do with it). I watched him eat last night, so
I know hes still doing that. This has been going on for 3-4 days now
with no further deterioration of his condition. So now I wonder, is he
sick or did I freeze my last Cory cat unnecessarily? <Maybe>
There are no other physical signs of illness that I have noticed
besides what is described above. I sincerely hope that I havent just
missed the answer in the FAQ section. I have read through the catfish
behavior and disease three times and Googled different terms related. I
hope I havent wasted your time. Thank you again for your help. Celeste
<Thank you for your thoughtful, well-worded questions, comments... I
would move the non-Panda species here... and keep it/them in a bit
cooler water temp. wise... Do please see WWM, Fishbase.org re the water
quality of these species in the wild... Is your water particularly
hard, alkaline? Lastly, a cursory note re nitrogenous et al. waste
accumulation and these (and most Amazonian) fishes... They do appear
ataxic (disoriented) as you note, under such influences... better to
have larger volumes, well filtered, maintained to avoid such poisoning.
Bob Fenner> Re: Cory cat behavior or disease 5/4/07 Bob, <Celeste> We unfortunately lost the Cory Cat last night. Water hardness tested at 8 with Ph at 7.4, which is higher on both accounts then I thought. (Ah, the importance of frequent testing.) According to fishbase.org, that's within acceptable range, but I would like to see it lower then that. <Mmm, yes> I did a 20% water change last night using only RO, and will continue to do so until dH is 6 and Ph below 7.0. <Good> (The Tetra tank where I moved the Albinos is dH - 5, Ph - 6.4.) We plan on buying 10 more Albino Corys and 3 more Panda Corys this weekend. (Well, probably just 4 Albinos this weekend and 6 next weekend....keeping them odd and letting the bacteria catch up.) Well, thank you for asking about joining the crew! I do have the time and I am very willing, however, I've only technically been part of the hobby for 6 months. (Though I grew up with a freshwater tank in my house, I only did water changes and the like when it was my chore.) As a self-proclaimed researchaholic, I know quite a bit about the things I've dealt with (plants, DIY CO2, setup, cycling, Ick, Guppies, Tetras, Loaches, Bettas and Cory Cats, those kind of things), but only general things about other aspects of freshwater and next to nothing about marine. You guys have done enough for me, if I can return the favor in anyway, I would happily do so. Celeste <Your writing displays a keen intellect, capacity for communication, deep involvement and awareness in life. I look forward to when you will feel more comfortable responding to folks here... Even "just" with freshwater queries. Bob Fenner>
Dying Cory? 4/15/07 Hi.. <Hello> I
have two Corys, Pleco, clown loach, three Danios in a 27 gal. tank. all
water levels are normal, except that the water does test a bit hard.
<... need the actual test values... can't read minds to discern
what you mean by "normal"> two days ago I noticed that one
of the Corys started leaning against rocks and the tank to hold itself
up in a resting position. over the last two days he has become
completely motionless and is not eating. he seems to breathe heavily
from time to time and at others I wonder if he's kicked the bucket.
There is no visible infection on him, he looks fine from the outside,
although I think today he got a bit bloated. I have no idea what might
have caused his condition or what to do. any advice is greatly
appreciated. best, Nathalia. <Perhaps high nitrate, other
metabolite/s... water changes... Do please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/armcatdisfaqs.htm and the
linked files above. Bob Fenner> Cory With Popeye - 03/20/07
Please help me, My favorite fish is my Corydoras catfish. He recently
came down with Popeye. I am not sure what type of treatment I can use
for him. I've been reading online, but most of the advice is for
other fish and not Cory's. I don't know their tolerance to
meds. He's 7 years old. I did about a 30% water change last night.
He's in a 150 gallon freshwater planted aquarium. The water is in
good condition and I am not sure if he poked his eye, or what exactly
happened. What would you suggest I do? I need help ASAP. I'm 25 and
love fish. I know some people must think I'm nuts, but this little
guy is my buddy and he needs to live. Please, can you give me some
advice? Thank you. Gina <Place the sick fish in a clean hospital
tank and treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace.-Chuck.> Aquarium problems, FW, env. 1/11/07 I have a ten gallon tank running for the past three months and have lost eight guppies in the course of a month. <From?> My ammonia and nitrate levels are at 0 and my ph is 7.0 I change my water and vacuum once a week. Since the loss of my fish I have started changing the water and vacuuming the gravel twice a week. <I'd reduce this to just once per week... What is it you're attempting to accomplish by more frequent changing?> My Cory catfish is not doing well now. I have one guppy left and him in my 10 gallon. The catfish is laying on his side and breathing heavy. He has no spots on his body and was eating yesterday. Don't know what I am doing wrong with this tank. Please help. <... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaint.htm and the linked files above... I suspect you have fallen into the "cleanliness is sterility" mind-frame... Not valid. Bob Fenner> Lynda Williams Re: FW high pH, Corydoras beh... need to find, match in the FW Dailies 1/12/06 Thanks for the speedy reply, but have another question. <... please include prev. corr....> You said the PH of 8.0 was a bit high, but its constant and never shifts. Should I alter it a bit lower with chemicals? <Possibly... I would just mix in some water (reverse osmosis likely) that has less/no alkaline component to dilute, lower the pH> Just mix in chemicals in the storage water of 7.0 PH and pour in to the tank? <No... need to allow such pre-made water to set for a few days> Also you think the high PH contributes to the Corys being pale? <Yes, could very likely do so> Thanks for your time, patience <Do take a read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwph,alk.htm and the linked files above where you lead yourself. Bob Fenner> Bronze Catfish disease, reproduction 02/12/06 Hi. I have six bronze cats which have are all happy and healthy. They play in groups in the bubbles and are very active. One of them laid eggs a couple of weeks ago and became very fat again looking like it was about to spawn but died very mysteriously. It was starting to look quite swollen and reddish around the lower belly. Has she died from not laying her eggs? Sorry to bother you but have tried Google with no luck. Thanks very much, Dave. <This fish might have been "egg-bound"... a condition where the eggs don't pass for a few possible reasons... or perhaps became infected in the area. Providing suitable water quality, nutrition avoids many of these incidents, but not all. Bob Fenner>
911 sick Cory with fungus!!! 10/23/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I have an established (1 year and 3 mo.s old) 10 gallon tank with two neon tetras and three albino Corys, which I have had for about a year. I use the smallest size natural gravel that one can purchase from the store. I use no aeration but that from the filter, an Aquaclear 20 gallon. I change my activated carbon every other week, and do 20% water changes every week. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates usually 0 (see explanation below). I have had some difficulty establishing a neutral or slightly acidic pH due to the fact that about nine months ago I bought what I found out later is a hornwort plant. pH kept rising and couldn't figure out why--finally found out that hornwort raises pH and despite all my attempts to buffer the pH, finally had to get rid of hornwort. I tried using Publix drinking water (pH 6.5), then Publix purified water (pH 7.5) but have returned to my original formula, which is to do 15 - 20% water changes per week with distilled water, then add some Flourish to add back some of the minerals, and also, a small amount of Flourish Excel for CO2 for the plants. Here are my questions. First, one of the Corys has been stripped bare almost of all his fins and tails in the past six months, and I am wondering if it is the pH instability I have had. He still has his barbels and seems to have no rot at all. The other possibility is that I fed them two much live bloodworm (they love it so much) and I had a nitrate spike which I didn't find out about for a week, which may have eaten away his fins and tails. I now have Nitrizyme granules in the filter to prevent a future spike. <I wouldn't waste $$$ on a quick fix nitrate remover. The best way to remove nitrates is to do larger water changes, while cleaning gravel (You'll have to work around the plants). I do 50-75% weekly water changes on my FW tanks (depending on how they are stocked). The worst thing you can do to your fish is to cause the pH to swing up & down. Regular weekly water changes with tap water should keep the pH steady.> The other URGENT question is about a Cory I have had that started sprouting what looked like a white cotton ball from the side of his gills about a week ago. I started treating with Maroxy and Maracide II and quarantined him in a gallon and a half tank with an aeration stone. After four days the puff had turned grey/black but nothing else, so on the advice of a second pet store I added three quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Fish started being in obvious distress, but pieces of the fungus did start to fall off but not completely. The tank started clouding up which bloom I know is the beginning of the bacterial cycle, so I began doing 50% water changes, with water from the original tank and adding a little more Maroxy, etc., to compensate. Today I started a new treatment cycle and when I put the Maroxy, Maracide II and salt in the quarantine tank the little fellow started to fall over on his side. So, in a panic, I put him in the community tank, albeit the risk of a mass fishicide. He hasn't eaten in five days and is somewhat thin and weak. I DID start putting two teaspoons of salt in the big tank during water changes - I read on your site that for Corys the reduced ratio of salt is better than the usually 1 tbs per 5 gallons - so hope that will protect the other fish, but need to start treating him again. Should I start the Maroxy and Maracide II again in the quarantine tank? They really didn't seem to help that much. Another option suggested from the lady at the first pet store - she had 20 freshwater tanks at one time in her home, so her advice is better than the usual crap you get from pet stores - is to give the Cory a saline bath. She calls it her "when all else fails" method and has used is successfully with her fish. You raise the salinity to ocean conditions, watch the fish carefully, and the very moment it flops over, return it to normal conditions. Considering that the salt did seem to break off chunks of the fungus, I am thinking this may work. But what if it doesn't? <An uncycled QT must have at least 50% daily water changes on it, to prevent the fish from poisoning itself with it's own waste. You can treat the entire main tank with Melafix & Pimafix, without harming the other inhabitants or the biological filtration. If the fish is already weak/stressed, I would not put it in a SW bath.> And what's the most compassionate way to end his life if nothing works? I am not crazy about the putting them in the freezer method. <I would overdose with clove oil (found in the toothpaste/ache isle of a drug store) & then freeze. About 5 drops to a cup.> Your advice would be much appreciated - he doesn't have much time left from the looks of him and his suffering is hard to watch. I am also wondering whether to replace the gravel with sand to prevent future injuries, which is what I read causes the source of the infection in the first place. But the other two Corys do fine with the gravel. <I have used small-sized gravel with my Corys for many years. I hope he makes in. ~PP> Thank you in advance, Lisa
Corydoras standing upright on
bottom 9/20/06 Hi there, I've been reading your board for a
long time now, <Bet you I've been t/here longer> and have
learned so much, <Me too> and I now have reason to contact you
for the first time. <Good> I recently rescued 2 Corys from
someone on Craigslist.org. (I believe the are Corydoras leucomelas) Had
them for 2weeks so far. They were sold to the guy I got them from as
Corydoras schwartzi, which they are not (these have a lot of black on
the top fin) I plan on getting more of them, once these 2 are healthy
and get out of QT. I believe that they lived in some very bad
conditions before I got them, as they have no barbels. <Yikes...
very bad> I'm feeding them live blackworms, and shrimp pellets.
One of the Corys is eating well and regrowing the barbels already, but
the other one isn't eating as much, and is acting a bit strange. It
sometimes stands upright on the bottom of the tank. It will lay on the
bottom, then it's head will slowly start to rise, until it's
almost vertical. Sometimes it's head stays on the bottom, and
sometimes rests at 45 deg. <Very bad> This Cory can swim fine, up
and down, swims right side up, but it's not eating as much as the
other. These 2 Corys swim together all the time. <This genus are
very social animals> I haven't seen the vertical one poop yet,
while I have seen the other one doing his business at least 2 times (
but the healthy one is a little piggy) I am thinking constipation or a
swim bladder issue? It is not swollen, or bloated in any way. <Mmm,
likely just so far beaten down, is having a hard time recovering its
health> I just need some advice on what to do now, medicate,
fasting...what? <I might try adjusting your water quality (pH,
hardness, temp.) more to their suiting... but otherwise would just keep
doing what you're doing> Thanks so much, as I want my lil
rescued guys to get healthy again if they can. Jay Vance <I wish you
life. Bob Fenner> Cory constantly moves, and has missing chunk 11/17/06 Dear Expert, I am so thankful to be able to have someone to ask about my poor fish. I have a 12 gal. tank with a couple of Corydoras agassizii, a male Betta, and 4 male guppies. The temp is kept at 78-80 F, water parameters are normal, pH 6.8 to 7.0, negligible ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, etc. and I do a 3 gal. water change with aged water every week. <So far, so good> All fish appear healthy and are eating well except one Cory. I first noticed 3 days ago that he was in constant motion - not swimming, but staying in place and just shimmying. <Strange> At first, I thought he was looking for food, as the motion was similar, but he never stops. His fellow Cory just sits on the bottom, then will look for food, and stop again. I also noticed a pale spot at the front of the dorsal fin, almost as if bleach had been dropped on the Cory's back. Now, there is a chunk if flesh missing from the Cory's back. <Mmm, there is nothing in the tank that would "bite" a piece out... Is there a piece of gear... a pump or such that might do this?> I can't find any similar reference to the movement as it's not jerky, frantic, or flashing. I don't want to use salt, <I would not> as I've read that Corys are sensitive to salt. Do you have any idea as to what his problem might be, and what I can use to heal him? Thank you for your advice. <This could be some sort of "time bomb", nervous/genetic disorder in the one fish... I am torn between urging you not to "treat" with anything for fear of disrupting biological filtration, hurting water quality... and suggesting something innocuous... Bob Fenner> Re: Cory constantly moves, and has missing chunk 11/17/06 Thank you, Bob, for the response. I couldn't find anything mechanical, and the missing chunk kept getting bigger. The Cory died, so fortunately, I don't have to treat and mess up the stability of my tank. I'll watch to see if other fish are effected, but so far, the rest are doing great. I agree with you that the problem is more than likely specific just to the one Cory. Thank you again for taking the time to answer my question. <Thank you for this update. Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner> Peppered catfish - more information needed 11/15/06 Hi, <Hello> I have a peppered catfish and he is in trouble. He is lying on the bottom of the tank, sometimes he goes for a frenzied swim but can't go far then floats to the bottom of the tank and he is breathing rapidly. The other fish are fine; should I quarantine him? and can I more importantly save him? He is so cute I don't want to lose him. If you can help I would greatly appreciate it. <A little bit more information about the tank (size, how long its been running, other inhabitants, water change schedule, etc.) and the water conditions (levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH reading, temp., etc.) are needed in order to give a proper diagnosis. In the meantime, yes, I would definitely quarantine this fish and keep a very close eye on him. With regards to the rapid breathing, I suspect toxins in the water - do test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, etc. and perform a water change if needed. Tanya. <Best regards, Jorie> Sick Cory catfish 11/14/05 I have a 10 gallon tank with 7 tetras and 3 Cory catfish. One of my catfish has been sick for 2 weeks. I expected him to die a while ago but he just keeps hanging on so I was hoping someone could give me advice on how I could help him get better. He swims around but then rests upside down. <Yikes, bad> He also will swim straight up to the top of the water and then float upside down back to the bottom. Its like he's lost his sense of balance. <Yes> He doesn't have any other symptoms except lying upside down. My water parameters are all normal. The temp. of the tank is 80 degrees. I'm thinking that he might have a swim bladder infection, <Likely some damage here, yes> but have no idea on how to treat it. I want to stay away from medication if possible. Any advice? Thanks! <I would at this point simply observe this fish and hope for a spontaneous cure. Bob Fenner> Cory Cats With Problems 11/01/06 Hello, I have two problems, but I think they're related. I posted about this in the freshwater aquarium thread and the 911 thread when a second, more serious problem occurred. No one has been able to figure out what this is, so I thought I'd ask you as well. I'll give you as much information as possible. I have 3 tanks: 10 gal: (cycled) 4 three-line Corydoras 1 sunset platy 1 fancy guppy 5 gal: (cycled) 1 male Betta 5 gal QT tank: (not cycled) 1 yellow guppy 5 molly fry It all began with the QT tank. I had originally bought a female black molly and a male yellow guppy. After a week in the QT tank, the molly suddenly gave birth (I didn't know she was pregnant, but I've had platy and guppy fry before) to 6 fry. The following morning, I found the molly dead (Oct 8). While removing her, I noticed that her underside, on her belly, was white. It did not look cottony, like fungus. It was very hard to tell what it was. By Oct 13, I noticed that the fry had white on their bellies also. Since they're fry and so small, it was very hard to identify. Upon closer examination, it seemed gray, like their scales had come off or lost color. It didn't look like something "on" the fish. It was also shiny. It was only on the molly fry. The yellow guppy showed no symptoms. On Oct 13, I did something monumentally stupid and that was change the filter. I had originally taken the filter from my Betta tank (he needed a new one) and used it in the QT tank to cycle it. After putting in the new filter in the QT tank, I realized that I had just killed my cycle, since there hadn't been enough time for bacteria to grow in the tank. I began to do frequent water changes on the QT tank, and I also treated the tank with 3 tbsp of non-iodized salt in order to help with their problem. The fry were eating well, and swimming around, along with the guppy. On Oct 16, one of the fry died. During this time, the yellow guppy began to have red gills, and was hanging at the surface of the tank, and swimming around like crazy. I wasn't sure if he had an illness or was just reacting to the ammonia (which I kept down to .5 or less as well as I could with water changes). Since I wasn't sure, I decided to wait to see what happened while continuing to keep the same level of salt and frequent water changes. On Oct 24 I noticed my Betta had fin rot. I added 2 tsp of salt to his tank and did frequent water changes to keep his water as pristine as possible. I had been doing weekly 40% water changes on his tank, and it was fully cycled, so I'm not sure how he developed fin rot. I had used the same equipment from the QT tank to do his water changes on Oct 10 and Oct 19. I'm not sure if I infected him with the equipment, or if the fin rot developed on its own. Using the same equipment again, I did my regular water changes on my 10 gal on Oct 10, Oct 19, and Oct 29. Between Oct 29 and Oct 31, I noticed that one of my Corys was hiding out (none of my Corys hide, so this was unusual). Also, their gills seemed to be red. Now my Corys had originally had red gills (when I added them a few months ago, I didn't have a QT tank and learned my lesson) and pinkish faces, so I did frequent water changes in an effort to help them battle whatever it was (I thought it may be septicemia). The pinkishness went away, and so did the redness in their gills. On Oct 31, last night, one of my Corys (I'm assuming it's the one who had been hiding before, but I can't tell my Corys apart) began to be unable to swim. He would lie on the bottom, gasping, and then try to swim. He'd tilt to one side and end up swimming in a circle. I immediately tested the water, and my readings were 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, 5 ppm nitrates. Nothing had been changed to the tank in months, with the exception of using the QT equipment (buckets, cup, gravel vacuum) to do their regular water change. The Cory would occasionally get a burst of energy and begin swimming around frantically, careening into the decoration, the gravel, or the fake plants. As he swam, he'd spin like a spiral football. It was really hard to see my Cory like this, and I assumed I infected my 10gal with whatever is in my QT tank. The red gills and gasping led me to think it was a bacterial infection, so I treated the tank last night with Maracyn. Since my Qt tank is occupied, I had no where to put the sick Cory so was forced to treat him with the others. I also treated the QT tank, since 3-4 weeks of salt has not been helping them at all. I fully expected to wake up this morning to him being dead. Instead, he's still alive, still unable to swim properly, and is lying in my tank gasping for air. I keep checking on him to make sure he is still alive. Two of my other Corys are now hiding out, but I don't know if it's in response to the Maracyn or if they're also beginning to catch whatever the sick Cory has. I'm worried that I might end up losing all of my Corys. Do you have any idea what this is? Will my spinning Cory recover, or should I put him down? < The Cory probably gas an internal infection. Place him in the QT tank and treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone or Clout.> I don't want to see him suffer, but I don't want to prematurely end his life if he can get over this. If I do need to put him down, what is the best method? < Place the fish in a glass of aquarium water and add a couple Alka -Seltzer tablets. The CO2 will remove the oxygen from the water and the fish will go to sleep and die.> I don't think I'd be able to sever his spine, so the least traumatic method for both of us would be best. I'm going to sterilize the equipment by using boiling water (is this the correct method)? < Probably not needed. The bloat is caused by stress. Check the aquarium for uneaten /rotting food.> Should I continue to treat with Maracyn, and how do I do water changes while medicating if it kills my cycle (which I'm assuming it will)? < If you must treat in the main tank then do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. After treatment then add Bio-Spira from Marineland to get the bacteria re-established.> I hope this was clear enough for you. I also hope I haven't made the situation worse by medicating with Maracyn, but I've read conflicting information on Corys and salt and didn't want to risk it by using that instead. Any help would be greatly appreciated!-Michelle < Stop using salt with the Cory cats. The really don't like it.-Chuck> 911 sick Cory with fungus!!! 10/23/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I have an established (1 year and 3 mo.s old) 10 gallon tank with two neon tetras and three albino Corys, which I have had for about a year. I use the smallest size natural gravel that one can purchase from the store. I use no aeration but that from the filter, an Aquaclear 20 gallon. I change my activated carbon every other week, and do 20% water changes every week. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates usually 0 (see explanation below). I have had some difficulty establishing a neutral or slightly acidic pH due to the fact that about nine months ago I bought what I found out later is a hornwort plant. pH kept rising and couldn't figure out why--finally found out that hornwort raises pH and despite all my attempts to buffer the pH, finally had to get rid of hornwort. I tried using Publix drinking water (pH 6.5), then Publix purified water (pH 7.5) but have returned to my original formula, which is to do 15 - 20% water changes per week with distilled water, then add some Flourish to add back some of the minerals, and also, a small amount of Flourish Excel for CO2 for the plants. Here are my questions. First, one of the Corys has been stripped bare almost of all his fins and tails in the past six months, and I am wondering if it is the pH instability I have had. He still has his barbels and seems to have no rot at all. The other possibility is that I fed them two much live bloodworm (they love it so much) and I had a nitrate spike which I didn't find out about for a week, which may have eaten away his fins and tails. I now have Nitrizyme granules in the filter to prevent a future spike. <I wouldn't waste $$$ on a quick fix nitrate remover. The best way to remove nitrates is to do larger water changes, while cleaning gravel (You'll have to work around the plants). I do 50-75% weekly water changes on my FW tanks (depending on how they are stocked). The worst thing you can do to your fish is to cause the pH to swing up & down. Regular weekly water changes with tap water should keep the pH steady.> The other URGENT question is about a Cory I have had that started sprouting what looked like a white cotton ball from the side of his gills about a week ago. I started treating with Maroxy and Maracide II and quarantined him in a gallon and a half tank with an aeration stone. After four days the puff had turned grey/black but nothing else, so on the advice of a second pet store I added three quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Fish started being in obvious distress, but pieces of the fungus did start to fall off but not completely. The tank started clouding up which bloom I know is the beginning of the bacterial cycle, so I began doing 50% water changes, with water from the original tank and adding a little more Maroxy, etc., to compensate. Today I started a new treatment cycle and when I put the Maroxy, Maracide II and salt in the quarantine tank the little fellow started to fall over on his side. So, in a panic, I put him in the community tank, albeit the risk of a mass fishicide. He hasn't eaten in five days and is somewhat thin and weak. I DID start putting two teaspoons of salt in the big tank during water changes - I read on your site that for Corys the reduced ratio of salt is better than the usually 1 tbs per 5 gallons - so hope that will protect the other fish, but need to start treating him again. Should I start the Maroxy and Maracide II again in the quarantine tank? They really didn't seem to help that much. Another option suggested from the lady at the first pet store - she had 20 freshwater tanks at one time in her home, so her advice is better than the usual crap you get from pet stores - is to give the Cory a saline bath. She calls it her "when all else fails" method and has used is successfully with her fish. You raise the salinity to ocean conditions, watch the fish carefully, and the very moment it flops over, return it to normal conditions. Considering that the salt did seem to break off chunks of the fungus, I am thinking this may work. But what if it doesn't? <An uncycled QT must have at least 50% daily water changes on it, to prevent the fish from poisoning itself with it's own waste. You can treat the entire main tank with Melafix & Pimafix, without harming the other inhabitants or the biological filtration. If the fish is already weak/stressed, I would not put it in a SW bath.> And what's the most compassionate way to end his life if nothing works? I am not crazy about the putting them in the freezer method. <I would overdose with clove oil (found in the toothpaste/ache isle of a drug store) & then freeze. About 5 drops to a cup.> Your advice would be much appreciated - he doesn't have much time left from the looks of him and his suffering is hard to watch. I am also wondering whether to replace the gravel with sand to prevent future injuries, which is what I read causes the source of the infection in the first place. But the other two Corys do fine with the gravel. <I have used small-sized gravel with my Corys for many years. I hope he makes in. ~PP> Thank you in advance, Lisa Corydoras standing upright on bottom 9/20/06
Hi there, I've been reading your board for a long time now, <Bet
you I've been t/here longer> and have learned so much, <Me
too> and I now have reason to contact you for the first time.
<Good> I recently rescued 2 Corys from someone on Craigslist.org.
(I believe the are Corydoras leucomelas) Had them for 2weeks so far.
They were sold to the guy I got them from as Corydoras schwartzi, which
they are not (these have a lot of black on the top fin) I plan on
getting more of them, once these 2 are healthy and get out of QT. I
believe that they lived in some very bad conditions before I got them,
as they have no barbels. <Yikes... very bad> I'm feeding them
live blackworms, and shrimp pellets. One of the Corys is eating well
and regrowing the barbels already, but the other one isn't eating
as much, and is acting a bit strange. It sometimes stands upright on
the bottom of the tank. It will lay on the bottom, then it's head
will slowly start to rise, until it's almost vertical. Sometimes
it's head stays on the bottom, and sometimes rests at 45 deg.
<Very bad> This Cory can swim fine, up and down, swims right side
up, but it's not eating as much as the other. These 2 Corys swim
together all the time. <This genus are very social animals> I
haven't seen the vertical one poop yet, while I have seen the other
one doing his business at least 2 times ( but the healthy one is a
little piggy) I am thinking constipation or a swim bladder issue? It is
not swollen, or bloated in any way. <Mmm, likely just so far beaten
down, is having a hard time recovering its health> I just need some
advice on what to do now, medicate, fasting...what? <I might try
adjusting your water quality (pH, hardness, temp.) more to their
suiting... but otherwise would just keep doing what you're
doing> Thanks so much, as I want my lil rescued guys to get healthy
again if they can. Jay Vance <I wish you life. Bob Fenner>
Cory stuck in net - 8/10/2006 Bob, <<Hey Steve, this is Lisa.>> I had to remove all my fish from my tank a week ago to remove the under gravel filter and filter out the sludge trapped beneath it. During the process, one of my Corys fins got stuck in the net because of that little spike that he shot out. <<Best to remove in a scoop of some kind.>> I gave him half an hour to free himself and he could not do so. I was also unable to free him. As a result, I cut the net away, leaving a very small piece still attached to his fin (it is one of the front side fins, I do not know the correct anatomical term for it). The piece of net is maybe 1/8" by 1/8". He is eating and swimming around like he is fine and there are no signs of infection or fungus, but the net is still there. Is this an immanent health danger? <<Imminent, no. He will likely shed it in time. If this should happen gain, gently pull him in the opposite way of the caught net.>> It looks like the net might be twisted in there. What is going to happen? <<Watch him, and if it becomes an issue, you may need to remove with tweezers. Right now, just watch and see. Lisa.>> Worried, Steve Salt tolerance of Cory Cats 5/28/06 Hello Crew! <<Hi, Jasmine. Tom here.>> I understand that the salt tolerance of catfish in general is very poor. <<It's true that Catfish don't have a tolerance for salt at levels that other fish can tolerate quite well.>> I have some Otos, Bronze Corys and Panda Corys. <<I love these guys, Jasmine. The Pandas tend to be a little less "robust" than other Corydoras varieties but they're sure cute. :)>> For future reference when the situation eventuates, how much aquarium salt would you recommend for these fish for a) prevention of nitrite poisoning and b) disease treatment. <<Regarding (a), don't let this situation "eventuate". In a cycled tank, with proper maintenance, it simply shouldn't occur. As to (b), this isn't, unfortunately, an option because of the dosages necessary to be effective. The "cure" would be as bad as the disease, in a manner of speaking. Even with all of the benefits to be derived from the addition of aquarium salt, in your case, I'm reluctant to advise this. Neither of the instances you cite would lead me to recommend its use given that there are alternatives should the occasion arise. I hope it never does, though. ;)>> Thanks for your help! Jasmine <<Happy to, Jasmine. Tom>> Cory Color, Illness - 05/07/2006 Hello, <<Hello, Judy. Tom here.>> A question that I haven't seen posed...my Schwartzi Cory has a white area above the barbels...only white, not inflamed, but it doesn't seem to be going away...or getting worse. <<Might be genetic, Judy.>> The LFS had me dose a little with Methylene blue, but other than that have left it alone. <<Not a "bad" call on the part of the LFS but, as you're aware, Methylene Blue can/will play havoc with your beneficial bacteria and plants. Generally, it's best not to treat until something specific has been identified.>> His activity is fine-appetite good, also. He's in a 20-gal with testing coming out at 7.0-0-0-5.0 Any ideas or feedback would be greatly appreciated. <<There's certainly no problem with your readings and given that his appetite/behavior is good, I don't see reason for concern here. In my experience with Corys, coloration changes concurrent with a "problem" affect the entire body of the fish. Typically, the fish becomes more "pale" with diminished coloration overall. They also become almost completely inactive and stop feeding, which doesn't seem to be indicated in your case.>> (I'm wondering if it has anything to do with vacuuming with the water changes....am I not doing a good job?. the gravel is natural and not large.) <<As long as you vacuum deeply - all the way to the bottom - when cleaning your gravel, you're doing a good job. Also, a substrate that would be inappropriate for foragers like Corys would be expected to affect the barbels, not necessarily the coloration of the snout.>> Thanks a Lot, Judy <<You're welcome, Judy. Tom>> Cory catfish tail & fin disappearing... tiny
system, no info. on upkeep or water quality 4/14/06 My son has a 3
gallon Eclipse tank that's approx. 2 yrs old. Originally he had 3
fish, one of which was a Cory catfish. Not sure what the others are.
All was well for over a year, then the Cory's fin and tail started
disappearing. <... Likely environmental... the tank has gone
"acidic" with being small, lack of regular maintenance>
Spoke to the fish store & they suggested treating the tank with a
green medicine. <No... likely Malachite... too toxic and
inappropriate...> Did this 2 different times with no improvement to
the Cory, and he died after a month or so. <Poisoned> Got another
Cory, <...> and this one started losing his fin & tail almost
immediately. Treated the tank again with no success, and started
wondering if one of the other fish was eating him. (Never saw any
aggression.) Got a tank separator (mesh) and have kept him separate for
2 weeks now. Fin & tail don't seem any worse, but no better
either. Fish store suggested feeding him a pellet 2x/week. Doesn't
seem to like it, and after a few days it gets fuzzy and floats to the
top. Just did a water change and the pellet remains stank horribly.
Help!! What's wrong with his fin & tail, and what should I feed
him? Thanks! <... What re your water quality? Do you change out
water on a regular basis? Perhaps a video fish tank would be better,
instead? Bob Fenner>
Treating Corydoras paleatus in main tank 8/24/05 Hi again, I have a question about treating my main tank for Ich. I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 peppered Corys in it right now. I've recently moved my 3 goldfish into another 10 gallon tank and don't know if I want to keep it as a QT tank or keep them in there for good. <... you were keeping Callichthyid (tropical) catfish with coldwater goldfish?> I also moved my 4th goldfish into a temporary 3? gallon tank. I plan on either giving that one away to a friend or a pet store because it's getting way too big and it's pretty aggressive towards one of my goldfish. I know... too many goldfish for a 10 gallon tank haha <Ahh, not funny...> I didn't know/read about fish when I got them for my birthday so here I am with too many. <Very common> Now I'm trying to get rid of them. Anyways the goldfishes are being treated for Ich in the other tank right now but I don't know what to do about the Ich that could be in my main tank and my Corys. I want to just treat them in the main tank but I heard Ich med kills the beneficial bacteria. <Likely so> I wanted to try treating the tank with salt but I don't know how well my Corys would do in it. <Don't like> Is there a way to treat my main tank with my Corys still in it without the risk of any dying? <Half dose/s, elevated temperature> They are doing really well and I don't want to jeopardize their lives. And does salt kill the beneficial bacteria? <Yes, can> Whenever I treat fish in a QT tank they always seem to get so sluggish and I don't know if I'm doing it right or not. <Good question, speculation> Oh and one more thing! This is just for the future if I wanted to keep other fish. I want to add 2 more Corys to the 4 that are already in the tank. Will any kind do or should I stick with peppered Corys? <Can mix> I would also like to add a few fish that aren't bottom feeders. Which kind would do well with Corys and also won't make my tank overstocked? Thank you so much your help. It's great to know that I have a reliable source to direct my questions to! Wayne <Read on my young friend... re livestock selection, Ich... the latter here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Strange problem with new Cory cat 9/11/05 Hello! <Hi there> First, I would like to thank everyone at WWM for the awesome collection of information. The articles are particularly good. I've searched the archived FAQ's and cannot find anything that matches the problem I'm experiencing with a new Corydoras sterbai. I bought three of these little guys almost two weeks ago. They are all approximately 1" in length, and have been adjusting happily in my 10 Gallon quarantine tank. On the ninth day, I noticed one of the new catfish had a white colored blotch between his eyes, approximately 2 mm in diameter. It does not appear to be fungus, as there is nothing fuzzy protruding from the blotch. Nor is it deep, it doesn't appear to make an indentation at all. What really concerns me with this fish are the little nasal "flaps" normally associated with Corydoras catfish. They are now absent from this fish, and the nasal passages appear reddish and inflamed. I inspected these fish prior to purchase, and I am confident all three were intact prior to bringing them home. What can this be? <Common... from rubbing... on the bag in transit, on the glass... in captivity. Happily, most always repairs, grows back> The other two Corydoras are perfectly healthy. There is nothing sharp or abrasive in the QT tank to have inflicted injury, nor could it have been caused by other fish as these three have been in there alone. The QT tank housing them has been cycled for several months, ammonia/nitrite read 0.0, nitrate reads very low, somewhere between 1-3 ppm. To be safe, I moved the two healthy Corydoras to another cycled QT tank today, a smaller 5 gallon rendition. The only thing I have added to help the sick Cory is 4 mg of aquarium salt. I'm afraid to go much over that as Corydoras are not very salt tolerant. <Yes, correct> Wouldn't you know the fish store I purchased these from have a 7 day guarantee? As I said, this problem showed up on the ninth day, so now it's on me to try and help the little guy. The fish is swimming normally. He's always on the move, digging around for food. He ate several thawed bloodworms last night, with a good deal of enthusiasm I might add. And even though his nasal passages seem reddish, he is breathing normally. Any help you could lend on this matter would be much obliged. Many thanks, Brook <Good observations, carefully related. I would not be overly concerned here... the red coloring should abate, and the fish appear more "normal" in time. Bob Fenner> Sick Cory Catfish 7/26/05 Hey gang, I'm back to seek your advice once again. I have three bronze Cory catfish in a 3 gallon quarantine tank. The tank is filtered, unheated (temp 21-23c) and not cycled, but I am doing daily water changes to keep the toxins down. The eventual destination for these fish will be my 10 gallon tank, currently occupied by a male Betta. Anyways, two of these three Corys are doing fine, but the third is ill....fins clamped, listless, and not very interested in food, although he does eat a little. I've had these fish for five days now. I matched pH and temperature when I transferred these fish into the 3 gal. tank; chances of some foreign substance having gotten into the tank or water are minimal. I can't think of anything else I might have done wrong. I guess I'm not looking for a diagnosis, as this fish's behaviour is a symptom of pretty much every disease out there...but is there anything you recommend that might help this little guy? I'm continuing to do my best to provide ideal conditions for this fish, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Thanks in advance for your help! JM < Get a heater and raise the water temp to around 27C and treat with Nitrofuranace, watch for Ich. Keep the water clean and maybe use some softer water until a cure is completed.-Chuck> Corys & salt? (10/17/03) <Hi! Ananda here tonight...found one bit we hadn't really answered...> Question on the tank set-up. If I do continue with salt for my livebearers am I correct to understand that I couldn't get Panda Cory's? From what I've read they can't stand salt. <You could get panda Corys if you have a different tank for them...you won't be able to keep them in a brackish-salted tank. --Ananda> Doomed Corydoras Hi WWM crew . . .
haven't emailed you in a while (thankfully). My main problem is,
that no matter how hard I try, my Cory cats never seem to prosper.
It's so frustrating since Corys are my favorite fish. <Mine
too> No matter what conditions I keep them in, they eventually die,
lose their barbels, or remain stunted (never mature from 1 inch
juveniles). I have acquired some beautiful harder-to-get species, such
as similis "violet", xinguiensis, caudimaculatus, and
trilineateus. I used to have six xinguensis (now five? or four?), and
have two similis, caudimaculatus, and Trilineatus each. I assume that
it is not for lack of company that they are dying. They seemed to lose
their barbels on a Fluorite substrate, so I switched them to a
bare-bottom tank. The current tank: 10 gallons, sponge-filtered, a few
plastic plants, one female Betta, rather warm (80-82 degrees). Every so
often one of them, such as the xingus, will die suddenly. I can
transfer them to a currently empty 75 gallon tank . . . I just really
really wish to breed them, see them grow up and prosper . . . and live.
My problems that I can see is the warm water temp . . . the infrequent
feeding . . . and the rather dirty tank bottom. Thanks for your time
and info! <Arghhh, your breaking my heart. I love the little guys,
their selfless devotion to cleaning your gravel, the way they wink at
you when you stare at them long enough, ok I'm done. For starters,
what are your water parameters? If you are serious about breeding them
you will need to set up a tank for them, and them only. Like you said
"warm water temp . . . the infrequent feeding . . . and the rather
dirty tank bottom" this will cause problems. 82 is a little high,
you will need to vary the temp depending upon the type of Cory, but
high 70's is a good starting point. These guys love live worms, I
feed mine shrimp/algae wafers and left over frozen food, but I am not
trying to breed them. 10gal is a little small, a 20gal long is a good
start. With good water quality and good food you should be ok. You
might try starting with a more common Cory instead of shelling out the
cash for the rare ones. Use the Google search tool on our site and
google.com to find more information on Cory care and breeding. Good
luck, Gage> Are my Corys stressed? Hi there, I'm new
to tropical fish having had a cold water system for a few years. I have
a small setup of about 8 (UK) gallons - yes I know it's odd!
I'm currently cycling my system with 4 Trilineatus Corys. I've
had them for a week now but I'm really worried that they're not
happy. They don't stay at the bottom of the tank; they swim in the
middle and up and down the sides of the tank and only go to the bottom
when they're hungry. Now I've noticed that their gills are
going pink. I've done ammonia tests and the levels are 0. What am I
doing wrong? I don't want to lose them -they're too cute! Can
you help please? Thanks, Sau <Hi Sau, Yes, if you are cycling your
tank it is producing Ammonia and then nitrites, both of which are
deadly to fish. Cycling means that the nitrogen cycle is establishing
itself and producing these wastes. You should be testing for
ammonia/nitrites and the final product nitrates. Please read more about
the nitrogen cycle at WetWebMedia.com and perform regular water changes
to relieve your fish from these wastes. This should help,
Craig> Sick Corydoras Catfish Hi, I have a question about what I think is a sick Corydoras cat fish. I have an eclipse six Marineland aquarium, started it in Oct. 2002. Right now I have 2 white clouds, 2 harlequin Rasboras, and 1 Cory cat. <Corydoras catfish should be kept in groups, and not in tanks this small. Do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callichthyids.htm> Everyone was doing great since Nov., but these past two weeks the Cory cat has been swimming erratically, gulping water at the top once a day or so. <His going to the surface to gulp air is normal for Corydoras species. If you have been at home more often than usual lately -- say, due to the winter holidays and time off from work/school -- could it be that you are simply watching the tank more often and thus noticing this behavior that was present all along?> He was fine before, eating every day, and almost never went to top to gulp for air, and would move about bottom. Now he doesn't eat, and he hides out in corner of tank, Very still, alive, but still. <What are you feeding him? These fish need meaty foods twice a day.> I had gotten some plants in from a place called aquabotics.com- <I'm not finding this e-tailer...> and they didn't really last the week- 1 java fern, 1 African bulb lace, and a Boca Carolina plant. I had purchased a live driftwood centerpiece the week before, and no problem. <I am guessing that by "live driftwood" you mean a piece of driftwood covered with plants? Did your Corydoras start acting oddly before or after you added this driftwood?> Only the Cory cat isn't doing well- After a weekly water change I got rid of all plants, and the water is totally clear. I had been using a product called Algone, which takes care of excess nitrite/nitrate and keeps water clean. They have a webpage and a few people I know use the stuff- just put packet in filter. I had some high nitrite/nitrate and used it, from decaying plants, and the tank was clean in a week. <When did you start using the Algone, compared to when the Corydoras started going downhill?> I haven't had any trouble with water in past 2-3 weeks: I have no ammonia readings, 0 on nitrate and nitrite readings. Ph is between 6.8-7.2 but Jersey water is hard. I had readings of 20 or 25 on KH and about 15 on GH. I bought an AquaPharm. tap water system, and now the KH is 11 and GH about 9. Water looks a lot clearer too. <Good> Like I said the other fish are great- but Cory, not so good. I don't know what else to test for. <Check the pH of the water coming out of the tap water purifier.> Is there any chance that the plants somehow affected the cat. <Perhaps not the plants themselves, but something carried in with the plants or driftwood.> Any other tests you can think of- he looks fine, no color change, or Ick or anything I can see. Just sits still and won't eat. I'm worried about him but don't know what else to do. <I would suggest weekly water changes (perhaps a half gallon or a gallon) to keep the water quality high.> thanks a lot Rosa Haritos PS- if he gets over this and is better, do you think it would help to get another Cory to keep him company? the clouds and Rasboras get along great- Or would 6 fish be too much for a 6 gallon tank? <Six fish would be too many for this tank. --Ananda > Corydoras trilineatus losing colours Hello WWM Crew, I hope you can help with my problem, as nobody else seems to be able to. This is going to be a bit long, sorry. About two months ago I bought 5 c. trilineatus fish in a shop. By the time I got home, even before I put them in the tank, two of them were already half dead (sank to the bottom and could only swim a few inches at a time). After a day of realizing this was not only a shock of which they're going to recover, I ended their misery. Then a third one developed the same symptoms and I did the same. In a second visit to that same shop I've noticed that many fish were ill, or dead (and left in the tanks en masse) and so I never bought fish from them again. <Good plan!> I bought two other c. trilineatus in another shop whose fish look great, and they never had any problem. But that was just an exposition to the real problem. After about a week of having the two original surviving Corys, I noticed that one of them had a white patch just behind his gill. I couldn't remember if he always had it or whether it was something new so I decided to keep an eye on it. Now, after about two month, he has the same spot behind his other gill (which wasn't there before. The spot, not the gill. The gill was always there) <One would hope!> and the first spot is getting larger. He had a fin rot a while ago, which was treated with Melafix and is now completely healed, but I don't think it has anything to do with the spot as he had the spot first. Apart from the spot, he is okay. He swims with the rest of the Corys, he is active and he eats well. One more thing about him, which might be the clue to solve the mystery. He is kept with some guppies and some of the female guppies sometimes try to nibble on him. They don't really bite him, but the act if food is stuck to his body. They sometimes do it to the other Corys as well, but not as often, and while the other Corys just swim away immediately, this one "freezes" and only swims after few seconds. He has no wounds from those bites, but he seems to be shocked. <The guppies are feeding on flakes of skin> As for the tank, it is a 90 litres tank, with interior filter (Juwel compact), I change about 20% and clean the filter media weekly. The other fish in the tank are 6 guppies, one Betta male, and one Pleco. The water parameters are Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 10ppm, temp 25.7c, pH 7.4, 17 dGH and 6 dKH. <All good> I know that the GH is too hard for Corys and that's my next project, but I more inclined into thinking that it's something that he got in the shop before I got him. <Maybe, it's possible that the hard water is stressing the Cory and lowering his immune system, but I think it's far more likely the bad conditions at the shop did that before you got him.> I attach two pictures of the fish so you can see exactly what I'm talking about. I hope you can help me identify the problem and find a treatment. Many thanks, Golan. <Hi Golan, Don here. Just a small point before getting to your main concern. Unless you're planning on breeding the Corys I wouldn't worry too much about your hardness. You could start doing water changes with RO/DI or bottled water, but that could change your pH. Not a bad thing, but it must be done slowly and kept steady. Better to have the fish adapt to your conditions then start tinkering with things, IMO. As to the white patch. It could be a fungus. I remembered a thread on this in our forum and found this. http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/thread.jsp?forum=3&thread=22384&message=179838&q=22576869746520706174636822#179838 Get's a bit off track, but I think you'll find it worth the time. Meds were recommended, but ended up not being needed in Gup's case. Since your water seems in line but the patch is spreading, I think medication is called for in your case. If you have a small tank you could use as a QT, move him there to treat. If not, it would be a good investment. If you treat your main, make sure you watch for ammonia and nitrite spikes and do water changes to keep them at zero. Don> Cory melanistius Problems Hello WWM crew!
Thanks again for having such an informative website. Over the past few
weeks I've lost a total of 4 Corys. Three of the 4 that died lost
all their black spots and black coloring on their dorsal fin, making
them completely white...very strange. I'm guessing this happened
once they already died because every day I observe all my fishes
behavior and nothing seemed odd about any of their color. I've
noticed on three of them that their gills looked a bit red, not swollen
or anything just red or reddish. I was wondering if you could help me
diagnose the problem. Here are my stats: 30G tank with a Penguin 280
filter 1 male Betta 5 cherry barbs 7 neon tetras 2 Cory cats :( I have
all live plants w/approx 1 watt of light per gallon and 1 drop of Dupla
plant 24 (fertilizer) every day: Green Cabomba (which was doing
unbelievably well in the beginning, but has recently started to
"break" at their stem segments leaving me half a stem
floating in my tank, can this be a sign of changing water conditions?)
Wisteria (doing very well, except I've noticed black algae with
broad stringy arms on some of the leaves) hairgrass Mayaca Echinodorus
tenellus pH 7 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate ?? (I know I should be
testing for it, but the LFS told me that my live plants would keep
nitrates low to nil) GH 5 KH 1 Temp 29 C (I turned off my heater 2
weeks ago because I don't keep the AC on in the lounge room
regularly, so this is just "room/water temp"). Maybe it's
too warm for the cats? All my other fish are doing well. I figured if
anything was really that bad my Neons would have been the first to
react to it due to their sensitivity. I do a 20% water change every
week. I feed my fish tetra flake food 1-2 times a day or I may
substitute some frozen bloodworms for 1 of the feedings. Once or twice
a week I would feed the cats Hikari sinking wafers to supplement.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, so please help. Thanks,
Chris <<Hello Chris. A couple of things to consider. First, the
LFS is wrong, plants will NOT leave your nitrates LOW TO NIL. What a
load of horse hockey. The fact that your bio-load is low is the ONLY
thing keeping your nitrates low. That is, IF they are indeed low.
Chances are, they are not quite as low as you think they are. Buy
yourself a NITRATE TEST KIT! The trick is in the balance between tank
size and stocking rates. A large tank, say 75g, fully planted, with a
dozen Neons, for example, may not have any trouble with nitrates. Yours
will, if you don't already. Test your water! Another thing is, just
how long has this tank been set-up? How often are you vacuuming the
gravel? Try to do it at least twice a month, more often if possible,
and be as thorough as you can. This is never easy in planted tanks. You
might want to do a web search and read up on "anoxic
substrate" problems. Cory cats can be quite sensitive to build-ups
in planted tank anoxic substrates, normally they develop barbel
disintegration problems, but worse things CAN happen... In which case,
no, your Neons will not be the first to show a problem, the Corys will.
I suspect your Corys are going to need a bit of intervention if you
hope to keep any new additions alive. Always make sure you are buying
healthy fish (I begin to doubt the quality of the LFS you are using...)
Perhaps a quarantine tank will help. You can add a bit of salt which
may cure any gill fluke problems. Yes, Corys CAN tolerate salt for
short term medicinal purposes. Second, acclimate them properly: you
don't mention your pH, is it vastly different from your LFS pH? And
thirdly, if your tank is older than a few months, you may want to
reconsider keeping Corys in this tank unless you can verify that the
substrate isn't the problem. -Gwen>> Cory Catfish problem Hi, I want to get some Cory catfish and I read that they could not tolerate any salt in their aquarium, but I also want to get Platies or mollies. < Cory cats come from the Amazon river basin where the water is very soft and somewhat acidic. The mollies and Platies come from Central America where the water has more minerals and salts. > I read that Platies and mollies need some salt, so is there any that I could have both in the same aquarium? < I have found that Platies are pretty tolerant of a wide range of water conditions and may be worth a try in your situation. Try and get half grown ones as they may be able to adapt to a wider range of water conditions. Mollies I have found truly do like some salt added to their water or they end up "shimmying" in the tank. There are a whole group of tetras worth looking at. Just try and get the ones that don't get too big. Barbs are fast moving fish that are fairly hardy but tend to be fin nippers, especially with your female Betta.> If not, what are some other fish that would substitute the Platies and mollies that would go well with female Bettas? Thanks for any information. < Check out the Rasboras too. These fish are from Asia and are attractive , don't get too big and will not bother the Cory cats. -Chuck> Cory Catfish Question Hello, I have an Albino
Cory catfish in a 42 gallon tank. It has been with the other fish for
months, but this week I noticed that it was not down at the bottom like
usual. Instead it is swimming at the top and floating around. It seems
a bit sluggish in its swimming, but otherwise looks alright. My husband
and I did a 30% water change last weekend which is consistent with what
we have always done with this tank. > Do you have any ideas what
might be up with my little fishy? I don't know if it is related or
not, but we have had it for 4 or 5 months and it hasn't really
gotten any bigger. He is about an inch long. > Thank you for your
time and consideration. Anne > <<Dear Anne; In order to
answer, I need to ask for your water test results. Do you test your
water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? I would need to know these
levels. If you do not own your own test kits, please take a sample of
your tank water to your LFS and have them test your water for the
above. Please let me know the results. This is always the first thing
to do when you develop a health problem in your tank. It does not
matter which fish is affected, it has to start somewhere. So, I always
ask for water test results first. IF all is well, it could be age,
aggression, or some internal problem the fish has developed over time
due to diet deficiencies, etc. Please let me know your test results
first. Thank you, Gwen>> Hello Gwen, I got the test kits you
recommended and I tested everything this afternoon. ph 6.4, ammonia 0,
nitrite 0, nitrate ?? it was quite pink, but it was brighter than ones
on the chart. I am guessing 50 or higher, but I am not quite sure. In
any case, I guess I should do a water change tonight, shouldn't I.
Anne <<Hello Anne, thanks for getting back to me. Yes, go ahead
and do a water change. In fact, if possible, try to do a 20% water
change every second day, to bring those nitrates down. Then you should
test your water every other week to make sure the levels are not going
back up. Buy a nitrate test kit, and do it yourself, it's really
quite easy and saves you a trip to the store. Also, your Cory should
start feeling better within a few days, and all your fish will live
longer and healthier if you keep track of your levels :) If there are
any other problems, please feel free to email me again. -Gwen>>
Corydoras, aquarium salt and goofy goldfish G'day, mates! <Good morrow Ted> I've got a 60 gallon freshwater with a relatively stable 75 degrees F (24 degrees Celsius) temperature throughout the year and approximate 7.7 pH readings. At the moment, there are five 2-3 inch fancy goldfish. Rather peaceful characters they are. <Yes, and comical> I've seen and heard of many people keeping goldies and some tropicals together successfully. <Mmm, not a good idea in general... as you are surely familiar... Goldfish are very eager eaters, and messy!> Seeing as that my temp is pretty stable and goldies are very happy, I thought I might try adding a few Corys in the mix. Yes, I know it's a bit of a risk, but isn't everything? I'm aware of the possibility of mixing two types of fish like this (foreign diseases possible), but I would definitely be taking steps to quarantine any new comers. Clown loaches would have been my second choice, but I haven't done too much research on them yet. <Corydoras are a much better choice... undemanding and can span a range of water qualities, overlapping goldfish's> My question is two-fold: 1) Here we have two very peaceful fish types; do you foresee any major obstacles of this arrangement? 2) I add aquarium salt to the water as a preventative measure (approx. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of new water); are Corys sensitive to aquarium salt? <They are, but this is not too much for most all species. Bob Fenner> Thank you so much for your assistance! Ted <Welcome> Will Epsom Salt hurt Panda Corydoras? Thanks, Chuck, but you didn't answer my main question. Would Epsom salt hurt panda Cory cats? < Corydoras come from very soft acidic water with no salt in it at all. Depending on how much salt you add with have an affect on the amount of irritation and discomfort you cats will be subjected too. If you fish are wild then I would not recommend adding any salt to their water at all. Domesticated or tank raised fish are more tolerant to salt being raised in confined conditions so a little can probably be tolerated.-Chuck> Cory problem I have 37 gallon community tank set up that is just getting back to full speed after a store whose name I won't mention, but whose initials are WM. sold me a Pleco with a virulent case of Ich that was not obvious when I purchased him. <Happens... all the time> Despite aggressive treatment, I lost all my fish (some of which I had had for years) except for 4 rosy barbs (tough little suckers) most on a horrific night where I lost one an hour. Anyway, I do have a point. Over the last 3 months, I have been adding back fish mostly tiger barbs (9 of them now) from a reputable LFS. I recently added two green Cory cats, but noticed that one of them has what appears to be tumors. Two on it's side and one on it's tail. The ones on the side appear to be under the scales or the same color as the scales. All are rather perfectly round and small about the size of a bb. Do you have any idea what this could be, how I can treat it and if it is contagious? Any help would be appreciated. I don't want a repeat of what happened a few months ago. Thanks so much. You guys have always been a great help! <I do have a pretty strong suspicion re the identification of these spots... they're either encysted worms (likely nematodes) or Microsporideans... either way not really treatable nor catching. No problem. Glad to see/state that you stayed in the hobby. Bob Fenner> |
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