Albino Cory Problem

[Francesjane]

Hi, I am new to keeping fish, and sadly have only just been made aware of the nitrogen cycle so therefore i realise it means my fish are at risk! The tank has been running for two weeks, I have recently purchased an api freshwater master kit and test my water daily knowing that my tank is going through toxic stages. At the moment it is reading 0.25 ammonia-0.25 Nitrite and 40 Nitrate. i have a 17 Gallon tank and a 6 gallon tank doing a fishless cycle which i would like to use as an emergency tank, that has only been running for a few days. I have 5 tetras and 4 Cory's and when I feel my readings are getting higher i do a 25% water change, which averages out daily at the moment. I hope this will help my fish ? All fish seem fine, but I am a little worried about my Albino cory who seems to swim far more erratically than the others. Mainly just side to side of the tank, he doesn't seem to rest for five minutes !! He is eating fine. He does not mingle much at all with the others. He does seem to be a different colour now to my other albino's in the sense that he has a shade of red/pink colour starting from his mid body back towards his tail. With a main red/pink line horizontally also starting mid body back to his fin. This is on both sides. No red lines on any fins, fins all intact and looking good. The red is not a shocking red, more of a strong pink red. I cannot remember if he was like this from day one, but as my other albinos are very "white" I just wondered if I need to be worried or if there is any advice anyone can give? Photo attached but does not show it as I see it. Sorry the pic is upside down but just can't get it attached any other way despite rotating it in my files.

 

[snazy]

He does seem to be a different colour now to my other albino's in the sense that he has a shade of red/pink colour starting from his mid body back towards his tail. With a main red/pink line horizontally also starting mid body back to his fin. This is on both sides. No red lines on any fins, fins all intact and looking good. The red is not a shocking red, more of a strong pink red. I cannot remember if he was like this from day one, but as my other albinos are very "white" I just wondered if I need to be worried or if there is any advice anyone can give?
 

 
Reddish on albino corys is water quality issues, toxins burning them. I'd advise large water changes daily to keep the levels down to as close to 0 as possible. Healthy albino corys have a shiny look to them. They are not milky white.  If you see them being very pale they aren't feeling well. Corys are tough but they can die if exposed for prolonged periods to such water although they'll last long enough compared to other fish.  Good luck with cycling. If you take the time to do lots and large water changes 50%+ to keep the levels at 0, then they should be ok. If you let the levels rise, then a lot of issues can happen like secondary diseases and death. There's no point of an emergency tank if it's not cycled.

 

[Francesjane]

I shall do my best for him/her with the larger water changes...thanks for replying.

 

[Francesjane]

Since last posting on this site my albino cory seems to be looking very strange, it's like he has lost some skin? Has a pink shiny head and parts of body. I do 50% water change every day, and am now into the nitrate stage this past 2 days.... I have attached a couple of pics...I would appreciate your thoughts....
Frances
Btw he's eating fine, and acting very normal!!!

 

[snazy]

Do 50% water changes daily decrease the nitrite/ammonia to 0? If not, try doing bigger water changes, or more. The red skin colour(non shiny parts) is exactly a sign of water quality issues. I know because once I "burned" 6 albino corys like that. That was 2 years ago when their tank into recycling itself after I washed the media really well. They all recovered their colour and health but I moved them to a cycled tank as soon as I noticed what was happening and their own tank had uncontrollable levels for a week.

 

[Francesjane]

Thanks for that info...I have no other tank but do do a lot of water changes much to other people telling me otherwise...my instincts tell me to keep the water as good as i can for them....i am now finally in the last stage...I am hoping they will ride it out....so if its not a bacteria like septicaemia or something then I don't need to treat with anything?

 

[snazy]

That's not septicemia. It's just severe ammonia/nitrite burns and as long as you get the water quality right and the tank cycled, they should pull through and recover.

 

[Francesjane]

Thanks...makes me feel better...not that they are going through all this no thanks to me, but because they are still with me and hopefully will continue to be for many years.