Blackworms

[jollysue]

I got some blackworms for the new cories. Lfs told me to put them in a tuperware container with a lid in the fridge, Wash and drain every day. Leave some water in but don't drown them. This part is a little vague?

But I'm also not sure how much to feed 15 cories But I'm going to try.

Some of my new play pals are quite active and vital.
Some are still pretty scared

I'm still keeping the lights down. I hope a good feed will help perk them up.

What is the best feeding regimen? Blackworms daily? some Hikari wafers, shrimp pellets, blood worms/tubiflex/shrimp--frozen and soaked freeze dried, assorted other sinking pellets, veggies? Just a variety every day w/ live or frozen every day or so?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue,

Live blackworms is one of the best foods for corys and you are lucky to have found them. Live tubifex worms are good, but I prefer the blackworms,

The important thing to do is keep them clean. Just buy a few days worth at a time and get rid of them at the first sign that they are dying. That is, or course, if you have any left, with all your fish.

I have a plastic 2 cup measuring cup that I use to clean mine because the spout makes it easy to pour the water out without losing the worms, but any container will do. Put the worms in it and fill with cold tap water. Give them a good stir and pour off the dirty water. Do this as often as necessary for the water to run completely clear. Be sure to stir them gently to break up any dirt holding clumps of them. Then just keep them in a covered dish in the refrigerator with enough water to cover them. A quarter inch or so will do.

The first washing will take the longest, probably several good rinses, but the following days will go more quickly.

You will hear talk about them having germs, but I find that they are safer than the frozen bloodworms because if any are uneaten they will live for some time in the tank. If you have gravel, they will go down into it. If you have sand, you might find them under rocks, etc. The corys will dig for them and they will not spoil or get wasted.

I usually feed my corys these, spirulina discs, and a good quality flake food. I use Ocean Nutrition's Formula One flake which is available at quality lfs, but any other high protein brand will be good. Hikari makes a good brand of bottom feeder wafers if you can find them. Freeze dried tubifex is another food they will like and I use quite a bit of it. I rarely feed them vegetables, but once in a while they might like some squeezed out cooked peas.

Corys are usually good eaters. The only food I avoid these days is shrimp pellets because if you look on the package you will see that they are mostly ground wheat or some such filler. The corys won't eat that and it will mostly go to waste.

Oh and by the way, except for the spirulina discs or Hikati wafers, your betta will like to eat all those things too. Mine gets quite excited over the live worms.

 

[jollysue]

Cool!

Here are some snaps:

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one of these may be too blown up or may be too small. I can't quite get this forum program right.

But these are my new pretties: Leucomlas, Pulcher Variant #3, and Virginae/Sangama.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue,

They are beautiful corys.

I really like the Pulcher Variant #3 The others are lovely too and I hope to be seeing more of them soon.

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, Inchworm, )

I still will try to get a great shot of the Pulchers in one of their group poses. They are so adorable. But they still swarm en-15-mass to the other side of the tank, when I try to get up close.

The substrate is still the goldie substrate, SpectraStone. It is light with round edges--no sharp or rough edges. They cories seem to be able to move it easily, but I will change it to something more suitable later. I just felt for now it was heavily cultured. It actually shows them off a bit. Maybe I will look into getting Tahitian moon sand again.

I am fortunate. My lfs washes the blackworms before they sell them. So they weren't a bit dirty.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue

So have you fed them the worms yet? If so, how did they like them?

But they still swarm en-15-mass to the other side of the tank, when I try to get up close.

What you are seeing is typical cory schooling behavior. They are still traumatized from the entire shipping process, where they were alone and frightened. It will take a while for them to get over it, but given a little time, a peaceful environment, and lots of good food, the will overcome their fears and return to being their normal selves.

Since they are all wild caught specimens it will take them a while longer to adjust to tank living, even under the best of circumstances. It's been a long time since they have seen their river and they have been through an awful lot in that period. The trip to your home is just the last of several they have had, and this means different water at each stop.

Your virginiae are from the same batch as mine and are probably quite thin. Once they start eating well they will fatten up, and by then you will see a big difference in their behavior.

 

[jollysue]

Yes, Inchworm, some are reluctant to stop looking for a way out through the greenery tank backing to eat, but once a few started to be aware of the wiggly critters then some even started rooting around after the escapees.

This morning quite a group swarmed for the black worms. Some are still reluctant to relax with the light on and my movements. One of the more mature Pulchers came up and looked me over for awhile. Perhaps he was looking for another handout The older Pulcers have a white nose with a pink spot right on the tip. I thought it might be a sore, but several of them, the larger ones, have it and seem fine. They have their little striped suits with several clear or white fins that they flutter around and the white nose and other white marking--looks very like lace cuffs and shirts w/ pinstriped suits

 

[Inchworm]

The older Pulcers have a white nose with a pink spot right on the tip. I thought it might be a sore, but several of them, the larger ones, have it and seem fine.

Hi jollysue!

It could be either their markings or active or past case of finrot. If you can get me a close up of it I can tell you more. If it is finrot you will want to start treatment immediately. If not, you can rule that out and relax.

I like their markings a lot. they are a very pretty fish and make a nice combination with the others you have.

 

[jollysue]

I think this shows it:

My lfs is having a 1/2 off sale today. What would be a good addition for some color? I do have two lonely peppers that I saw they had some of those yesterday. They had something I don't have with a darker more solid or swatched side (not spotted.) I really have not a big idea what they have today. It is a big sale and it will have drawn lots. I thought you might have some suggestions.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue,

I don't like the looks of that fish's nose! It looks to me like the results of a bacterial infection, aka finrot. If it's sore and/or pink, looking, it's probably active; if it looks like scar tissue, it probably is from a past case of it.

It's not uncommon for corys to become ill, and many of them die from the stress caused by by being caught and transferred from one place to another until they reach someone's home. Their immune systems become weakened from changes in pH, poor water quality, overcrowding, temperature fluctuations (especially sudden increases), and they are likely to become ill if exposed to harmful bacteria.

Please keep a close watch on them and see what, if anything is happening. If there is the least doubt in your mind about this, don't hesitate to treat them for it. Remember that there are many kinds of bacteria that can cause a fish problems and while some act quickly, others are slower to show their effects.

I hope they turn out to be OK.

 

[jollysue]

What do you treat with? Melafix?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue

No, but I do use MelaFix on occasion. That's usually with my pandas who can die at the drop of a hat. With them, I sometimes use it if they are just a little out of sorts. MelaFix is a good product, but it is just a very mild antibacterial agent and has it's limitations. The main problem is that if you us it and later decide that you need something stronger, it's in the water and you have to clear it to use the other medicine. This takes time and means a delay in their treatment.

Since most of the time, if a cory gets sick, it is a bacterial problem, I like to use something stronger. In the US we are lucky to have a number of good antibiotics available. I like kanamycin or tetracycline.

After having my last shipment for a week and a half, I've already lost one C. pastazensis and the others are on shaky ground. The others still don't look the way I would like them to either. I am going to give them a good water change, either tonight or tomorrow and start giving them tetracycline.

 

[jollysue]

My work just called me in to cover someone's sick day. My lfs had a super sale today. For $24 I got 12 panda tiny little babies, about a 1/4 "; 3 badis badis, a tiny little creature a little like sparkling gaurami's, for my Miniature Tropical Tank; a female betta; 3 frogs. Now after doing two water changes and acclimating 19 critters, I have to go to work--w/o sleep. But it's overtime.

And you tell me pandas die at the drop of a hat! But they are so cute!!

The thing with the Pulchers is they all have white funny noses. But one cory got tangled very badly in the net Thursday during the transition. I had to help him out and he was not delighted.

Well I gotta go

 

[Inchworm]

My lfs is having a 1/2 off sale today. What would be a good addition for some color? I do have two lonely peppers that I saw they had some of those yesterday. They had something I don't have with a darker more solid or swatched side (not spotted.) I really have not a big idea what they have today. It is a big sale and it will have drawn lots. I thought you might have some suggestions

Hi jollysue

I really think you would like some of the C. aeneus species. What's not to like about this girl?

While their colors are more subtle than some of the other corys, they are definitely there and they vary depending on the way the light hits them. Beside that, what they lack in flash, they more than make up in personality. Of the many kinds of corys I have, they are still my favorites.

Here's another variety of that same species, the Gold Shoulder cory;

Of course, if you are looking for more showy ones, there is the C. gossei and C. seussi. Here are the seussis, and the gosseis look the same except that they have the more rounded nose.

Another interesting cory is the C. robinae. They are a good sized cory, but have a delicate look about them:

The other fish in the picture is a C. adolfoi. If you like him. you would probably like the melinis and the burgessis which are similar in appearance.

There are many, many corys available and each species has its own beauty. I'll bet you would be happy with whichever ones you get!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jollysue

You must have made your last post while I was working on putting up my last one. It took me a while to edit some of the pictures. )

You will love the little pandas! They are cute little things and with as large a group as you have, they should be very happy. Just be sure to keep the tank very clean because the are very sensitive to water conditions. While they are slow growers, once they mature they will probably spawn for you. Please keep an eye on them with the other fish because they are so small.

Now that you have gone to work and will be making overtime, you will have enough money to get even more corys!

Now,.....................about those frogs................. If they are aquatic frogs, you might want to have a look at this thread:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=18252

They will love the blackworms as much as your fish.