Cories dying again

[jaylach]

Cories are one of the most sensitive fish that you can own. They are often one of the first to notice and thus react to any contamination or issue with the water chemistry. Their sensitivity is such that they can die off very quickly if the water chemistry or other contamination is not sourced and handled quickly.

Something like a pesticide used on a plant, they will pick that up very quickly and become unwell and/or die within a very short space of time.

Apart from the plant, what else have you put into the aquarium, have you changed your routine maintenance for any reason recently.....sit and think back through what you might have done differently, what you might have missed doing, check the water source incase the water company flushed the supply pipes as that can sometimes affect the way fish behave and can be detrimental to their health

When fish start to die for no apparent reason, you have to make a mental list of what you have done, what you didn't do, has there been any changes in their food, did you do anything with the substrate differently than normal....mentally tick box everything.....if away for a time, also check for power failures whilst away as that can have a detrimental effect on an aquarium.

Don't get down in the dumps about what has happened as that isn't going to make things better....do a list mentally or write it down of all the potential things that could have triggered this to happen

The mention elsewhere about the Betta attacking fish in the aquarium...again, Cories are very susceptable to stressful conditions, that might have had an effect on them

Do some detective work, eliminate all possibilities...but don't get dispondent or disillusioned cos these things happen to be best fishkeepers and sometimes you can find the issue but often you simply can't.

Just to add as to how fast things can happen it took about 1.5 days for the contaminated plant I introduced to kill my black skirt tetras but less than one day to kill my corys.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I remember feeling like this when I first started, I kept losing guppies despite working as hard as I could to have a perfect tank, and it's incredibly disheartening and frustrating. I know the pain you're going through now! Please stop beating yourself up though. You're being way, way too hard on yourself! There is a really steep learning curve to this hobby, especially in the first year or two. A lot of new info to take in, and a lot of things that can and will go wrong. But you can get through it and have a lovely, healthy, peaceful tank, I promise you. It takes time, patience and willingness to learn. You seem willing to learn and it shows that you care about your fish and want to save them, those are the important things to have in this hobby, and we want more hobbyists like that, so I hope you don't give up and brand yourself a failure.
In order to try and help, we do need a lot of info from you I'm afraid. We can't see the tank or fish for ourselves, or test the water, so all we have to go on is what you tell and show us. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, as I said above, so that's why the barrage of questions I'm afraid! But the more info you can give us, the better the chances that someone can figure out the problem and advise on how to fix it.

So to add my questions to the pile;
What's the complete stocking of the tank?
Can you share photos of the tank as a whole, and of the fish please? Both any fish that look sickly, and the rest of them ideally.
Do you have live plants in the tank?
Do you use a water conditioner when you do water changes? Do you match the temperature of the new water to the tank temp?
How much of the water do you change at a time? Do you clean the substrate?

Can you get a liquid testing kit to test water parameters? The liquid test kits are much more accurate than the dip strips, and when it comes to problems in a tank, we need accurate numbers for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/pH etc. The API Freshwater Master test kit is popular, as is the NT Labs liquid testing kit. They seem pricy compared to dip strips, but along with being more accurate, you also get far more tests out of them, so you don't need to keep buying strips. Better value for money in the long run.

@VioletThePurple Please answer he above questions, I've bolded the questions themselves for ease of reference.

 

[HoldenOn]

Pictures really would go a very long way, as the symptoms you have described are very common throughout a plethora of issues.

 

[VioletThePurple]

Update: Now they're all dead. I only have one left, which I don't count because he's a different species. Just like last time! And I can't figure it out, just like last time! I'm sorry, I don't know if I can keep more cories after this. My different species is the same one that was the sole survivor last time. I know they're schooling fish, but I might just leave him alone til his death because I don't know if I'll be able to handle losing another group of cories like this again.

 

[Oblio]

@VioletThePurple Please answer he above questions, I've bolded the questions themselves for ease of reference.

This would help greatly - Many here are trying to help, but need data to determine the root cause.

In addition, you need an API Master Test Kit. Or at least a kit that tests for ammonia.

 

[VioletThePurple]

Pictures really would go a very long way, as the symptoms you have described are very common throughout a plethora of issues.

Here's your photo. I don't know what else you want.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Here's your photo. I don't know what else you want.

I laid out the questions we need answers to as clearly as possible, I don't know how to possibly make it any clearer for you. We cannot help if you keep refusing to provide the info we need to tell what's happening in your tank.
The questions, again. What we need are straightforward, detailed answers to these questions.
What's the complete stocking of the tank?
Can you share photos of the tank as a whole, and of the fish please? Both any fish that look sickly, and the rest of them ideally.
Do you have live plants in the tank?
Do you use a water conditioner when you do water changes? Do you match the temperature of the new water to the tank temp?
How much of the water do you change at a time? Do you clean the substrate?
Can you get a liquid testing kit to test water parameters?

 

[VioletThePurple]

I laid out the questions we need answers to as clearly as possible, I don't know how to possibly make it any clearer for you. We cannot help if you keep refusing to provide the info, we need to tell what's happening in your tank.
The questions, again. What we need are straightforward, detailed answers to these questions.
What's the complete stocking of the tank?
Can you share photos of the tank as a whole, and of the fish please? Both any fish that look sickly, and the rest of them ideally.
Do you have live plants in the tank?
Do you use a water conditioner when you do water changes? Do you match the temperature of the new water to the tank temp?
How much of the water do you change at a time? Do you clean the substrate?
Can you get a liquid testing kit to test water parameters?

I'm not trying to refuse. I swear I already answered these questions, maybe they were lost in the thread. Stocking was several corydoras, a betta, river snail, and a few platies.
The photo I already gave you was a dying fish.


Yes, I have live plants, yes, I use conditioner, and yes, I match temp. I change around 20%. Yes, I clean the substrate. I'm going to get a testing kit tomorrow. You're asking a bit of me, and I have to deal with dying fish, so excuse me that I'm overwhelmed and not thinking straight.

 

[Byron]

It would overwhelm to go into some of the obvious (or at least seemingly obvious) issues, but some general advice will hopefully help here. First, please do not acquire any other fish of any sort. The betta needs to be separated and from other threads I gather this is the plan, in its own 5g tank. The platies need harder water, and from the GH in another thread (I think) given at 120 which I assume is ppm, your tap water is soft, and not suited to livebearers. The platies are not able to acquire from the water the minerals they need in order to properly function so they will weaken. It would help to return them if possible so you/we can deal with important issues. They will not be healthy in soft water (the betta and cories are OK in this regard). Once this is all sorted out, consideration can be given to fish.

 

[VioletThePurple]

It would overwhelm to go into some of the obvious (or at least seemingly obvious) issues, but some general advice will hopefully help here. First, please do not acquire any other fish of any sort. The betta needs to be separated and from other threads I gather this is the plan, in its own 5g tank. The platies need harder water, and from the GH in another thread (I think) given at 120 which I assume is ppm, your tap water is soft, and not suited to livebearers. The platies are not able to acquire from the water the minerals they need in order to properly function so they will weaken. It would help to return them if possible so you/we can deal with important issues. They will not be healthy in soft water (the betta and cories are OK in this regard). Once this is all sorted out, consideration can be given to fish.

I was afraid someone was going to say that that's why I didn't want to mention too much about my stocking, but I was prompted multiple times. I know a betta and platies aren't the best combination, she's going into a 5 gallon once its cycled. You mentioned the water is soft, any way to harden it? I didn't think the stocking was too bad because I put it into a stocking calculator, and it all read as fine.

My cories are dying off, my betta is being moved, and the platies don't have hard enough water. What do I do, completely start over or just throw the tank out? These fish were all recommended for beginners on multiple online sites and the aquarium stocking calculator had no problems.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I'm not trying to refuse. I swear I already answered these questions, maybe they were lost in the thread. You're asking a bit of me, and I have to deal with dying fish, so excuse me that I'm overwhelmed and not thinking straight.

The questions were not to be mean to you, they were an attempt to see what might be going wrong so that we could try to advise you how to save them. You were giving some answers in different scattered threads, but trying to follow your postings from thread to thread and piece together the puzzle is asking too much of us.

@Byron as already given some good answers. I'm sorry that you don't like them.

I suspect that when you cleaned your filter media under the tap, it led to a mini tank crash. Especially since you were then away and not doing water changes, and you were only doing small water changes, so I imagine there was a slowly rising level of ammonia, and that is what has killed off your cories.

If you don't want to keep cories anymore, it would be kind to rehome your single peppered cory to someone who has a group of the same species, or ask a fish store to take him in and rehome him, since they are very social fish, and condemning him to live alone would be sad.

 

[Oblio]

If it were me, I would follow the advice given above re: Platies and work with members here to get your tank ready to accept more Corys (not now!) in the future. They are great fish, and once your problem is sorted out, you will be glad you stayed the course. Stocking experts here can advise on what other species will work with your water parameters, Corys, and tank size.

 

[VioletThePurple]

The questions were not to be mean to you, they were an attempt to see what might be going wrong so that we could try to advise you how to save them. You were giving some answers in different scattered threads but trying to follow your postings from thread to thread and piece together the puzzle is asking too much of us.

@Byron as already given some good answers. I'm sorry that you don't like them.

I suspect that when you cleaned your filter media under the tap, it led to a mini tank crash. Especially since you were then away and not doing water changes, and you were only doing small water changes, so I imagine there was a slowly rising level of ammonia, and that is what has killed off your cories.

If you don't want to keep cories anymore, it would be kind to rehome your single peppered cory to someone who has a group of the same species or ask a fish store to take him in and rehome him, since they are very social fish, and condemning him to live alone would be sad.

That's definitely not what killed the cories, they were dying way before I cleaned the filter. I cleaned it in an effort to save them. I might give the last cory up, I haven't really decided what I'm going to do yet.

 

[Byron]

I was afraid someone was going to say that that's why I didn't want to mention too much about my stocking, but I was prompted multiple times. I know a betta and platies aren't the best combination, she's going into a 5 gallon once its cycled. You mentioned the water is soft, any way to harden it? I didn't think the stocking was too bad because I put it into a stocking calculator, and it all read as fine.

My cories are dying off, my betta is being moved, and the platies don't have hard enough water. What do I do, completely start over or just throw the tank out? These fish were all recommended for beginners on multiple online sites and the aquarium stocking calculator had no problems.

First, you cannot accept as accurate anything you read on the internet, unless you know the source [meaning, who wrote it and is he knwledgeable]. Anyone can set up a site and promote themselves as some sort of "expert." Sadly, many are anything but knowledgeable. This forum has one big advantage over all the sites...peer review. Anything I post, or anyone else posts, in response to a question is read by others, some of whom have considerable experience. If I [posted total rubbish I would be called out, and rightly so. That means you and others are getting much more reliable answers. Opinions are one thing, but scientific fact is another. There are sites with scientific fact, like Seriously Fish, Planet Catfish, CorydorasWorld, and some others. Most of us here use these.

Second, no aquarium "calculator" can be reliable. There is much more of importance than simply mass and water volume. It is impossible to programme in all the variable issues that seriously affect fish in an aquarium. GH, pH, temperature, water current, light, substrate material, natural behaviours (these are programmed into the genetics of each species), interactive traits within the species (numbers of shoaling fish) and with other species...this is what must be considered when putting a species into an aquarium. No one has even come close to human thinking when responding to this question of stocking.

Male bettas are not community fish and should not be forced into a tank with other upper fish. This sometimes seems to work, but often not for long, and if it does work, it is without question the exception not the norm for the fish.

Water parameters can be adjusted, but believe me, this is not as simple as it sounds. The tap water has parameters and the GH, KH and pH are closely connected. Hardening soft water will increase KH and raise the pH, which is usually fine but only for those fish that function in such water. The cories for example are very happy with the soft and acidic water. Why risk them just to try to keep platies? Many fish store employees wouldn't have the vaguest idea of all this. Work with your water--for one thing, it makes water changes much easier than having to prepare in another large contain the water. Fluctuating parameters are risky for fish because their physiology is designed to operate within fairly specific parameters so less stress and thus better health automatically follow if the fish are suited to the water.

 

[VioletThePurple]

First, you cannot accept as accurate anything you read on the internet, unless you know the source [meaning, who wrote it and is he knowledgeable]. Anyone can set up a site and promote themselves as some sort of "expert." Sadly, many are anything but knowledgeable. This forum has one big advantage over all the sites...peer review. Anything I post, or anyone else posts, in response to a question is read by others, some of whom have considerable experience. If I [posted total rubbish I would be called out, and rightly so. That means you and others are getting much more reliable answers. Opinions are one thing, but scientific fact is another. There are sites with scientific fact, like Seriously Fish, Planet Catfish, CorydorasWorld, and some others. Most of us here use these.

Second, no aquarium "calculator" can be reliable. There is much more of importance than simply mass and water volume. It is impossible to programme in all the variable issues that seriously affect fish in an aquarium. GH, pH, temperature, water current, light, substrate material, natural behaviors (these are programmed into the genetics of each species), interactive traits within the species (numbers of shoaling fish) and with other species...this is what must be considered when putting a species into an aquarium. No one has even come close to human thinking when responding to this question of stocking.

Male bettas are not community fish and should not be forced into a tank with other upper fish. This sometimes seems to work, but often not for long, and if it does work, it is without question the exception not the norm for the fish.

Water parameters can be adjusted, but believe me, this is not as simple as it sounds. The tap water has parameters, and the GH, KH and pH are closely connected. Hardening soft water will increase KH and raise the pH, which is usually fine but only for those fish that function in such water. The cories for example are very happy with the soft and acidic water. Why risk them just to try to keep platies? Many fish store employees wouldn't have the vaguest idea of all this. Work with your water--for one thing, it makes water changes much easier than having to prepare in another large contain the water. Fluctuating parameters are risky for fish because their physiology is designed to operate within fairly specific parameters so less stress and thus better health automatically follow if the fish are suited to the water.

I risk that because the cories are dying out and I may not keep more. I already have another tank that the betta will go in. My betta is female, so I thought it would work out, but I knew I was taking a chance because the platies share the same space.