Cory I.d Please!

[Sofia]

Two weeks ago i bought 4 corydora they were labelled as julli cory but now reading through all the posts I think they are Corydoras trilineatus I just want to make sure what species I have.

1. Could somebody help me id them please?

This one is not feeling so great, he seems to have a sore just behind his left gill and he's very lethargic and breathing quite rapidly, I can't quarantine him becasue my hospital tank already has a sick little tetra I'm treating for fungas with some aquarium salt and meds, I heard that corydoras are particularly sensitive to salt.

The cory on the right is the one that isn't well

2. I'm slightly concerned that the substrate I have may be injuring their gills. I have a silica sand/coral sand mix with patches of gravel.

3. Are these tanks stats ok to keep the type of corydoras I have?

30uk gallons
ph: 7.5
no3: 15ppm
no2/ammonia: 0ppm

I'm slightly baffled by the ph because i have two fairly large pieces of bogwood in there, I was expecting the ph to be around 6.5 like my other tanks.

4. Is it possible that bogwood loses it's ability to lower ph after a period of time? I inherited these pieces of bogwood from a guy who had them in his tank for 3 years.

Thanks.

 

[jollysue]

Hi Sofia!

ID

As far as I know the id of julii and trilineatus are dependeant on the location of capture. The trili is more common so most assume that their fish is a trili if there is a question. People involved with getting wild caught fish to the aquarium, from the fellow with a net in SA to the lfs manager, will label their fish with the tag that will get the most return. The julii gets the best price, so that is the tag that is given, regardless of the location of capture. Only those who know for sure where the original fish were caught know for sure if they have julii.

Assume you have trili.

Coral I believe will raise your ph as it has calcium that leaches into the water. Coral is used for some African fresh water fish and marine tanks. The substrate should be changed. The bog wood will lose it's effectiveness after awhile.

The Cory needs treatment. I can not diagnose it with the info given. Perhaps you can set up a 1 or 2 gallon plastic tub/container and change daily or get a small filter and do water changes daily.

7.5 would probably be ok but I too am concerned about the substrate.

If the 15 is nitrIte it is very very bad. If the 15 is nitrAte it is fine.

I am unfamiliar with UK meds. Perhaps drewry can help or Wilder in Emergency. In my opinion you should move the Cories until you can set up something else. Who is in the tank? How big is it? The tank looks like an African Cichlid set up with lace rock. Is it?

 

[Sofia]

Thanks jollysue,

I think i'll do a substrate change this weekend, I have two more bags of silica sand that I can put into the tank.

The tank is 30 UK gallons and the corydoras share the tank with 4 glass catfish and 10 glowlight tetra.

I don't want to stress the fish out so how should I do the substrate change?

Should I put the fish into a bucket with a heater and then put them back in the tank once it's done (a substrate change shouldn't take more than an afternoon i don't think)

I don't want them to die of ph shock!

I need advice guys please help!!!!

 

[jollysue]

The sick fish complicates matters. I can get very uncomfortable sometimes advising like this. There are so many variables and choices to make.

There is no doubt that the Cory is not well. I can not diagnose the problem from the information really. Can you get a pic of the sore?

I think, because of the sick Cory and because you have no sick tank, I would put the fish in a large bucket or large tub that has no soap or somesuch residue in it. Run the filter snd heater in it.

Remove and replace the substrate. Keep the old water do not replace it. Keep the fish in the old tank water in the container. The ph is within acceptable range. It will reduce slowly as you do water changes

Do you know your ph in the tap?

I am afraid the sick Cory needs treatment. The treatment will be based on a diagnosis of the sore. There are many possibilities. I am posting a link with skin problem descriptions. You can not use the recommended meds because they are unavailable in the UK. Look through the descriptions and maybe google to see what you can find.

FishPharmacy skin desease chart

If it is not there go back to the central desease chart and look under something else.

I am concerned that the extra stress on the Cory will be a real problem. The heavy breathing and lethargic behavior is a really bad symptom. He really needs a QT tank so he only needs to be moved once.

Rub the sand between your hands to see if it is sharp. The Corys vacum food sometimes sifting it through their gills. If the sand is sharp, it is not only hard on the barbells but on the gills.

Perhaps someone else has some better ideas or better diagnosis sites. Please post them if you do.

 

[Sofia]

Thanks for your fast reply jollysue.

I'll change the substrate tomorrow and when I move the fish back into the tank I'll leave the sick cory in the bucket and treat him in there.

The ph of my tap water is 7.0.

I'll have a look and see what my poor guy has and post on the emergency forum thanks for the link.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Firstly, dumb question (aren't all my questions dumb? (that isn't the question)): rather than stress the fish further with a substrate change, would it not be simpler to just do 50% water changes on a regular basis, at least until the poor guy is feeling better?

Secondly, in your question about bog wood, I've found that the longer the wood is immersed in water the less it leaches into the aquarium. I boil all of my wood for over 1 hour and for the wood that's too big to boil (my pots are only so big) I soak for 1 week. After doing the above the amount of leaching is decreased quite a bit.

Good luck with your patient, he doesn't look so good.

 

[Sofia]

Hi Cory_dad I don't know how 50% water changes would help.

I was only going to change the substrate because I think that the coral sand is too sharp for the cory's and it will damage their gills.

Maybe I should wait till the sick cory is better? Gah!!!

 

[jollysue]

Reasons why I really hate to do some of these, but it needs doing. I don't hate doing it with you! It is just so awful to make some of the choices. I always get the best anwsers I can get, understand the best I can, and then make my own choices. Whatever happens, it has happened to all of us, and you will grow in you fishy experience from it. Along the way you will develop your ways of approaching the tasks that will work for you.

Another choice is to take both Corys out. Put the sick Cory in some container and treat him.

Good luck, Sofia!

 

[Cory_Dad]

Oops.

I missed the part about the sharp sand. I was commenting on the PH.

I wonder though. From your observations, is the Cory sifting sand through it's gills? If not then the sharpness of the sand is not an issue (at this time).

Also, I'm wondering if putting him into an aquarium net would solve the problem until he gets better. I just can't help being concerned about doing a substrate change with sick fish in the tank. Remember; when you take out the 'old' sand, you're going to stir it up which could do even more damage.

I'm pulling for you...

 

[Sofia]

Thank you both so much

This is the first time I have owned corydoras and I love them so much they are so active and have great personalities...I'm just sad I messed it up!!!

Cory_Dad the cory's are pulling sand through their gills which is why I am so concerned about the substrate.

The other cory's are doing fine right now, so what I think i'll do -with Wilders help over on the emergency section- is see if I can get my poorly little guy sorted before a substrate change.

But I definately am going to do a substrate change!!!

 

[jollysue]

Wilder is a great hand holder and you are fortunate to have her with you!

 

[Sofia]

Yes she is

Luckily I have interpet no.9 in my cupboard so I'm gonna go ahead and treat my cory with that and see how it goes.

 

[jollysue]

That is good news. Keep us informed. You have some lovely little fellas/gals.

 

[Sofia]

Ok so i treated the tank and all seemed ok, the red sore on my cory has gone but he's acting very strange...today he keeps 'dying' he floats around the tank lifeless looking letting the current take him around the tank and then when I go to get the net he's alive again and swimming about!!!!!

Do cory's play dead as some sore of defence mechanism or is this because he is dying?

 

[Cory_Dad]

Oh crap, no!

That's not good.

Are there any other markings or indicators on him? Try turning out all of the lights and shine a flashlight on him. Are there any gold spots or and milky white areas?

It could be indicative of parasites. I just went through hell on the weekend with my juveniles (see my posts). Turns out it was parasites.

I hope Tolak or Jollysue or some of the other big guns see this so they can give you better advice.

Good luck.