Cory's Wierd Behavior

[fishafanatic]

I have a friend that is away for a while an i take care of his tank, a 20 gallon planted low-tech tank w/7 platies and 3 albino cories and some ghost shrimp. He got them about almost a week ago, and 2 days ago two of them stopped looking for food and only moved if some other fish get near. Noe all of them stay in one place with 2 of them under a small cave like thing and another near the other corner of the tank? Help please i have a tank of my own but never had experience with cories. Stats: ph of 7.2 ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate about 20. he usally does a 25% water change weekly so i do it as well. please help as i don't want them to die while he is away. the tank has been set up for 3 months.

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry your post got overlooked.

How are they doing now?

Are they eating at night?

Can you also get the water tested at an lps--just in case the test kit is off?

What water conditioner are you using?

Do you see anything unusual about how they look? Are the barbells good?

Is the filter working? Have you run untreated water through it?

There is nothing in your information to suggest a tank problem, but something is wrong, so we must dig deeper.

 

[fishafanatic]

now only one of them have been active. The one that is active eats in the day but the other one stays still for days. he could probably get the water tested at his lfs. he is using Novaqua and Amquel by Kordon whenever there is water change. the barbels have been the same and in color kinda hard beacuse thery are albino. The filter has been working. There was only one day while they were in the tank the filter had been working good because there was a clog but it got removed. Would ph down affect them? Wilder told me to put him in a quarintine(spelled right?) tank and medicate with maracyn two.

 

[jollysue]

Yes major ph changes will affect fish, killing some. If Wilder is helping, then go with her. She has lots of experience. What did she think it is?

When the filter was having trouble, did it go long without water moving well through it? It could have caused an ammonia spike. That would definately cause the fish stress and ammonia levels can quickly rise to burn them--even burning the gills. If that was it, it seems they are surviving and will recover, hopefully. They aren't on their sides or gasping for air.

Were they in the bags long after they were purchased? If the tranfer and acclimation was long or they had an ammonia spike during it they could have bee stressed and taking some time to settle in. from that too.

 

[fishafanatic]

Wilder thought that it is a bacterial infection. the filter had some time with it like that but water changes were done every two to three days until the filter was unclogged. they were probably in the bags like an half an hour and the acclimation process was like 20 minutes. maybe they are still stressed so the other one is going to get better or do what Wilder said to do?