Having an issue with my salt and pepper Corys .

[Richee]

I started out with 3 of them got 3 more , and I have slowly been seeing them die one by one . I think I have only 2 maybe 3 left out of the 6 and it’s only been 6 days . Tank is cycled and heavily planted , the other 2 that I can see seem to be doing fine , the 3 rd one is surfing the back by the filters , I also have had 3 porkchop rasbora die in the past week or two as well and I cannot find the culprit . Could it just be stress ? Is stress enough to kill them by itself? I don’t do many water changes as I have so many plants in there and a deep dirt/sand substrate but I did about a 30-40% change today and before the change the ph was around 7 120 gh 80kh temp floats around 79-80 and am showing no nitrites and very little nitrates

 

[jaylach]

My guess is water conditions. That does not necessarily mean ammonia, nitrates and nitrates but those actual numbers will be asked so might as will get it out of the way and post the numbers.

Also will be asked if you have recently added new plants and/or decorations and if you treated any such new stuff in any way. For instance say that you got new plants or deco. Did you do anything like treating the new stuff with anything such as a chlorine bath? If so did you thoroughly rinse and let sit in a container of water with chlorine treatment?

Not really trying to give an answer here just advising some more info you could provide for others to better help.

 

[Richee]

My guess is water conditions. That does not necessarily mean ammonia, nitrates and nitrates but those actual numbers will be asked so might as will get it out of the way and post the numbers.

Also will be asked if you have recently added new plants and/or decorations and if you treated any such new stuff in any way. For instance say that you got new plants or deco. Did you do anything like treating the new stuff with anything such as a chlorine bath? If so did you thoroughly rinse and let sit in a container of water with chlorine treatment?

Not really trying to give an answer here just advising some more info you could provide for others to better help.

Number are posted

 

[Byron]

Can you provide some data. What is the substrate? Temp at 79-80 is too warm, the cories especially need it around 73-75 or 76 but no higher. Which rasbora? What fish are in the tank?

 

[Richee]

Can you provide some data. What is the substrate? Temp at 79-80 is too warm, the cories especially need it around 73-75 or 76 but no higher. Which rasbora? What fish are in the tank?

I thought I had put it all in there , it’s a dirt with sand capping it off. Porkchop rasbora

 

[Richee]

Can you provide some data. What is the substrate? Temp at 79-80 is too warm, the cories especially need it around 73-75 or 76 but no higher. Which rasbora? What fish are in the tank?

79 is the max of their recommended temp range

 

[jaylach]

Number are posted

I don't see any number for ammonia and "very little nitrates" does not give a PPM number.

Also, dirt covered with sand does not really describe the substrate. What kind of dirt and sane?

Not trying to be a pest but such info is needed.

 

[Richee]

I don't see any number for ammonia and "very little nitrates" does not give a PPM number.

Also, dirt covered does not really describe the substrate. What kind of dirt and sane?

Nitrates are around 20 I didn’t give a number because it is hard to read these strips sometimes so idk if it’s 20 or 0. Ammonia is 0. It is soil from the backyard with fine quickrete on top

 

[Richee]

My guess is water conditions. That does not necessarily mean ammonia, nitrates and nitrates but those actual numbers will be asked so might as will get it out of the way and post the numbers.

Also will be asked if you have recently added new plants and/or decorations and if you treated any such new stuff in any way. For instance say that you got new plants or deco. Did you do anything like treating the new stuff with anything such as a chlorine bath? If so did you thoroughly rinse and let sit in a container of water with chlorine treatment?

Not really trying to give an answer here just advising some more info you could provide for others to better help.

I did get a couple plants , and I just put them in there

 

[Richee]

I don't see any number for ammonia and "very little nitrates" does not give a PPM number.

Also, dirt covered with sand does not really describe the substrate. What kind of dirt and sane?

Not trying to be a pest but such info is needed.

Also it’s the same problem I posted about last week about the rasboras going missing , I’ve had them for months now and they have been fine with the setup, maybe a couple of the fish I got were old ? Is that an uncommon problem? I have some phoenix rasbora in there 2 and haven’t lost a single one ,

 

[jaylach]

Nitrates are around 20 I didn’t give a number because it is hard to read these strips sometimes so idk if it’s 20 or 0. Ammonia is 0. It is soil from the backyard with fine on top

Nitrates at 20 PPM is usually the high end limit for most fish but I'm more concerned with the soil coming from your back yard. Do you ever treat the yard with fertilizers or insecticides?

I am even more concerned with you saying that the sand is 'quickrete' Quickrete is a fast setting concrete, not sand. While it may not actually set in an aquarium it will still generate heat and put out who knows how mant possibly toxic chemicals.

 

[Richee]

Nitrates at 20 PPM is usually the high end limit for most fish but I'm more concerned with the soil coming from your back yard. Do you ever treat the yard with fertilizers or insecticides?

I am even more concerned with you saying that the sand is 'quickrete' Quickrete is a fast setting concrete, not sand. While it may not actually set in an aquarium it will still generate heat and put out who knows how mant possibly toxic chemicals.

Nooooo not quikcrete concrete , it’s quikqrete play sand , and the yard has not been treated with anything , I dug a hole and got the dirt deep down ..

 

[jaylach]

Nooooo not quikcrete concrete , it’s quikqrete play sand , and the yard has not been treated with anything , I dug a hole and got the dirt deep down ..

Oh, OK. I didn't know that Quickcrete did a play sand. I stand corrected but a lot of info has been gathered for those much more in the know such as @Byron .

As to the new plants and just putting in I did the same about a year and a half ago with some moss I got from Petco. The moss was contaminated and killed my entire tank in a day. Not saying that your new plants are the cause but something to consider.

 

[Byron]

79 is the max of their recommended temp range

This is much too warm. Provide the sources for anyone saying 79, I have this info from Ian Fuller and no one knows more about cories. I will say here that things like this are not in themselves the issue, but they weaken the fish making them susceptible to other issues. And nitrates at 20ppm is too high, if that is what they are.

The dirt under the sand is a problem. Such substrates cause issues with water quality until they are settled (about six months), and cories should never be over such things as they like to dig. There are bacterial issues with dirt.

 

[Richee]

Oh, OK. I didn't know that Quickcrete did a play sand. I stand corrected but a lot of info has been gathered for those much more in the know such as @Byron .

As to the new plants and just putting in I did the same about a year and a half ago with some moss I got from Petco. The moss was contaminated and killed my entire tank in a day. Not saying that your new plants are the cause but something to consider.

Yea the plants came from petsmart , I got a couple bucephalandra green and a java moss coconut bridge , all the other plants have been in there for a while already , but I never washed them off either . I saw the porkchop hiding out in the back this morning and didn’t come out when I fed everyone else , so I kinda knew something was off , and then I found it belly up on the bottom couple hours later