HELP, my Cory keeps floating to the surface!

[kev_kb]

Hi all,

Well it seems that problems always occur at the same time for me now! Anyway, I'll get on with explaining whats going on with my Cory.

He's a peppered Cory in with 2 other peppers, the tank is 13 gallons and cycled. There is a sand substrate with a few plants and one piece of bogwood. A couple of days ago one of the cories lost one of his barbles, and had a small red blob where it should have been. I read up on the situation and found that barbles can grow back so I didn't worry to much.

However now he has a small red mark on his side half way down his body, it kinda looks like blood, but I think its internal as it doesn't look like an external wound. He was fine (I think) this morning, feeding and swimming as normal. Now he has started floating about, which can't be good!

He still swims around fine, but when he stops and starts to slowly float upwards to the top of the water. He'll stay floating at the top on his side for a while and then start off swimming again, when he stops swimming he'll start floating again. At one point I thought he was dead and tried to net him but he wasn't having any of it so I've left him be.

Anyone have any experience of this?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Two possible answers:
Red blotches are ulcers
Floating is caused my swim bladder disorder

Cures are in the pinned articles. Do you think these are the disorders your fish has?

 

[dave80]

i aggree id say swimbladderand ulcers

 

[Tjimbsoj]

Most probably your water quality is really poor, along with your substrate, causing your corry to suffer massive internal pains.

How long have you been within the hobby? No offence, but its not your fault, just sounds like slight inexperience

All the best

 

[Sorrell]

Most probably your water quality is really poor, along with your substrate, causing your corry to suffer massive internal pains.

How long have you been within the hobby? No offence, but its not your fault, just sounds like slight inexperience

All the best

Not quite sure where you're coming up with this theory...he says he has sand which is the best for cories, and that the tank is cycled. This doesn't imply perfect water quality (and I would suggest testing) but I would guess that if it were poor water quality, more then one fish would be suffering.

Get the facts before you decide to be rude to someone, we all did with you

 

[lizard]

If a Cory's barbels get too irritated, or there is too much of some chemical (I forget which - ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, or maybe any of those) in the water, they can get an infection. I'd guess that your Cory has contracted some sort of infection, perhaps of bacterial origin. Red streaks signify a specific disease, but its name is escaping me right now Check out the pinned disease threads in this forum. If I remember correctly, swim bladder is/can be caused by bacteria, so perhaps your Cory got his cute little barbels irritated, then infected, and now the infection has spread (not saying that is actually what happened, it's just a theory/suggestion of mine).

Inchworm should be able to give you more information about troubles with Cory barbels.

Good luck! Keep us updated.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[kev_kb]

Thanks for the comments and support, I'll look into those diseases. The tank is cycled and on Saturday the readings where 0ppm for Ammonia & Nitrite but I didn't test for Nitrates. I will now go test the water and see how it is.

Just before I went to bed last night I checked the tank and he was hanging in some plants, I thought he had died and I tried to net him but him swam away. I can't actually find him this morning!??!

I'd love to know why you think my substrate is poor Tjimbsoj? Oh, and I've been in the hobby for about 3-4 months, while I'm a newbie I think I understand things pretty well.

I have two sick Platies in the tank which have finrot that I'm treating for but they are not improving that fast so maybe they have introduced something into the tank?