Peppered Cory :(

[SouthernCross]

Hi everyone

About 2 weeks ago I got a pair of peppered cories - extremely cute little guys. I already had in the tank two bronze and two albino, making six in all. They appeared to settle in well, were eating well.

I just went and looked in my tank and one of them was dead and stuck to the filter intake . I've netted him out, and the only thing that appears to be wrong with him is that it looks like another fish has had a bite of his tail, although that could have happened after he died (likely) or the filter did it.

I don't know what happened! The other one is still doing great. The only thing I noticed was that this one spent a bit more time swimming at the surface, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. I can't imagine any of the other tank inhabitants would be responsible - they've always been fine with the other cories - pearl gouramis, platies, and cardinal tetras. The only new thing is a little piece of bogwood that I soaked for a week, and a tiny bristlenose plec (wanted to get him the same day as the cories, but didn't have any, so went and got him the next weekend) who's been in there since Monday. But as I said, he's tiny (smaller than the cories) and he didn't appear to be bothering anyone. Just checked my tank stats and they appear to be all ok, PH tiny bit lower than usual (down by .2) but I figured that'd be the wood.

Does anyone have any idea what could have gone wrong? Or just one of those things? I felt so awful when I found him just now. I really liked them. I just want to rule out anything I could have done which might hurt my others... None of my other cories has ever even been sick so I was really shocked.

 

[jollysue]

How long has the tank been up? What size is it? What is the surface area? How many fish?Swimming near the surface can be an indication of low oxygen--especially when there is gulping or sipping at the surface frequently. Do you have an air stone or something that keeps the surface agitated? I suggest some extra small water changes and an air stone or bubbler.It may have been just the Cory wasn't healthy, but better safe than sorry. Besides Corys like air stones.How long has the tank been up? What size is it? What is the surface area? How many fish?Swimming near the surface can be an indication of low oxygen--especially when there is gulping or sipping at the surface frequently. Do you have an air stone or something that keeps the surface agitated? I suggest some extra small water changes and an air stone or bubbler.It may have been just the Cory wasn't healthy, but better safe than sorry. Besides Corys like air stones.

 

[SouthernCross]

The tank has been up since February - so a good six months. It's 3 foot - just shy of 150 litres, or about 37 US gallons. The dimensions are 36x14x18, so surface area 504 square inches.

I have HOB and a UGF powered by two airstones running on it - so there is quite a lot of surface agitation. I do a large water change (40-50%) every week/week and a half or so. All the other cories weren't going to the surface anymore than usual, I thought if the tank had low oxygen they'd all be gulping...

 

[jollysue]

You're right. It does seem as though those 3 fish should not have caused a problem. The one Cory may just not have adjusted or had a probem already and stressed out. The surface swimming alone is a general symptom when it is not a part of a Cory dance thing. The little guy was having trouble, but I can't tell why.

 

[SouthernCross]

Yeah well the fish had been doing the surface thing off an on pretty much since I'd added him - I'd never had peppereds before, so I didn't know whether it was just something that they did - I've only been able to tell the two apart by their markings in the last couple of days so I didn't realise initially that it was only one of them doing it. Having been in there for two weeks already I didn't think it could have been me not acclimatizing properly, and I usually take a good 45 minutes to do that, and I do it properly and I've never had a problem before.

I guess I'll just have to put it down to one of those things - something wrong with the poor little guy.

Next time I'm at the LFS (won't be for a few weeks I don't think) I'll have to get the remaining peppered a new little friend. It doesn't look right only having one of him in there! In the meantime he'll just have to keep chilling with the bronze/albinos, which he's doing anyway. They're so much larger than him though! He'll catch up in time I'm sure.

Thanks for your help jollysue. If anyone else is reading this later and has any ideas that something else could have gone wrong please post.

 

[jollysue]

It can take many days for a fish to acclimate fully if there are true differences in temperature or some other variable. I am that way when the seasonal changes happen--not that my experience is the same as a fishes, but there is some evidence that any permenant change can take a bit for fish too. So don't blame yourself with the acclimation. There is lots of debate and difference regarding the matter.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Sounds like transport stress to me. I have had a few that did that. The got too stressed when getting caught and then the trip and new housing conditions on top of that. They just never could settle in.

I think I bought them too soon after the store got them, so they didn't get over one trip before they were taking another one.

There are so many factors involved. It would be too hard to really say for sure though. It is a possibility though...

Good luck with the others. I hope they all do well.