Please Help :(

[robyngunston]

I recently moved into a new flat and the previous owner left behind his tropical fish. This included 2 x Pristella Tetra, 3 x Beunos Aries Tetra, 3 x Blindcave fish. I bought two books to read up on how best to look after them and maintain the tank and have even visited the local fish shop a few times to seek advice. I bought two Cory Cats (Panda and Sterbas) about a week ago and they seemed to be doing really well....however last Friday when I got home the little black one (Sterbas) seemed to be missing? I also noticed that the other cory (Panda) was acting very strangely and seemed very nervous...he seemed to be trying to squash himself behind the filter? On moving the filter the Sterbas just feel to the bottom of the tank and when trying to swim he kept falling upside down? He looked really bad and I assumed he was going to die so did what I thought was best and took him out of the tank. As I was told that a dead fish can rot the tank and cause the other fish to die as well. Not being very experienced and of course being new at this I did not have a separate hospital tank or any spare thermostats, etc? The best I could do was a bucket filled with water from the tank and I kept it warm by putting the bucket in the bath and surrounding it with warm water to try and keep the temperature constant. The of course meant that I had to get up every hour to add some warm water and check the temperature. Anyway....he lived through the night and seemed to be swimming a lot better in the morning.....I then phoned the local fish shop for advice and asked them if I could bring him in so they could have a look.....but they said it would be better if I just put him back in the tank as he had been through enough stress. So....back in the tank he went - I have been watching him very closely since then and am still worried and don't know what to do?? I noticed he seems to be swimming to the surface and blowing bubbles - I thought maybe this meant there was not enough oxygen in the tank and added a airstone - I had the water tested at the fish shop on the Sunday and they said everything looked fine.....however just to be safe I tested the PH and Nitrate again last night....PH was 6.5 which according to the sheet is fine....and Nitrate was a bit high so I emptied a lot of the water out of the tank and topped it back up with tapwater treated with the stuff that takes out chlorine and metals. I noticed he seems to have a white patch just under his top fin and am not sure what it is? I have read up on "white spot" and from what I could tell "white spot" was a lot of little spots whereas this is one round patch? Please help I am not sure what to do and I really don't want my Cory to die.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Cory_Cat

Your cory has a bacterial infection. The patch of white you see is not "white spot" aka Ich, and not a fungus, but a growth of bacteria. Since I just wrote out the causes and treatment for another member, I'll give you a link to that thread. Even though the symptoms are different, it's just a variation of the same problem. All the rest of the information will be the same for your fish.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=128139

I suspect that the original owner of the tank figured that since he was leaving the tank behind, he would just stop cleaning and caring for it. A build up of soil and perhaps uneaten food could have fed potential harmful bacteria and contributed to the illness when you added new fish that were used to cleaner conditions. Tetras are pretty tough compared to corys.

Another problem you might want to consider is temperature. Sterbai corys require warm water and pandas do best in water that is a little cooler. Pandas are also more delicate than most other corys too.

It would be good to test the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels just to be sure the tank is still cycled. Chances are that it is if it's an old tank. You will also want to do a very good water change and bottom vacuuming to remove as much dirt and harmful bacteria as possible. This will help your sick fish and protect the others as well.

Good luck. Please let me know how your corys respond to this care.

 

[robyngunston]

Thank you so much for your help.

I was really worried yesterday and didn't want to just leave my poor little Cory to die so I phoned up the pet shop again....who probably think I am becoming a real nuisance ) .... and after explaining my Cory's condition he too said it is definately a bacterial infection....his advice was to double dose on stress coat and not to add anything (including food) to the tank until this weekend and to then come in and talk to them. He did say if things became really bad to phone him and that he would keep the shop open late just so that I could make it after work, which I thought was really thoughtful On inspection this morning I noticed that my little Cory seems a lot more active than he did yesterday almost back to his old self but still with a white patch.

With regards to the Panda's.....you now have me worried....I currently have the water at about 76/77 is that okay for them both? I don't think I mentioned this in my long winded story earlier but last weekend I ended up getting another Panda and another Cory....I think he may be a Sterbai as well but he is still very smaller and only his tail is black. The two Panda's seem to love each others company and like to hide under things whereas the new little Panda just loves everyone trying to make friends with them all. They really are lovely fish.

The two Beunos Aries Tetra in the tank are also quite big.....bigger than any I have seen in the pet shops....and I was worried they may be bullying the other fish.....would it be apparent if they were would I see them doing it?

 

[marvandgoldie]

I know how you feel Cory_cat when I discovered that one of my corys had died I was really worried about the rest of them as it turned out not all the corys have the infection.

Today is the last day of treatment for mine so fingers crossed that it cures them!!

Let us know how yours get on.

 

[robyngunston]

Good luck, I will let you know how I get on