Poorly Cory?

[Netty]

Hi all

My OH has four Cory's in a 70L tank. We believe they are a bronze variety, but the lfs weren't too sure exactly what type they were. Had them a couple of weeks now and they are the only inhabitants of the tank. Two of them have coloured up very nicely. The other two have gone pale, one in particular has gone abit quiet. It still comes out and eats well.
The parameters have been fine, but did have a slight nitrite spike 0.25, no reason for this! Ammonia is 0, Nitrate is 10 and Ph is 7. Could the nitrite spike have upset the cory?

Thanks

Netty

 

[jollysue]

It is possible.

Those do look like bronze/ C. aeneus. There are some other species thart are similar, but they are most likely bronze.

It is never known what a fish will have gone through to get to us. They are netted, jostled, juggled and moved from tank to tank. They can get ammonia spikes in bags during transport, spiked by another's spine, and caught on nets which hurt them. So it can take awhile for them to settle in.

Keep an eye on him. Watch to see if he has any outward symptoms, provide plenty of cover and a nourishing diet for an omnivore. I often have a little more trouble with bronze getting fungus than other Corys. So keep the water fresh and clean and the substrate well vacumed. Put an airstone in if you can. As river fish Corys like nice fresh water and some water movement.

 

[Netty]

Thanks for that.

No outward signs at present. They get flake, discus bits and frozen blood worm, but have been careful about feeding too much due to the spike. Substrate has had a good vac and 25% water change. Will try and get air stone in. There is a good flow from the fluval which they play in all the time

Thanks

Netty

 

[jollysue]

Sounds like you are doing what you can. Give them some time and quite. Maybe keep the lights low until the 2 perk up to minimize the stress.

 

[Netty]

Hi
Got more air into the tank and turned the flow up.

The cory is still very pale, however the other which had begaun to lose its colour seems to be picking up

The pale one came out for blood worm at lights out and came out for some bits a while ago, and has stayed out just mooching around the tank.

I thought i'd lose him last night so was happy to see him out and eating

One thing i have noticed though, the two which have lost colour are the two biggest out the four. The two smaller ones have actually intensified in colour

Cheers

Netty

 

[jollysue]

Do the larger have a belly?

 

[Netty]

Hi
The two pale ones do appear to have more rounded bodies. The coloured ones look flatter along the bottom. Here are pics to show the difference in colour now, although the pic doesn't show the fullness of colour.

Netty

 

[ICEEGRL]

I have never seen one go that pale. I have no idea what the problem might be that would cause only part of them to do that. I wish I could help.
What is the temp in the tank? How was the tank cycled before adding the fish? Did they all look the same when you got them?
I am just fishing for something that might give a clue to what may have caused this.
Sorry I'm not more help.

 

[bronzecat]

Hi Iceegrl

Netty is my wife and i wasn't on the forum until now so she's been posting for me.

When i got them they were all the same colour. One has stayed pretty much the same, two have begun to intensify in colour and are looking fantanstic, and of course there's "chalky" (thats what i call him now). The tank was fishless cycled and all good when they went in (they were the first in). Over the past 24 hours i have had a rise in Nitrite. For some reason its like the filter is cycling again. As i dont believe its not disease I have moved them to another tank which has all good readings. I'm going to leave their tank until it settles down.

He lost his colour very quickly but is larger than the others, the one that has stayed the same colour is also slightly larger than the two coloured ones. Males & Females?? Chalky still comes out for food and forrages around in the substrate, he or she can still make the top of the tank. There is no external signs of damage/fungus.

I'm beginning to wonder if this one was a little more stressed than the others and reacted to the slight up in Nitrite??

Think thats all the info i have.

Cheers

 

[ICEEGRL]

Do you possibly have a tank with sand and low lighting? That might help some to get a little closer to the natural environment. I use black sand, live plants, black background, with filters plus bubble bars. I have even gone so far as to put black net between the light and lid to filter it further. It has helped when I had fish that were stressing. I don't know if it would do anything for your cory, but I figure it couldn't hurt to try to add a thing or two that might make them feel a little more at home.
I hope it starts to get better soon.

 

[jollysue]

Thelarger broader ones are most likely females. Does Caulky still act poorly?

 

[bronzecat]

Hi

Yes, Chalky is still acting poorly. Still doing his normal dart to the surface every now and again, and comes out to feed. Other than that she stays in the quiet areas of the tank.

I had been keeping the lighting to a minimum and turned the flow up. He's in a tank now that has more hiding places, more bubbles and smaller darker substrate

It looks like the one which hasn't coloured and one of the smaller brighter ones have paired up! They follow each other everywhere

I'll just have to keep an eye on her, the others pretty much ignore her but at least they're not harrassing.

Cheers

 

[jollysue]

So she is alone now? She may find that stressful. Sometimes it is very hard to know what to do. Experience comes from doing right and wrong things and caring enough to pay attention. Let us all know how she is doing. Hopefully she will last and recover.

 

[Netty]

Hi Jollysue.....no she wasn't on her own. We kept her with all her mates but unfortunately we lost her this evening. Just have no idea what she had that caused her to go so pale. Thanks to you and Iceegrl for your help and ideas on how to help her . There are no signs of the others being ill so fingers crossed that they will continue to thrive .

 

[bronzecat]

So she is alone now?

No, not alone. Still with the others, I had to move them because if it was the slight nitrite rise i didn't want the others being affected.

But, unfortunately she died a short time ago. She was up and about earlier, on plants, in the cave etc... but then i noticed her lying on her side.
We put her in a fry net near the flow and bubbles, but not directly in it, but she died.

There are no visible signs of infection/disease. The ones from this batch still at the lfs are all ok, so i guess i was just unlucky. I think it'll just have to go down as a stressed fish that couldn't tollerate the little nitrite spike.

The others are doing fine, which is good news. And i have gotten control of the spike.

Thanks for all your help

andy