Some Of The Juveniles I Moved Look To Be In Trouble

[ICEEGRL]

As suggested before... Your fish would benefit from added air flow. The "fixes" suggest adding an air stone or bubble bar if I remember correctly. I always add a bubble bar when I use them. Pimafix and Melafix are great for mild cases. I use them a lot, but they don't do as well with more advanced cases. The issue with them, from what I have heard, is that they can couse some build up in the gill area cousing them to have trouble breathing... That is part of why you should add more air, but it is not the only reason.
I think a tank just for the fry is a great idea, but if it is the stress of moving them... it would have probably not changed anything... Moving is moving... Maybe if you had a larger tank you could start them out in it. Then they wouldn't have to be moved.
I know I probably wasn't of much help... It is really hard to go behind Tolak and Jollysue. They really know their stuff... They are the ones I run to every time I have problems. (I love them both dearly... so do my fish!)
I hope it works out and you don't lose any more fish. Keep us updated on how it goes.


Amanda

 

[Cory_Dad]

Thanks ICEEGRL

This afternoon the remain 7 seem to have perked up in the 2.5 Gal and are doing their cleaning thing. There are 2 air stones in there and I'm doing 20% water changes twice a day followed by med top ups. There are still showing a bit of a milky color along their length by their spines via flashlight (torch for you Brits) but I'm beginning to wonder if that is natural for them.

All of the fish in the 60 gal. are just fine. The parents have perked right up but I'm continuing the meds in there for 7 days.

The move was made because they were in a 10 gal. along with 5 or so younger brothers and sisters so I felt it was time to move. I also was so anxious to see a whole shoal of Corys in a 60! That will have to wait. I'm very hesitant now to put them in. I'm seriously thinking about getting a Cory Juvenile Only tank (30 gal. a good fit?). My old body can't take the stress of this another time.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about why this happened. Keith (last named deleted) from err ANOTHER forum postulated that it could be from the local water utility introducing chemicals into the water to control whatever. I poo-poo'd that went the parasite route. But I'm starting to wonder if that is really what it is. Maybe he was right. I've placed a call to the water company to find out if the had added anything late Friday early Saturday.

I got back into fish keeping because it would be a stress reliever and help lower my blood pressure. Hmm... IT'S NOT WORKING!!!!

LOL

Cheers all and thank you so much for your help and support.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Stress relief...
It does relieve stress... It relieves the old stress and replaces it with new stress...
I have found that it does help with stress and blood pressure when things are running right. Don't give up yet.

 

[jollysue]

I am trying to set up my juvie too. I have one with galaxys in it --a 20 long--that I used last time with my juvies. It worked very well. I have another 20 long right next to it with my long fin peppers in it, but they deserve another larger tank. So I am looking at putting the harlequin shoal in that and some perhaps smaller Cory species--melini and skunk/arcuatus and then plopping juvies in them. I want to keep some varietis separate just in case they decide to breed before I get them rehomed.

Yes it is a hobby that takes us away from the everyday things and adds some beauty to our lives, I think. But there is nothing in this world without the rough waters that makes life a challenge. I just learn to navigate the rapids better. But something always crops up. Sometimes it is my ignorance, my foolishness, or just the challenges that abound.

Still the challenge to do it better and seeing the results are worth the efforts for me.

Thank you both for the kind words. I wish I could actually live up to them.

 

[Cory_Dad]

You sell yourself short, madam...

Update:

Everyone is still alive.

I checked my adult C. Napoensis this morning with a flash light (torch for you Brits) and the female looked like she had some gold colored specs. Velvet! The Jungle Parasite Clear doesn't say it treats Velvet so I've just dosed with Coppersafe. It's been over 48 hours since I had dosed with Jungle PC plus a 20% water change so it should be ok.

A couple of the adult Red Wag Platties are swimming with their fins clamped but they show no signs of velvet.

I called our local water supply and they said they don't add anything to the water and besides they buy it from Toronto. They are not aware that Toronto EVER adds anything to the water other than chlorine, fluoride, and the other usual stuff. I just wanted to make sure that is wasn't the water although doing a 40% change probably stressed the fish enough to put them over the edge.

I will have to be more careful with how I do the changes from now on though. Not sure how I can handle the 40% change as the 60 gallon is in the basement that is all finished and carpeted.

Cheers.

 

[jollysue]

Towels--lots and lots of towels! and ScotchGuard! Do you use a Python syphon hose? If not--get one.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Towels--lots and lots of towels! and ScotchGuard! Do you use a Python syphon hose? If not--get one.

Yes, I do use a Python. That's maybe where the problem is as the water comes directly from the tap so I can't pre treat it before it goes into the tank.

Last night I moved one of the male adults into the 2.5 hospital tank with the rest as he was sort of just hanging at the top. Today he seems better. There is something bizarre going on with my 60 gallon. I put in an air hose with no stone on it. The amount of surface agitation is unreal; it reminds me of 'the perfect storm'. I did it because a number of the guppies and platties were what looked like gasping at the top. Maybe this is an oxygen problem? But why all of a sudden?

I wonder if there's somewhere that will do a full water analysis. Anyone know of such a place in Canada?

I just picked up Ian's book and saw some pictures where the Cory's had similar gold flecks like mine. Maybe mine don't have velvet. So, do I just keep up the Coppersafe treatment for the rest of the month (and probably kill all my plants)?

I'm going out to look for another tank JUST for Corydoras, either a 20 or 30 gallon.

Cheers.

 

[jollysue]

Well, my bilineatus males do have lots of gold sparkles, but not like the dust I have heard of and seen with pics of velvet. If there is a gill parasite or something affecting the gills, that will affect the fish's gill function. Some medications--like MelaFix--affect the fish's gill function. It is usually advised to add extra air when medicating and to add some salt as it aslo helps gill function. The tank temperature can affect the oxygen level. Meds can affect the nitifying bacteria load and so the water quality. Run fresh carbon between med changes.

If I am going to mix meds, I always stick with the recommendations of the manufacturer. I will add AquariSol, as it is very mild. I mix Mardel Products, such as Maroxy and Trisulfa or Coppersafe and Maroxy. Mardel specifically formulates their meds to be able to mix them. Just as MelaFix and PimaFix are. But just as with any chemicals, meds can increase the potency of one another, so it is best to be careful in mixing meds in the tank.

I have never lost fish from water changes with the Python. I may have caused some problems by accidentally running the filter before I added the Stress coat. Using an ammonia neutrallizer can cause problems because the nitrifying bacteria grow according to the amount of ammonia and nitrites present. I have the reducers on hand in case of a spike--like my goldie tank!--but I don't use prime and ammonia neutralizers as a matter of course. When I start a new AquaClear I use the ammonia ceramics, but I just let them become good bacteria homes and don't replace them.

Observation, checking all the equipment, testing the water stats, lots of google reading--these are things you can do. Have you read the NationalFishPharmacy info on desease thoroughly?

It is normal to thresh around at first, but tank problems and meltdowns and loss of fry are part of the hobby. It happens to us all. The only good thing about it is learning to deal with it.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Thanks.

<NationalFishPharmacy>

No I haven't but I will Google it.

I haven't bought a tank yet as I wasn't happy with anything I saw.

It looks like the air line has helped as there aren't any <gaspers> at the top.

My male & female Napoensis are doing strange things now, they're both sitting in the plants at mid-tank level.

I think I may start drinking...

 

[jollysue]

LOL

The little terrorists are on track with their plan, whatever it is?

NationalFishPharmacy

 

[Cory_Dad]

Thanks for the link. I checked it out but I'm more confused than ever.

This morning when I looked at the male Cory in the hospital tank I noticed that his nose was rubbed raw. There's no gravel in the tank but there are 2 air stones so I guess that's what he rubbed on.

This afternoon I saw that the other male in the 60 was lying on his side! He's in the hospital tank too. An hour later the female started swimming funny. Guess where she is now... I need a bigger hospital tank.

What the heck can be affecting them? About a week before this all started I put some Malaysian wood (Mopani?) into the 60. Could that be the cause?

I'm tempted to put all the Corys into the 10 gallon fry tank but if it's a disease then I'll infect the 4 fry that are in there too and loose everything.

Dazed and confused.

 

[jollysue]

I figured you would come away from NationalFishPharmacy confused. That is the learning curve. Learning it takes lots of experience. A fundamental grasp is hard to get.

Have you have carbon in the tank to clear the meds?

Raw noses are usually due to trying to get at food by moving and trying to get under things with the nose.

What meds are in the 60 now? As I remember you boil your driftwood?

What size is the QT tank?

 

[Cory_Dad]

I figured you would come away from NationalFishPharmacy confused. That is the learning curve. Learning it takes lots of experience. A fundamental grasp is hard to get.

Have you have carbon in the tank to clear the meds?

Raw noses are usually due to trying to get at food by moving and trying to get under things with the nose.

What meds are in the 60 now? As I remember you boil your driftwood?

What size is the QT tank?

No carbon. I want to do a bit of a water change on the 60 tomorrow. I still have Coppersafe in the 60 so carbon would take all of that out. I've stopped the Pimafix and Melafix in the 60 today after finishing an 8 day cycle. Someone has suggested it could be an internal bacteria so I went out and purchased Jungle Anti-Bacteria food. Same for the 2.5 gallon hospital tank. I don't think it's velvet. I finally got the Cory books I purchased from Ian and a lot of the Corys in the pictures have the same golden sparkles that mine have. At this point I'm just going through every med known to man in the hope something will work.

I boiled the wood for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

On Sunday I had to put the other male and female into the QT tank as well. They were swimming all weird. They seem ok today in the QT tank but a bit subdued and a little skittish as they have no where to hide.

I do a 10% water change in the morning and again in the evening on the QT. I also have ammo chips in a ladies stocking floating at the bottom to try to control the ammonia.

I'm still looking for a separate tank for the Corys. I think the 60 gallon is cursed for Corys. I've narrowed it down to either a 20 or 29 gallon. I hate those hoods on the Geosystems and Hagen tanks but the Topfin ones I like (what I have now on the 10 and 60). Im looking at the kits because to buy the tank and the hood separate is almost as much as the kit. The hang on filters suck though. None of the kits come with the Aqua Clear. I may just buy the kit and turf the filter. Big Al's is selling the Rena XP2 for $119 which should do quite nicely.

Finding that brown silica sand is a bother. Where can I get that?

I just hope I still have Corys left alive by the time I buy it, set it up and cycled.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Don't throw away the filters. Someone would probably love to have them. Offer them for sale. If you were closer... I would. They make great "extra filters" for emergencies and such.

I am sorry that you are still having problems with this tank. I really don't understand why this is happening. Have you done a full testing of the water lately? Maybe something would show up to help find what is causing all of this. If it were me... I would take out everything except the substrate and do a decent water change. Then slowly add one thing at a time and see what happens.
You would have to allow enough time between adding things to watch for problems to identify what started it though. If you have problems with just the substrate... then you would have a starting point.
Most people don't like to "start over", but sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to find the problem. I would keep the filter and such running to avoid having to cycle again though. I would buy new supplies too. That would cover the possibility that you had gotten a bad bottle of something... When doing this kind of thing you have to cover all of the bases. You never know... it could be something very simple that just didn't occur to you to check... That is what my issues usually are.

I hope you find the problem soon and can get it fixed before you lose any more fish. Keep us up on what is going on. I also would love to see a pic of the tank and fish we are talking about. You never know... someone might see the problem and be able to help... It is worth a try.

 

[Cory_Dad]

Don't throw away the filters. Someone would probably love to have them. Offer them for sale. If you were closer... I would. They make great "extra filters" for emergencies and such.

I am sorry that you are still having problems with this tank. I really don't understand why this is happening. Have you done a full testing of the water lately? Maybe something would show up to help find what is causing all of this. If it were me... I would take out everything except the substrate and do a decent water change. Then slowly add one thing at a time and see what happens.
You would have to allow enough time between adding things to watch for problems to identify what started it though. If you have problems with just the substrate... then you would have a starting point.
Most people don't like to "start over", but sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to find the problem. I would keep the filter and such running to avoid having to cycle again though. I would buy new supplies too. That would cover the possibility that you had gotten a bad bottle of something... When doing this kind of thing you have to cover all of the bases. You never know... it could be something very simple that just didn't occur to you to check... That is what my issues usually are.

I hope you find the problem soon and can get it fixed before you lose any more fish. Keep us up on what is going on. I also would love to see a pic of the tank and fish we are talking about. You never know... someone might see the problem and be able to help... It is worth a try.

Well, the tank was set up last November. If I strip the tank down I'd have no where to keep the fish while the tank cycles. So far I haven't lost anything else from the 60. I just did a 20% water change but pre-treated the water with Prime before adding (isn't that what pre-treated means?...tired). Everything stills looks ok.

This is why I want a new tank for the Corys. I'll have to wait till Friday now.

Tolak replied to my post and suggested that I double the dechlro I use due to potential chlorine spikes used by the Toronto Water Works. If it doesn't hurt I'll do it. The cost of the dechlro is negligible vs this heart ache.

Thank you all so much for your advice.