Strange Behaviour

[Flute]

Hello all, I've posted this over in the cory section but haven't had a reply as of yet. It's increasingly bothering and worrying me now, so I thought I'd post over here too.

I currently have a group of 8 various corys (4 peppered, 2 of which are quite elderly at 5+ years old, 3 bronze, two of which are fully grown albinos, and 1 adolfoi; the reason there is only one is that I can't find them anywhere). They are all very active and eat very enthusiastically. They're in a 202 ltr tank with very fine substrate which they love to bury around in. I was considering adding a few more bronze and peppered in a couple of weeks. I wont be now until I sort this out.

My problem is that we've noticed some really odd behaviour in the past couple of days. Mainly it's only the peppered corys that do this, but they'll stop swimming and just float upwards. They are completely motionless and look dead. Then they spring back to life and carry on as normal. I've also noticed (especially on the older peppered corys) that there is a white "fluffy" type stuff on their fins. It doesn't effect anywhere else on their body. No other fish in the tank are effected. On looking closer it actually is more like very fine, short white strands; I drew on a pic of a cory to demonstrate what it looks like (hope you can actually see the strands ) link

Stats are:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
(Haven't tested for Nitrate yet)
pH: 6.4
Temp: 25

Tank mates: 9 female betta, 2 pearl gourami, 1 guppy, 4 dwarf cichlids + plus corys.

New additions: 4 dwarf cichilds- 2 Apistogrammoides pucallpaensis (1m 1f) and 2 Laetacara araguaiae (1m 1f). These guys came from a very reputable breeder and show none of the above symptoms either. I saw all the fish in their tanks before purchasing and there were no diseased or dying fish so I'm pretty confident that what ever this is hasn't come in from them. This behaviour has been going on for a little longer than when the cichlids where introduced anyway, although I didn't notice the strands until yesterday D:

I change about 30-40% water weekly give or take a day or so.

No medications have been used in the tank.

Tank is heavily planted with bogwood, slate and stones (nothing sharp).

If anyone could shed some light on this I would be very grateful, as I'm especially concerned about the white strand stuff.

Cheers!

:EDIT: Had another close look and the white stuff is only on the four largest cory's- the two elderly peppered and the 2 albino. The others are babys, and the adolfoi is not effected either.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
Do the corys look bloated.
Do they struggle to keep balance in the water.
Any red streaking on there bodies.

If the cotton strands of the fins, plenty of water changes.
If you have some pimafix add that to the tank.

 

[Flute]

The corys don't look bloated.
The peppered cory's struggle with their balance and tip upwarrds and sometimes over on to their backs. Both the older and younger peppered do it. Albino's, bronze and adolfoi do not.
No red streaks on their bodies.

Cotton strands are indeed on their fins, don't seem to effect their bodies on a whole.
Will up the water changes then, don't think I have pimafix but I'll order some of that now.

Thanks so much for the great advice as always Wilder- I was starting to worry. Never seen this before so I have no clue as to what it could be.

 

[WILDER]

It sounds like a swim bladder problem to me.
Feed some peas.
Think about adding a bacterial med.

Swim bladder can be caused by to many dried foods, bad water quality, birth defect, injury, parasites, bacterial.

 

[Flute]

Would swim bladder cause the weird strands on their fins?

I'll get some peas into them in a minute then :3 I do have a bacterial medication that I could add- it's half dose for corydora, isn't it? Will it be all right to add it to the community tank? I guess it would also sort anything out with the other fish in case it has passed on, although no symptoms are showing.

My water quality has been fine, so I don't think it could be that. I was wondering if it could have anything to do with the substrate? They're the only fish that actively swim on the sand, and none of the other fish are affected by this. I gravel vac every time I do a water change. I'll also start feeding more veg bases foods to them in case it could be dried foods.

Cheers

 

[WILDER]

The cotton strands could be a secondary infection.

I would add some myxazin by waterlife or anti internal bacteria med by interpet.

 

[Flute]

Ok cheers Wilder. I think have both of those so I'll choose one to treat with.

Thanks again- you've put my mind to ease that this isn't going to decimate my tank and that it is treatable.

 

[WILDER]

Let me know how you get on if you don't mind.

 

[Flute]

Quick update for you Wilder

Things seem to be improving. The cotton strands are disappearing on the least affected cory, (the albino and baby peppered), and seems to be improving on the worst effected peppered. Swim bladder also seems to be a bit better- they're not totally tipping over onto their backs any more. I've stopped feeding them dried foods for the moment and they're just getting blanched veg.

Tomorrow is the 4th day of treatment. So I'm going to do a water change and then re-treat the tank again until everything seems to clear up :3

As always, thank you for the fantastic advice I really appreciate it ^^

 

[WILDER]

Thanks for the update.
Glad there signs of improvement.
Carry on with the med.
Good Luck.

 

[Flute]

Came home to find a dead baby peppered cory. It really surprised me as everything seemed to be improving. Perhaps, being so young, it couldn't handle the strain on it's system? It's swimming was pretty bad, so I think it was one of the worst effected fish. Still no other fish other than the cory's being effected, which makes me hopeful. Elderly peppered seem to have improved a little more again today.

Have done water change and re-administrated meds.

Cheers

 

[WILDER]

Bless him.
R.I.P.
Good luck with the rest of them.

 

[fluffycabbage]

aww poor little baby cory RIP

hope things continue to improve

 

[Flute]

Cheers guys I hate loosing fish- I always feel so guilty They're such fantastic little fish too.

I hope I manage to sort things out for the rest of them- watching the tank now, their balance seems better again

Thanks again guys.

 

[WILDER]

That's the down side of the hobby. It's not nice.