Why does my Cory catfish look like this?

[RainGamma]

He doesn’t have any barbels and he is really small he has been like this for a long time I’m not sure if he is eating.

 

[Colin_T]

need a better picture

 

[CryptFan]

Has he ever been kept on gravel? Full tank stocking? Tank size? Tank parameters and conditions? What food?

 

[RainGamma]

Has he ever been kept on gravel? Full tank stocking? Tank size? Tank parameters and conditions? What food?

No only on sand, tank size is 20 gallon, the parameters are fine. I feed my Cory catfish sinking carnivore pellets

 

[PheonixKingZ]

How many other Cory’s do you have?

A 20g tank is to small for a small shoal or Cory cats. Unless it is a 20g long.

What exactly are your water parameters?

 

[RainGamma]

How many other Cory’s do you have?

A 20g tank is to small for a small shoal or Cory cats. Unless it is a 20g long.

What exactly are your water parameters?

It’s a 20 long, let me check

 

[RainGamma]

How many other Cory’s do you have?

A 20g tank is to small for a small shoal or Cory cats. Unless it is a 20g long.

What exactly are your water parameters?

I have 5 Corys in there
Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 7
Kh: 80
Gh 180

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Your nitrate should be lower, under 15ppm. Unless you are trying to breed them, then it should be at 20-25ppm.

Are there any other fish in the tank, along with the Cory’s?

 

[Barry Tetra]

I have 5 Corys in there
Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 7
Kh: 80
Gh 180

Your nitrate is too high, do a 80% water change everyday until the nitrate is less than 15ppm.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Your nitrate is too high, do a 80% water change everyday until the nitrate is less than 15ppm.

I agree, pretty much what I said. Great minds think alike!

 

[Byron]

There are two possibilities here.

One is a rough substrate, even if it is "sand." None of us can possibly tell from a photo (any photo except a magnified one of a single grain, perhaps) that the sand is or is not too rough. If this is aquarium river sand, it should be smooth. If it is any form of industrial sand including construction sand and pool filter sand, it will likely be too rough. The so-called plant substrates like Flourite and Eco-Complete are too rough, I have had this myself. A rough substrate alone can wear down barbels on Corydoras fish, sometimes only one or two fish, sometimes all of them.

Second possibility is bacteria. Nitrate at 40 ppm is serious to these fish, and could suggest bacterial issues in the substrate. Sometimes this alone is the issue, sometimes it can be combined with the substrate material problem.

 

[RainGamma]

There are two possibilities here.

One is a rough substrate, even if it is "sand." None of us can possibly tell from a photo (any photo except a magnified one of a single grain, perhaps) that the sand is or is not too rough. If this is aquarium river sand, it should be smooth. If it is any form of industrial sand including construction sand and pool filter sand, it will likely be too rough. The so-called plant substrates like Flourite and Eco-Complete are too rough, I have had this myself. A rough substrate alone can wear down barbels on Corydoras fish, sometimes only one or two fish, sometimes all of them.

Second possibility is bacteria. Nitrate at 40 ppm is serious to these fish, and could suggest bacterial issues in the substrate. Sometimes this alone is the issue, sometimes it can be combined with the substrate material problem.

I'm pretty sure I read it wrong, it looked like 20 but I will do 80% water change for 3 days then check

 

[JuiceBox52]

I didnt see your ammonia levels up there?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I didnt see your ammonia levels up there?

I agree, what are your ammonia readings? They should be at 0ppm.

 

[RainGamma]

Update: He died : (
I found him pale and no movement, my other Cory’s are fine and active and I checked my water. I’m pretty sure I got him like this at pet smart. I tried and tried to make him eat but he wouldn’t..