Albino Cory Rescue

[This Old Spouse]

I transferred these guys into an established and maintained tank. They're all doing all right, but as stated 2 of them are missing ALL their barbels, and one of these two is pretty lethargic, as you can imagine. The good news is that they all look a lot better since I moved them.

What can I do to help them? They're now on a sand substrate, coming from a sharp gravel bottom, which I think is helping already, but is there anything I can do for them to aid in the regrowth? Or just cross my fingers??

 

[This Old Spouse]

And another strange thing ... I've discovered one of them half-buried in the sand. The first time I thought it was dead because seriously, all I could see was its tail. I just saw this again, but I tapped the glass and it wiggled right out. I don't know if it was the same fish.

Has anyone else seen this behavior? None of my other cories have done this.

 

[Baccus]

Just keep your water clean and the barbels should grow back on their own, my rescued peppered that only had 1 barbel left has now got its full load and it's hard to tell it apart from the rest of them now. As for burrowing into the sand, maybe it just smelt something really good under there, or got so carried away in its enjoyment at being able to snuffle into the substrate it just went a little to far. Do they have any hidey holes? I know mine when at rest like to pile under a couple of pieces of timber that they have in the tank, otherwise they are all over the place snuffling into the sand and inspecting the plants for any food they missed.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'm changing the water every other day, about 50%, until they get their barbels back. The tests have been coming back with 0 ammonia and nitrates and about 20 ppm nitrates, so hopefully it will just take some time.

Here's a photo I just took of a cory acting like an ostrich. I wish I could figure out if it's the same one who keeps doing it. Just a couple of minutes under the sand, then back to snuffling as usual.

 

[Baccus]

Wow it really dove in deep. Maybe try giving it a shaded spot in the tank, but otherwise I suspect its just having some fun in its new environment.

 

[This Old Spouse]

That's what I'm hoping. There don't seem to be any ill effects when it flies out after a few minutes!

While I have your attention, do you have any suggestions for my poor green cory, who survived the tank temp dropping to 58ºF and lots of dead tank mates, and now doesn't want to eat at all? He just stays tucked under the one fake plant I have in the tank, while all the other cories that survived are doing just fine. This is the oldest cory I have (I think) and certainly the biggest. I just don't know what to do for it.

Thanks.

 

[Baccus]

Ummm, that's tricky as I am guessing that the green cory (Brochis splendens) is still with your other cory's and still not showing signs of being a happy chappie. I have 3 emeralds (Brochis splendens) in with my Peppered and although the Emeralds will sometimes shoal with the pack of Peppereds often they prefer to stick to their own little group (I really should get a couple more but the pet shop only gets them occasinally and even then their health is sometimes suspect). So maybe your poor fella is just feeling particularly lonely. Have you tried tempting the green cory with special treats? Such as blood worms, rinsed defrosted brine shrimp, or even dropping a couple of shrimp pellets right in front of him. Even mozzie wrigglers if you can get your hands on some at short notice will usually tempt even the most stubborn fish.

Unless he (I'll say he for ease but it could also be a female) is showing definant signs of illness I wouldn't go stressing it by moving it to a lonely hospital tank, with the added stress of any medications you might add. Although a dose of an all round broad spectrum medicine might help, just in case there is something you can't see going on, but that is more so if you really suspect an illness of some sort.


I have been giving my fish a small weekly dose of crushed garlic (which sends them nuts) this is supposed to be an appetite stimulant and mine sure do go on a food rampage after having it added. But I am only giving them this more as a tonic/ preventative food than for appetite stimulation. So maybe a little fresh crushed garlic will kick start your green guys interest.

 

[This Old Spouse]

He really doesn't seem ill in any way except for the lack of appetite, and who knows if he's eating at night. This evening he made an appearance in the front of the tank which was great! I had earlier put some crushed shelled peas in to try to coax him out, and maybe help a bit with the albinos, so maybe it stimulated him a bit. I'll try the garlic tomorrow. And btw, he's one of 6 green cories in there. When I first took up fish keeping last summer, I was a big noob and didn't know a thing, and didn't think it was all so involved, so I bought a bunch of fish not knowing any better. In that group I had gotten the one green cory and two peppered cories. I've learned tons since then, and now have an additional 5 greens and 6 longfin peppers. Many of my fish died while I was out of town and the breaker tripped for my tank heaters. Still trying to nurse those cories back to health, and the big green is the last one from that bunch that hasn't made a full recovery. I won't move him anywhere as I don't think he needs another ounce of stress. If he dies, then so be it, but it will be in the cory tank with all his buddies.

Thanks for your wealth of info!