Corie Double In Size!

[jaimeg]

Hi,

First, let me say I am a casual tank-keeper at best. I do my best to keep my 8-year-old son's tank up and running and happy, but I am very limited in my knowledge, etc. I have found much help here in the past, so I'm going to give it a shot...

Tank size: 10 gallon (established for over 3 years with isolated problems here and there)
pH: ?
ammonia: ?
nitrite: ?
nitrate: ?
kH: ?
gH: ?
tank temp: 78 degrees or so

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): We have two cories that are original to our tank (so they are about 3 years old). They both spend almost all their time in our cave...I see them out roaming pretty much only at night. So symptoms are hard to address...he is always just laying around in the cave..and has for three years! Tonight I saw him out of the cave and he is about double his normal size...mostly in the belly area. So I have no idea how long he's been like that...just noticed tonight. I would say last week was the last time I saw him out of the cave and he was fine at that time. Otherwise looks about the same. Laying on the bottom as usual. I saw him take a piece of food that fell near him, so he must be eating. I tried to see if the had that "pine cone" look that I've read about before, but not really...but I didn't know if that happens with catfish or not?? It just looks like a big swollen belly.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: I do a 25% water change every few weeks. Last week, I added more water, but didn't change.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: When I added water last week, I used a "Tank Buddies" water conditioning drop-in tablet. I think I have only used those tablets one or two times...I usually use regular water conditioner, but I was out.

Tank inhabitants: 1 other cory (also three years old), 7 tiny neon tetras... added about 1-2 months ago

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): just tetras over a month ago. All 7 lived when I added them, which was unexpected!

Exposure to chemicals: just "tank buddy" tablet last week



The only other recent difference is that our heater appears to be on the fritz (or messed with by visiting kids)...we lost all of our old tetras about 2 months ago when I came in to find our tank at 85+ degrees (highest on our stick on thermometer). I think we had 4 that died. The cories made it through this, but one of them just barely (he floated upside down for about 2 days before making a seemingly full recover - this is not the cory that is now bloated up). I got the temperature regulated and then found it at 72 degrees a few weeks ago...and have tried to mess with the heater to regulate it...it seems to have stayed around 78 degrees for the last couple of weeks so I was thinking we had fixed that problem.

Any thoughts? This is my first-ever experience with a fish that looks like this!


Thanks in advance. BTW, I don't have a hospital tank to move it to...

 

[TigerIssey]

You won't get pine coning on a cory, they are armoured catfish so they do not have scales. You are probably looking at dropsy, a symptom of poor water quality. Can you get some water test kits or take a water sample to an lfs to be tested for you. Corries will not have liked the increased temperature either, this probably severely stressed them leaving them more susceptible to disease.

Wilder should be about sometime later, it is middle of night in UK at moment, most people are in bed. It will depend on your location as to what medicine he will recommend, she is very good at this. Would be good if you could get the water stats for later, she will be able to help better with them.

 

[jaimeg]

Should I be doing anything? I have to work all day tomorrow, but I could put him in a bowl of tank water for the day to get him out of the main tank if it is dropsy. Is dropsy catchy for the other fish? I know the temp thing probably messed with them...like I said, I was surprised the one cory lived at all after floating upside down for two days. I'll try to test what I have at home in the morning before work and post. Thanks and I'll try to get more info (I have testing strips, but I lost the instructions months ago!)

 

[TigerIssey]

A water change in the interim would be a good idea, I would not like to tell you to medicate with anything as using the wrong treatment will mean removing it with carbon and there is a mimimum period between changing meds. If you are worried do the water change 25% for now get a sample of water from what you take out so that you can test it later or at lfs and wait on a reply from wilder for which meds to use.

 

[WILDER]

Dropsy can pass onto other fish if they peck at the dead body.
take a sample of your water to the lfs and ask them to write the readings down for you.
I wouldn't put him in a bowl with no heater or airstone, just put him in a container at the top of the tank.
What do you feed your fish.
Any red streaking on the body or fins.
Is the corys laying to oneside.
How many fish are in the 10 gallon now.
How often do you maintain the tank.

 

[jaimeg]

Ok - I'm adding to this original post. I am shocked that the cory is still alive and still huge. He is eating just fine and moving around. (I'm sort of worried because the second cory hasn't come out of the cave in a long time and I haven's seen him eat, but he is not bloated at all). Anyway, the swollen cory now has clear cyst looking things around it's dorsal fin. Like little bubbles. There are maybe 3 or 4. Any ideas?

Here is some added info from the last post. The other fish in the tank are 6 neon tetra and one cory. The neons are just fine - I thought they would be very sensitive if anything is going on with the water. I only change 25% of the water every few weeks and add new (treated) water as needed in between water changes.

 

[TigerIssey]

Is there a red rim around the "bubbles" any cotton wool like stuff??
If you have not got a test kit, can you take a water sample to lfs and ask them to write the figures down for you?
This still may help us.

Can you answer questions in Wilders post, if she is not around again today, she should be about tommorrow.

 

[WILDER]

It could anything really from lymthocystis to parasites, or to much aeration.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[Spishkey]

is the bloated bit underneath the bottom of the fish, like a large see through half bubble? or is it the actual whole fish that is bloated up?