Cory advice please

[bigfish]

hi

After a massive problem in one of my tanks a 60 litre hexangle with pea gravel, two turned flowerpots, 2 amazon swords and 1 cambomba plant which i have now sorted out and been fine.
It is now home to 4 white cloud mountain minnows, 2 young platies (1 sunset and 1 black hybrid) and i bought 1 small bronze cory a juvinile i would say as he is only this big ------------ but very cute.

when i first put him in the tank he was very active scooting here and there looking for food and then gorged on the algae wafer i stuck in last night, i know i made the mistake of just getting the one but he was in a tank by himself and with 3 plecs that were 12" each and i rescued him because i thought he would end up being tea!!!!

This morning he's not doing anything of such, sulking in a flowerpot or in the middle of my amazon sword plant.

So i checked all water chemistry for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph etc and it's all as follows


Ammonia - zero
Nitrite - zero
Nitrate - 5mg/litre
Ph - 7.6
Oxygen - 5mg to 8mg

Is he just lonely? or could he be stressed from the two different tanks?

I decided to add him some mates another bronze, albino and pepper to bring him out of his shell abit.

Any other suggestions of what is wrong with him?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi bigfish!

You are probably right about you cory being both stressed from the move and lonely, too. Cory cats usually do best in a small group. I'll bet that as soon as you get him some companions he will perk right up and they will all be swimming in circles arount the tank.

You are a very kind hearted person to have bought him because he was alone with the plecos. The fish is very lucky, also, because even if someone else had bought him they might not have known that he would be unhappy as the only cory in their tank.

 

[bigfish]

Thanks inchworm, it seems strange that he was fine in their tanks even though he could of been living in fear in that he could of been dinner at any time!!!!! he is very young though which is nice becoz i can see him grow up, but his mates that i have bought are all the same size as him so he should fit in nicely i hope!!!

Everyone else the minnows and platies are fine but they haven't eaten their flakes today but that could be because its all new from them surroundings etc.

Well fingers crossed that he be ok, i have just released the new additions into the tank where he is, he came out of flowerpot after some persuation with me coaxing him out.

What do they like to eat? i tried algae discs that were design for plec's but arent really interested in it so i keep em for the Goldfish they love them!!!!

 

[Inchworm]

Corys are usually easy to please when it comes to food, bigfish.

Besides eating the leftovers from whatever you give the other fish they are especially fond of live blackworms and tubiflex worms. They will eat the dried ones, too, if any get down to them.

Try dropping in the algae wafer just before lights out. Corys are active during the night and might prefer to eat it then.

 

[bigfish]

Inchworm just checked on my new additions plus Billy the shy guy cory, and he is still in the flowerpot but a different one (this one is partially shaded) the other 3 have decided to play follow the leader in 50p style........lol

I'm hoping that he will overcome his shyness. His top dorsal fin is down, is this a sign of disease? as he was very active in the shop as well as in my tank yesterday,

Maybe i'm stressing far too much over him but he is sooo cute that i don't want Billy to die.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi bigfish,

How's Billy doing today? Since corys are usually pretty active at night, I hope that they all had a chance to get together and make friends last night.

 

[bigfish]

Hi Inchworm

I checked on him this morning he still not well, his top fin is down and his dorsal and adipose fin are pink in colour!!! Is this normal inchworm?

How ever he has perked up abit (not sulking in flowerpots) and started to scoot around the bottom searching for food and took up the offer of joining his mates for tea and to kick the sinking pellet around the tank......lol

But i'm worried about his pink little fins, bacterial infection you think? all water chemistry is still the same so could stress have causd it?

 

[sandyd]

Hi bigfish, glad to hear that you saved that little guy. I have many corys now, as my eggs hatched, and i feed all of mine brine shrimp pelletts, as well as the other foods stuggested. I am not sure what may be affecting it and making it pink, usually it is water conditions, as they are sensative to changes. Adlest mine are. I hope all is well with your little guy today and good luck. Sorry i could not be of more help. I just wanted to add that all of my corys hide under my plants, and as soon as i turn off that light, they swim like mad. Very fun to watch.
Sandy

 

[bigfish]

Hi sandy

I noticed that too, my little guy was shy all day yesterday hiding in a flowerpot but as soon as the light went out he was out and looking for munchies!.....lol

He still not well, strange how his fins have gone pink, like steaky with blood i would say so i have added treatment and going to do a water change even though the tests didn't pull any probs. hmmmm ammonia and nitrite were zero.

I have 10 cories all together, i like it when they roll there eyes at you when they think your not looking that is.....lol

 

[Inchworm]

Hi bigfish,

When you described Billy's fins as being pink I went in and looked at my young bronze corys. Their fins are a rosy shade, too. Actually the young ones have so many colors that it seems like they constantly change according to the way the light hits them.

But when you said they appeared blood streaked I immediately thought injury. It could be from the big plecos or perhaps from when he was netted to get him out of the tank. Has he been this way since you brought him home or has this developed since that time?

If it's an injury it will probably heal by itself. I injured a goldfish like that and it healed with no problem. I am glad to hear that he's eating and getting along with the other corys. That's a very good sign.

 

[FanOFish]

Is sulking a normal cory behavior? I added three small cory to my tank today and so far they have just sat there. One has swam about but the other two have barely moved.

I guess it is the stress of moving but I hope they are ok...they really have moved to a better home

 

[Inchworm]

Hi FanOFish,

Assuming that the bottom of your tank is clean and your chemicals are ok, your little corys are probably just adjusting to their new environment. They often have quiet periods and are usually most active at night. Don't get alarmed about their shyness too quickly.

If your tank is very bright, the lights may bother them, too. To make them comfortable it's a good idea to have low growing plants or some type of cave for them to retire to. They will thank you for it.

 

[bigfish]

Yep sure enough they like their flowerpots to rest in when i opened my bedroom curtains they were all snuggled up together in 1 flowerpot even though there is 2 choose from.

Billy is doing well, he i swims round the tank like normal and his fins are all erect but still a rosey colour, loves it when bigfish comes by the tank he swims up to greet me!! i guess he's saying thanks for rescuing him, blimey those plec's were big!!!!! He' met up with the other bronze cory which i have called BOB but i might have to change it to BOBBY coz i think he has fallen in love the two spend loads of time together and snuggle up in the flowerpot so i guess he stayed the night............lol

The pepper cory i have called MILLY and the albino DILLY.


I'm soooo in with my new little friends can't you tell........lol

 

[Inchworm]

Oh bigfish, I'm happy that Billy is doing so well. He will always be special to you.

A fish with a story is a wonderful thing. I'm glad this "fish tale" has a happy ending!

 

[sandyd]

Hi Bigfish, glad to hear your little guy is doing better. I was wondering in your post, you mentioned ammonia and nitrItes are 0, did you test your nitrAtes? This is my most popular test kit that i have. Since all of my tanks are cycled, i first check nitrates before anything else, as that is usually what it is. I try to keep mine under 20, but it does not always work, and when it goes above 20 that is when i notice that my corys get a bit pink. Its them telling me "hey woman clean our tank". Isnt it a scare to think of what they might really be telling us. LOL
Sandy