cory fry floating

[corylover5]

I have a 10 gallon tank with cory fry. The corydoras are about 2 months old. There is a sponge filter in the tank. The cories eat Fluval bug bites, hikari first bites, and tetra shrimp wafers. I have Java moss, duckweed, Hornwort, and Marimo moss balls in the tank. Yesterday, I noticed 1 cory fry struggling to swim and he kept floating to the top. I do daily 60-75% water changes. I'm not sure how to help him. He seems to be really struggling not to float.

 

[Derekshatch]

I have seen mine which are about 2 months old sometimes swim around at the top I dont know if they are trying to swim down or what but I think that they are just trying to get air from the surface. Could there be too much current which makes it hard for them to reach the surface?

 

[FishGuest5123]

They need surface air. Possibly lower the water?

 

[corylover5]

I lowered the water 4 inches and they have a small sponge filter. There isn't much current in the tank at all. All the other fry are active and healthy. The floating fry just floats upside down very still at the top of the tank. He stays upside down in the same spot for about 3 to 5 minutes and then tries to right himself and swim back down. He gets about halfway down before floating back upside down again.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I didn’t realize he was upside down. I had a panda do the exact same thing. I moved him to a QT tank and treated for swim bladder and fasted him. Sadly, he didn’t make it.

 

[corylover5]

I'm not sure how I should treat him. I really don't want to loose him.

 

[Colin_T]

Don't feed them dry food for a few days and see if it helps.

The fish could be having problems working out how much air to ingest to keep itself buoyant and might be taking in too much. It should settle down as the fish gets older, assuming this is the problem.

 

[corylover5]

Thank you. Is it ok to feed them tetra shrimp wafers, fluval bug bites, or Hikari First bites if I soak them in water first?

 

[Retired Viking]

Thank you. Is it ok to feed them tetra shrimp wafers, fluval bug bites, or Hikari First bites if I soak them in water first?

I had a similar problem with my new neon tetra, they are young and small and several started swimming horizontally after feeding them dry flakes, I stopped feeding them for a couple of days and they recovered. Now I am soaking the flakes in a small cup and then pouring it into the tank and so far I have had no issues.

 

[corylover5]

I'm really worried about him. He's been upside down at the top of my tank almost all day and he is starting to breathe really slowly and turn pale. I don't think he will make it through the night

 

[corylover5]

He is still alive this morning but he is still floating upside down and trying to right himself. Is there anything I could do to help him? I hate to watch him suffer.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I don't know, I'm really sorry
I'd follow Colin's advice and not feed him for a few days in case he's swallowed too much air. Take some comfort in the fact that if it's a swim bladder problem, those can heal on their own over the course of a few days - weeks. Have seen a black mollie whose swim bladder was so badly affected she was vertical, her head at the top, tail straight down. But she healed up on her own without treatment, and got straighter after a few days, then back to normal in weeks. I hope it's the same for your little guy, but also remember that sadly in nature, not all will make it, and sometimes there's nothing you can do. I hope you can help him, but it's beyond my experience I'm afraid. Hopefully @Colin_T or @NCaquatics can offer further advice?

Sending cyber hugs to you if wanted @corylover5, I know it's hard

 

[corylover5]

Thank you

 

[FishGuest5123]

When my panda had it, I QT with low water level and treated with Kanamycin and Furan-2z. Also did epsom salt baths 3 times a day. Sadly, it didn’t work. I guess I’m telling you so you can scratch that treatment off of your list. I’m so sorry.

 

[corylover5]

I'm sorry you lost your panda cory.