First A Guppy And Now A Cory - What Is The Problem?

[CezzaXV]

Hey all,

I dont seem to be having much luck with fishkeeping recently.

On Monday I had one of my guppies die. When I came home from work I noticed him floating around the tank, unable to keep himself the right way up. I put him in a quarantine tank with some King British Disease Clear (it was all I had and I was sure he was gonna die anyway so it couldnt make him worse). An hour or two later he was dead.

Now I've noticed a cory hanging around at the back, seemingly finding it difficult to keep himself the right way up and breathing heavily (not gasping for air, but his gills seem to be moving an awful lot). There were no other visible signs on the guppy, nor are there on this cory.

Ideas/course of action?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Most likely your water conditions are poor. Do you have a liquid test kit? If so what are the readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

 

[Fishy friend2]

Judging from your description of them not being able to keep the right side up, I think it might be SBD or Swim Bladder Disease. So try fasting for a couple of days and feed some deshelled peas. And did your fish look bloated at all?

 

[CezzaXV]

They didn't appear bloated, or at least I didn't notice if they were. As it happens, the cory still appears to be alive and the right way up for the moment. He's not doing much, just hiding at the back amongst the plants, but alive.

I tested when I put the guppy in quarantine and got 0ppm nitrite, 40ppm nitrate and pH of 6.6. Couldn't test for ammonia as I was waiting for a new test kit to arrive at the time. Been behind with my water changes this week due to the holidays so did a extra large 30L water change (over 50%) about an hour ago, so it's pointless testing anything right now. I do know that my tap water has triple zeroes.

 

[CezzaXV]

Update:

Did a water test and wasn't completely convinced that the ammonia was 0 and the nitrate was a bit high (40-80ppm), so did a 40L water change on top of the 30L I did earlier. While I was at it I did a test of the dechlorinated water I was adding and the nitrate was 10-20ppm (the last time I tested my tap water a few months ago it was 0).

 

[HayzH]

ive lost 5 panda cory's like this...they just can't stay upright..then they just die....strange.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Elevated Ammonia levels in the water can cause this type of disorientation in fish rather than the more obvious cause of swim bladder problems, which is why I asked for test readings. Also you can't discount the possibility of the pipes having been flushed out and the levels of chloramine etc. being far higher than normal. The high nitrate shouldn't be the cause unless it has risen to high levels in a short time. You do, of course, want to get it below 40ppm if you can though.

If it is ammonia causing the problem it should be fairly easy to prove. Just dose with dechlorinator (assuming yours detoxifies ammonia) for the whole tank volume and if that is the problem the fish should show improvement rapidly. Be sure you have good aeration if you try this.

The fact that two different species are showing similar problems makes me think it isn't swim bladder problems, or at least if it is that the effect is secondary to the actual cause. It may be that you have inadvertently added a toxin to the tank.