Floating On His Side Or Upside Down

[sparklefuzz]

My peppered cory seemed lethargic this morning but I wasn't too worried. I just found him floating on his side and I thought he was dead, but then he took off swimming, but not upright.. just all over the place. I have took him out because the other fish were going at him... is he going to die or can something be done?

Tank size: 40g
pH: 6.5
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 100
kH: 1
gH: >6
tank temp: 79

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Just added 'easy balance' yesterday. I posted in beginner questions about my water levels.

Tank inhabitants: 4 angels, 1 gourami, 3 other corys, 1 pleco

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): 4 angels

 

[black angel]

Your nitrates are way too high. How often and how much in water changes?

Also does your ph swing around at all as your kh and gh are pretty low?

 

[sparklefuzz]

I posted about this earlier. I'm stuck what to do.

"I replaced the gravel in my tank with sand about 4 weeks ago and now all the levels have gone haywire.

The ammonia and nitrites are fine.

Nitrates - 100 !! - I put a nitrate removal sponge in my juwel filter, 3 days ago. It was at approx 150.
GH - dropped from >10 to >6 in the last few days
KH - about 2, was at about 3-4.
PH dropped to about 6.5 ish. It is usually about 6.8, which is still low... but the fish been ok.

I bought some tetra 'easy balance' yesterday and dosed the tank, the nitrates have fallen since, to 100 and the KH has increased slightly, only by about 1 though.

I did a 30% water change on saturday before adding the nitrate sponge, but it hardly affected the nitrate levels.

I'm worried because the GH, KH and PH seemed to have dropped in the last week or so, they were fine immediately after the substrate change.

Bit of info, I have a 180l tank which was given to me a year ago by my father, who is now in India, so not available for help! I've performed weekly water tests, and weekly 25% water changes since day one and the levels have always been acceptable. Like I said, the PH was always on the low side. The nitrates have always been around the 50 mark. The day I changed the substrate we also rehomed 4 huge blood parrots."


I don't know how to put it right... could this be the cause of my poorly cory? Is there anything I can do for him?

 

[sparklefuzz]

He is still just floating. He has swam down trying to eat, but ended up floating back up, like he is too full of air or something. He seems to have little blood marks on him, from being nipped by the others while he was floating I expect. I'm not sure what to do about him. I don't have another tank I can put him in, and if I put him back into the community tank he'll get nipped at. Help!

 

[WILDER]

He has a bad bacteria infection with septicemia on top if you are seeing red patches on the fish, once septicemia has progressed there no cure, i would issolate him as the bacteria from the fish releases into the tank.
The only hope is a strong antibiotic in a seperate tank as it will wipe the bacteria colony out in the filter.