Peppered Cory Acting Weird!

[bmonki]

My male peppered cory is acting very strangely! last night he was just sat on the bottom when i turned the light on and didnt bother moving when i was feeding them, he did move when i put the net near him though so i thought maybe he was just tired... this morning though when i came downstairs and opened the curtains he was on the bottom balancing on his tail vertically (actually leaning slightly upside down) - again he moved when i put the net near him and went over to the females. He seems to just be wallowing on the bottom and floating a bit, with his belly off the gravel (i realise now they should have sand and that is in progress). is this normal cory behaviour? he doesnt seem subdued like this normally.

ammonia and nitrites are both 0.
there are no signs of anything on him.
the tankmates all seem perfectly ok.
wc was done 3 days ago, 80%.
only chemicals used has been prime during wc.

 

[bmonki]

How I keep finding him

Then a few minutes later...

He's doing it every five mins or so

 

[WILDER]

Does he look bloated in the tummy area. As it hard to tell in the pic.
Has his colour gone darker, or pale.
Are his barbles still long.
Any red streaking, or red patches on him.
How the cory breathing.

Cory are very prone to bacterial infections. Can you isolate him and use a bacterial med.

 

[bmonki]

hiya, his tummy doesnt seem bloated at all, colour hasnt changed, barbles look the same as ever although he keeps tucking them under his chin so they are lying flat,there is a very very very pale pink tinge on the bottom of his tail fin but not sure if thats just the light as i didnt notice it earlier. His breathing seems normal, not noticeably heaving for breath.. he's darted to the surface a few times though for a gulp then back down.

nowhere to put him really, i have only one heater and one filter

 

[WILDER]

You will have to check the tail to see if it is pink. You might have to net him to take a closer look.
Pink edging to tail is bacterial finrot.,

 

[bmonki]

having just scooped him out it was just the light making it look pink. its normal colouring next to the daylight. he breathing quite heavily now but not sure if hes just a bit stressed out from being scooped out for a few seconds

eek, he now seems to have an injury on his side fin that sticks out, a very very red spot, almost like blood... could he have injured himself in the net? it definitely wasnt there before

 

[WILDER]

Red blood spots can be septicemia.
Septicemia hard to cure once in advances.

You need to isolate and use antibiotics.

Do you have any bacterial meds at hand.

 

[bmonki]

no, what do i get/how do i use it?

the red bit has faded now... and the pink tinge is back. grr this is so confusing

 

[bmonki]

new pics:

 

[WILDER]

he still needs treating.

Do you have any bacterial meds?

 

[bmonki]

i have nothing apart from prime which im guessing wont help

 

[WILDER]

I would advise that you always have a whitespot med, bacterial med in stock.

There a med called furanol 2 by JBL.
But it wipes the good bacteria out in your filter. So it best that you only use the medication in isolation.,

 

[bmonki]

how long would i need to isolate him for? i have a bucket that i use for water changes, would that work? there wouldnt be either a heater or filter in there though

 

[WILDER]

No. Not if you don't have a heater and airstone.

You can pick small tanks up with equipment for a good price.

He might need isolating for a few weeks.

There a med called anti internal bacteria by interpet. Which you could add to the main tank.
I don't rate the med much.

 

[bmonki]

is there anything i can do in the meantime until i can get a small tank etc?