Peppered Cory Can't Stop Floating?

[MJG]

Hi, I have this one cory who can't stop floating and I swear he's been like this for over a month.
 
He can swim to somewhere in the tank but once he stops swimming he floats away like a balloon.
 
He hangs about at the top mainly gulping and bubbling for air like he's trying to sort his swim bladder out but it never works. He waits and lap around in the flow at the top until getting blow half way back down the tank by a wavemaker and he can almost chill till he gets to the other side and float back up to the top.
 
I assume this is because he is so massive, few years old now. I have 8 other corys and they all swim about fine, one of them is basically just as big as the floating one.
 
I know you are suppose to feed them peas when bloated but doubt i'll be able to get this cory to go after a bit of a pea.
 
Any suggestions to help sort this?
 
I reckon the fish will eventually die and give up sadly.

 

[NickAu]

Hi
 
What Others Need to Know to Help You
 
When posting a request for help can you please include the following info

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
3. How often you do water changes and how much.
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.
5. What tank mates are in the tank.
6. Tank size.
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

You may cut and paste the template below and submit in your post:

Request Help

Tank size:
pH:
ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:
kH:
gH:
tank temp:

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Tank inhabitants:

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals:

Digital photo (include if possible):

 

[Far_King]

Your cory has probably picked something up that's caused a swim bladder infection and that's why he's floating.
 
The same happened to one of mine.  I isolated him and put him into my hospital tank.  Lights off to reduce any stress and medicated with some paraguard for next five days.  I figured that would give him the best chance as I had no idea what he'd picked up that caused the infection so I had to use a broad spectrum medication.
 
Now, although he lost some of his tail due to it, he's recovered well.  It took a good couple of weeks for him to shift the problem and stop floating.  At the time he wasn't eating either so no matter how many peas I'd have put in he'd have ignored them.

 

[Akasha72]

I would agree with Far_King, this sounds like swim bladder disease. It would be good to have the answers to Nick's query though as well just in case there's something we're missing. 
 
I would look for a medication that deals specifically with swim bladder disease and if you are able to move he/she to a hospital tank as Far_King also suggested this would be a good idea.
 
In addition to a specific treatment I would get some epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), add a tablespoon to half a litre of tap water and mix well until the salt dissolves. Add some of your food to your net and dunk it into the salt water a few times then feed the food to the poorly fish. Epsom Salt acts as a laxative and so feeding food that's been soaked in epsom salt will help to push through any excess bacteria in the fishes guts.

 

[MJG]

Tank size: 36x15x15 - 130Liter
pH: low as I have wood and plants? Got no test kits.
ammonia: N/a
nitrite:n/a
nitrate:n/a
kH:N/a
gH:N/a
tank temp: anywhere from 24/26c

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Cory catfish cannot stop floating. Showing no signs of sores from floating at the top and doesn't look unwell at all. He can still swim to where he wants but just floats when he stops.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 40/50% water change weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: I use Stress coat when adding the water and occasionally add a drop of plant ferts like every third water change 

Tank inhabitants: 9 cory catfish, 4 rainbow fish, 3 rummy nose tetras, 2 hillstream loaches and one weather loach.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Havent added anything to the for at least 6months, other than throwing some anubias in from out my 5ft Juwel bow tank but alot of the the plants came out there from the start so doubt it could be that? my other tank always fine.

Exposure to chemicals: ? I answered about the ones I add

Digital photo: You can see the cory in the top left of the pics floating

Also the filtration is a 2000lph canister filter with nothing but biomedia bags and a layer of white poly fiber on each layer adds about 30l to the tank.
 
Then I also have a 2000lph wavemaker in there to keep the surface and all the plants moving 

 

[Far_King]

You ideally need to get yourself a test kit and you should know what your PH is.  Assuming because you have plants or wood in that tank that you have a low PH is not accurate.
 
It looks to me like you have Red Rainbow fish in there as well as one Boesmani.  This size tank is not suitable for their needs as the Reds can attain a size of six inches and they are all active fish.
 
Stocking issues aside, and considering your ailing catfish, you need to test for the levels in the tank as it could be an ammonia spike that has caused the illness.  Without knowing your water parameters it's very difficult to advise or for you to know yourself how your tank and water are performing.

I would suggest a liquid test kit rather than strips.  They are worth every penny and are good fun to use.
 
Just because your catfish doesn't look unwell doesn't mean he isn't.  A lot of disease doesn't necessarily manifest itself outwardly.  We're seeing issues with his swim bladder - that means an infection.  An infection means there could be serious issues with the water quality.  

 

[MJG]

I appreciate the advise on a ph kit for water parameters but I can tell the water is fine by seeing its crystal clear, green algae growing everywhere, fish always try mating and I have like 25% of my tanks volume in bio media in a canister filter so I know the water is good.
 
I know that the tank is a bit small for the rainbows but I had to move them in away from my cichlid in 100gal. How do you find my temps? Not too cold? 
 
So it's definitely an infection? He's not just floating because he's so large. Its the same thing that happens to weather loaches and fancy goldfish when they get too big? Or at least that's what I thought I read somewhere before...
 
I think it's a bit weird to have like 20 fish in a tank and because only one has a problem say it's due to the water quality?  

 

[Akasha72]

I can assure you you can not possibly tell that the water is 'fine' just by looking at it. I've seen many tanks over the years that are crystal clear and with algae growth that also had readings for ammonia and/or nitrite - my own included at one point. Sick fish are the first sign something is wrong and 99% of the time it's the water parameters that are out.
 
The reason you are being asked about pH is cories are soft water fish. They are also especially sensitive to poor water conditions and this can just be that the water is too hard for them. We are not asking for this information to bash you with it, we're asking so we can help you, give you accurate information and support to get things right.
If you won't try to provide this information then we can't help 

 
Sorry to be so blunt 

 

[MJG]

I could get a ph kit if that would heal the cory but I don't see it helping me because the water isn't affecting any other fish so I dont not want to mess with the tank water. I've had these cory's like 2/3 years in the same set up.
 
Just wanted tips on treating a fish with swim bladder problems? 
 
So this isnt down to the fish being a stubby overly large cory?
 
I thought because these types of fish have round, short bodies their organs to become compressed. So that the fish's internal organs will press against the swim bladder and make it difficult for it to function properly. That's what happens with fancy goldfish, is this not the case with cory's too?

 

[Akasha72]

female peppered cories are very fat and big. The males are slim and small. If yours is big and fat it's likely a female.
 
If you just want to treat the swim bladder issue then look for a medicine that deals with this. The best U,K based meds are by Esha, Waterlife and TAP Aquarium Doctor. Have a look online to see which do a medicine for swim bladder disease and follow the instructions to the letter.