Worried About Corydoras Sterbai

[Chri$]

I recently added 8 sterbai corys to my 200l.

2 died within 48 hrs of been introduced to the tank from what looked like a swim bladder problem or some sort of internal infection.

Now another one has been sat on the substrate barley moving for the last few hours, just checked again and it looks like a white fungus type is forming above his barbells.

Water stats are as follows:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 8
pH 6.9
Temp 26

30% water change just done.

Is there anything i can do to stop this problem spreading and save the cory?

Thanks for your help

Chris

 

[*Fishkies*]

Do you see any red under their front fins? In the stomach area?

What substrate do you have?
What other fish are in the tank?

How did you introduce them into the tank?

 

[Chri$]

The cory has now died. On closer inspection the area behind his gills and under his front fins looked red.

The substrate is a very fine gravel. This was new in around a month ago.

Other occupants are 6 x harlequin rasboras and 1 x pearl gouramis. They were introduced to the tank via the drip method, let bag float for 20 mins, then add a little tank water every 10 minutes for a couple of hours, then allow the corys to swim into the tank.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Chri$,

It sounds like you purchased fish that were sick to begin with, and adding any aquarium water from the lfs was not a good idea. It's always a good idea to net the fish out of the bag and dispose of the water elsewhere to avoid adding bacteria from the lfs to your tank.

The conditions the fish must endure while being transported across the world, are often terrible. It's up to you to inspect them all carefully before buying them. Never buy from a tank with sick fish in it even if the ones you want appear sound.

 

[Chri$]

Thank You for the advice Inchworm.

I will ensure i inspect the fish much more carefully before purchasing next time.

I still have 5 corys who appear fine at the moment, is there anything i can do to stop the infection spreading or are they likely to already have it from the LFS?

 

[Inchworm]

Thank You for the advice Inchworm.

I will ensure i inspect the fish much more carefully before purchasing next time.

I still have 5 corys who appear fine at the moment, is there anything i can do to stop the infection spreading or are they likely to already have it from the LFS?

Hi Chri$

Fish can be exposed to potential harmful bacteria, yet if their resistances are strong and they are otherwise healthy, they won't necessarily become ill from it. It's like it is with us when we are around someone who has a cold. Out of any batch of fish, some will be weaker and others stronger. Some might even be older than others. With luck, the remaining 5 corys will be OK.

To be on the safe side, you might want to do an extra bottom vacuuming and water change. Harmful bacteria are most likely to thrive if there is uneaten food in the tank, low oxygen levels, elevated nitrate or nitrite levels, or temperatures above 75 degrees F. Since these are C. sterbai, I would suspect your tank is that warm or warmer, so please keep an eye on the other conditions.

Good luck with them. C. sterbai are among the most beautiful of corys.

 

[Chri$]

Thank You again for your advice Inchworm.

I will do a couple of extra water changes and gravel vaccums over the next few weeks, the current tank tempurature is 78 F and i will keep a close eye on nitrie,nitrate and oxygen levels as you suggested.

 

[Little-Fizz]

I am having that same kind of problem. I just bought 5 corys and 4 of then are going nuts being active and happy. But one is very pale and just sits there... I think he is going to die but he might pull through? My swordtails are nipping at him Greedy jerks... Anyone have any advise to reduce stress for him? I have lots of plants and a car he could go into to hide out for a while... But he just sits in the open