Copper cory cat not thriving

[SNorlin]

Hi all, I've had this cory catfish for almost 3 weeks and it just isn't thriving. It is smaller than its siblings and it looks really thin. It also isn't moving around too much. It is also really timid. It's been like this from the beginning. I had moved it to a quarantine tank for a few weeks, but it doesn't seem to be getting worse, or putting on any weight. Any suggestions?
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - never above 20
In a 29 gallon long, 1/4 water changes per week
Temperature 74 degrees Fahrenheit
I have very hard water, but have lots of wood in the tank ( for 8 months now). The tannins just went away. Gets light 10-12 hours a day, lots of caves, dark spots to hide/chill. Small rounded gravel substrate. Planted with mostly low to medium light plants.
Feed my corycats a mix of frozen bloodworms/mix and algae wafers every other day.
There is one pretty territorial bristlenose pleco in the tank, but my father is taking him for his 55 gallon tank as I think he would be happier with more space.

Here are some pictures of the lethargic cory cat and then one of his siblings to see the comparison.



Then one of the healthy ones ( I have 8 healthy cory cats of various ages in the same tank, this is the first time I have ever had a problem with a cory)


Sorry for the bad pictures, will try and get better ones. The one I'm worried about is way paler in colour and is sooo thin around the middle where all the other Cory's are quite a bit thicker.

Thanks. Let me know if you need any other information.


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[SNorlin]

These might be better, hard to get a good picture because the cory is always hiding.


And one of the healthy siblings





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[Cold Canadian]

I believe the proper name is bronze cory. In my tank I have a Cory that is like that too (I rescue him from a pet land tank where some 3 dot gourami were bulling) he is doing good now that I have him but is still pale.

What I would do is make sure it is getting lots of food and watch his behavior. Look to see if it is being picked on. Keep an eye on him and post updates. Best of luck!


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[aqua_holic]

Bronze Corys are a cross between copper Corys and tin Corys

 

[Millerman]

I have two bronze Corys also and its skinny like that I just assumed one was male and other was female


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[aqua_holic]

Sometimes fish don't thrive for reasons beyond our control. Not all fish are created equal - in the aquarium, fish are given an opportunity to live that would not have otherwise made it in nature and those fish can make their way into our tanks.

 

[SNorlin]

Thanks all. I will keep on eye on him. Even when I put food right beside him he doesn't touch it. But he couldn't still be alive if he hasn't eaten for 3 weeks, right? He must be eating something. I'll post back, hopefully with happy news.


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[aqua_holic]

Thanks all. I will keep on eye on him. Even when I put food right beside him he doesn't touch it. But he couldn't still be alive if he hasn't eaten for 3 weeks, right? He must be eating something. I'll post back, hopefully with happy news.


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It takes fish a very long time to starve to death. Just recently I lost some gouramis to "wasting disease". They didn't eat for 3 months.

 

[SNorlin]

Oh no. I hope this isn't the case. How long should I wait for it to get better/perk up before considering euthanizing him? I don't want him to be in any pain.


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[aqua_holic]

That's a hard question to answer..... I think once you see the fish beginning to look emaciated, it's time.

 

[SNorlin]

Okay, I'll give it a week and try my best to get him to eat. Incase this doesn't work, is clove oil the most humane way of euthanizing him?


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[aqua_holic]

Can you isolate the fish to make sure that it's not eating?

There are a lot of people that would urge you to explore all possible treatments before culling the fish. I'm not one of them. If you have the means to quarantine the fish then that's one thing. If you don't, then you have to make a decision based on limited information, and in such cases I always side with the healthy fish.

Clove oil is one of many humane methods. It's not one that I use so I'll let someone else talk to you about that.

 

[BillD]

Bronze Corys are a cross between copper Corys and tin Corys

Really?LOL. I assume you are being facetious. Bronze cory is the common name for Corydoras aenaeus. It has been so for the 50 years I have been in the hobby. There are a few species that are similar. Thus, we see the importance of scientific names. Unfortunately, there are many species that have different common names in different places, making discussion difficult.

 

[aqua_holic]

Really?LOL. I assume you are being facetious. Bronze cory is the common name for Corydoras aenaeus. It has been so for the 50 years I have been in the hobby. There are a few species that are similar. Thus, we see the importance of scientific names. Unfortunately, there are many species that have different common names in different places, making discussion difficult.

Copper and tin makes bronze

 

[ppo8820]

It could be genetic, where he came from, anything. You have a great set up and are doing all you can. Maybe he will pep up, maybe not, but its not your fault either way.

 

[SNorlin]

Came home after work today and he was laying on his side, so thin, about a cm at his waist. He was miserable. Last night I had placed a piece of food right in front of him. Frozen blood worm. He didn't even look at it. It sat there for about 2 mins in front of him before another fish came by and ate it. He didn't move at all yesterday. I decided to euthanize it by placing him in a cup of his tank water inside a pile of ice ( it cools the water really fast and he just went to sleep then died). Really fast. I felt horrible and my 5 year old and I cried for a while. Not a good day. On the bright side all the other fish seem to be thriving and happy, even the brothers of the fish. I think he had wasting disease. I have never seen a cory that thin. It was hard to tell when he was in the tank, but once I looked at him out of the tank, he was all head and hardly any body. He was never going to survive and I hated the idea of him suffering. This is the first fish I haven't been able to save. Really sucks.

Thanks everyone for your help and well wishes. Cory is in heaven swimming like a dolphin ( that's what my daughter said ).


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