Cory catfish not eating

[Laser]

I have a bronze cory catfish in a hospital tank. He's been in there for almost 2 weeks. He slowly started losing his color until he became almost albino. When he couldn't even swim correctly or sit upright I placed him into the hospital tank. The other cory cats are unaffected by whatever caused this.

Unsure of what was wrong with him, I treated him with a round of tetracycline and now he is doing much better. Now he swims around with ease and is beginning to regain his color.

However, I'm not sure if he is eating. I drop in an algae wafer or a shrimp pellet for him and it looks untouched much later. He does the typical scanning for food on the glass bottom that corys do but never seems to touch the food. I'm not sure if he's going to the bathroom either.

So, should I treat him for parasites? If so, how should I go about this?

This is the best picture I could get because he won't stop swimming.

 

[LyndaB]

Albino cories are derived from the bronze species. Not sure if they can actually change out color after birth though. That'd be a little weird.

What are your readings and what else is in the main tank with him?

Is it possible he got stressed from something?

 

[Laser]

Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrates are less than 20. I've been changing 50% of his water everyday. In the main tank with him were 3 pearl gourami, 23 neon tetras, 16 harlequins and 9 other cories.

At first he was losing his color but acting normally so I left him with his friends. Then he began to swim listlessly at the top and when he went to the bottom he couldn't sit upright and laid on his side. I noticed on one side of him his armor seemed to be rotting away for lack of a better description.

After the treatment he is able to sit upright on the bottom and swim around normally. He has also gained a little color back but not much of it. His fin that was near the infection is starting to grow back as well.

I suppose he could have been stressed but I don't find that to be likely. I'm just not sure what I should do now. I'm glad he's doing better but I'm wondering if there's something more I can do.

 

[Coursair]

Try feeding live or frozen worms. Algae wafers aren't a major part of their diet. They may eat them, but they are mostly Carnivorous. Algae wafers offer them little nutrition
And worms will usually be eaten much better than pellets or wafers.

Cory breeders condition their fish with live or frozen food. Worms , Brine Shrimp, etc...

 

[Laser]

Thanks, I'll try that.

 

[Laser]

Well, I went to net out the rest of the wafer and it broke into little pieces and of course he started eating it. I am going to try some frozen bloodworms and see if that improves his condition.

 

[Coursair]

Well, I went to net out the rest of the wafer and it broke into little pieces and of course he started eating it. I am going to try some frozen bloodworms and see if that improves his condition.

At least he's eating. My wee C habrosus go crazy for frozen. I want to try live Blackworms also as mine are trying to breed.