Albino Cory Swimming at the Surface

[Kitling]

So after I did a water change, my albino cory was showing off some weird behavior today, which I've never seen in a cory before! Instead of hanging out on the sand with the other cories, he decided to stay at the surface of the water. I know they tag the surface to get air, sometimes even swim around like crazy along the glass, but this is different.

I took a video to show it in case it's something indicative of sickness. I looked it up and it does not seem to be a definite symptom of something bad. Still, I'm wondering how common this is and if it means anything. Well, here it is: Video link

You're probably noticing some things, so...

- I bought this cory at a chain pet store and his fins and whiskers were like that when I got him... I just thought he would heal eventually. Well, I've had him for a year now and he's not really healing. The barbels look the worst of all, basically non-existant. Regardless, he seems to eat and swim just fine, he's even the most ACTIVE out of all my cories (but maybe that's because he's the youngest).

- As you can see I have two filters, a Tetra Whisper 20i on one side and 10i on the other, so I think there should be ample oxygen... I used a TINY pinch of salt in the tank anyway to try to help. Cories are sensitive to salt from what I've heard, which is why i used so little.

- After an hour or so he stopped doing that and went back to normal behavior. I'm willing to bet it was just something in the new tank water that irritated him.

- Ignore the ugly back wall of the tank haha, I am trying to grow a moss wall with very little moss ! :s

Tank: 20g
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25ppm (there's always a slight level of ammonia after I do a water chage, which I think is to be expected)
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 15ppm
Temp: 79 F

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Do you know roughly what temperature the water you added was?

I guess I ask because cool (with soft water) water changes are actually how you can cause Corys to breed. The behavior shown in the video definitely does not look like he is sick, but he may have just gotten a little excited with the water change. Thats not to say that you will find Cory eggs, but it may explain why that behavior occurred.

Keep us updated!

 

[Kitling]

Hmm I don't know what temperature it was, but I always let the water sit for a while before putting it in the tank, so it is close to room temperature. I don't think it was cold. But I didn't know that may cause them to breed, that's very interesting

Well, today he is back to normal. He went up to the surface to blow a few more bubbles again, but not for very long. Mostly just swimming along the glass as usual!

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

That's good news!

As I said, the Cory didn't seem to be stressed in the slightest which is what made me think of breeding

That actually could be it. Room temperature is what? 75 degrees? Could be cool enough to get him/her excited

Anyways! Glad to hear that the little Cory seems to be back to normal.

 

[Kitling]

Yep you were right And yes the room temperature is around 75 degrees.

Thanks!

 

[Kitling]

Well, his odd behavior started up again. It's been this way for over a week now.

Sometimes he is even trying to JUMP out of the water! He gets about half his body out and keeps splashing at the surface. :s Also, I almost never see him resting anymore. Corys do swim around a lot, but I see them spending a lot of time hiding and resting too.

This one is swimming almost nonstop! I'm afraid he's stressed out or something...

I found other threads about albino corys jumping at the surface, saying it might be due to ammonia or chlorine poisoning... but I de-chlorinate the water (with Seachem Prime) and the tank is well-cycled, ammonia tested at 0ppm. Not sure what this little fish is thinking

EDIT: I'm also wondering how he is even eating? I never see him shifting through the bottom anymore. Does he think he's a neon tetra now? >.>

 

[Eggheadfish]

Hi kitling
I had an albino doing the same thing and my water checked out okay. Come to find out there were health issues with my tank and the little guy didn't make it very long. I'm not well versed on fish illness but I'm thinking if he's continually trying to breathe air maybe there's an underlying issue maybe with the gills? I hope someone with more knowledge can provide some better insight. I hope it works out!

 

[Kitling]

Sadly my albino cory didn't make it. He died a few weeks ago.

He started worsening and getting skinnier, then I noticed some red on his insides - internal bleeding perhaps? I am really not sure if this was a disease or if there was something wrong with the water (I tested it and did water changes, so I don't know). Probably something wrong with the gills like you said. I quarantined him and did daily water changes, but he passed away a few days after that. I also hope that someone with more insight might help us...

The rest of my corydoras and other fish in the tank are alive and healthy.

 

[Eggheadfish]

Ok glad to hear the others are hanging in. When that happened to me I lost 7 within a week. Some looked like they had injuries or internal hemmhoraging and others had no symptoms so I was worried it was septicemia but I never confirmed and my fish finally stopped dying. if it was just one maybe he banged himself on something and got stressed and then some bacteria existing in the water got to him. It's so hard to tell, sorry for your loss!