a dying fish: what to do?

[ElanaJoy]

Update: put him in a jar with tank water suspended in tank (to stay warm) but no water exchange. I think he is mostly dead and I didn't want to risk my other fish holding out hope... but maybe I will wake up to a magically alive fish in a jar. I wasn't sure if he died, how quickly he would produce ammo, and also not sure if he has a sickness. He does have white discoloration. Just looks like faded sections. what could that be? just stress or something else?

Hi. This is my third post in 2 days, I guess that can happen when you set up a tank. My tank is a newly cycled 5 gallon. Late friday night I added 3 corydoras hasbrosus and 3 CPDs. (I know both want more to school, there weren't many in stock at the store.) I drip acclimated them to the much higher ph (8.2ish?) from the store ph (7) over the course of 6 hours. May not have been long enough because the largest cory was dead near the top of the tank (on a plant) maybe 10 hours later. Everything was looking good for the remainder of the day today. Then the male CPD started looking pale and then started to act strange, swimming near the surface and floating at times. It looks to me like he is dying. I added some bottled spring water that very slightly lowered the PH, I know chaning it too much is more stressful than high ph...

What to do? Right now I have him in a net near the surface nestled in plants so he feels secure. But should I take him out of the tank? leave him in the net? I don't have a QT tank. Would it be bad to put him in a container with some BB media or will there not be enough oxygen? I have never kept anything other than betta, so I don't know about their needs for oxygen.

Also, they haven't eaten what I offered so far. I even waved a freeze dried bloodworm in his face, but he wouldn't be dying from hunger this soon, right? The 2 females he came with seem good so far...

Any help is appreciated!

 

[flchamp89]

Post the complete tank parameters and stock. Are you cycled? Your stocking is already off.

 

[ElanaJoy]

Post the complete tank parameters and stock. Are you cycled? Your stocking is already off.

He died not long after my post.

5 gallon
was uninhabited during cycle, then I added my baby betta for 2 days, took her out and added 3 hasbrosus dwarf corys and 3 celestial pearls, then added the betta back in.

Water is about 70, (lower edge of their parameters)
using API liquid test:
PH is about 8
Ammo is between 0-.25 (it's hard for me to tell)
Nitrites 0
nitrates around 30 (again, I have difficulty reading this one)


I have taken the betta out until we get the tank fully stable.

So currently there are two CPDs and 2 hasbrosus

The fish store guys (each person I spoke to over the course of weeks) from a reputable store said I could put 6 CPDs and 6 dwarf corys. I thought that was high for a 5 gallon, but I decided to attempt it. Problem is, I couldn't afford 6 CPDs and they only had 3 corys. Was planning on seeing if the CPDs spawn and buying more corys when they get them in stock.

Should I return the CPDs and just have the cats and betta?

Thanks.

 

[flchamp89]

6 are good numbers for the species. Problem is to get them to that number in a 5g creates a large bioload. Both ammonia and nitrates are high. May be because of waste and over feeding. I dont want any ammonia and id prefer nitrates at 10 can live with 20 right before my wc. Out of everything you mentioned the betta is the best thing you have for the 5g. Not alot of options for 16in tank. Dwarf cories are to active even in a 10g imo.

 

[Lev]

hey

with regards to struggling to read the ammonia- are you using a liquid test kit?

if so i had the same problem when i was doing my fishless cycles i struggled to tell the difference between the bright yellow of 0 ammonia and the yellow/lime green of the 0.25 ammonia.

I used to pour it out into a margarita glass and look at it under preferably natural light or the LED white light in the kitchen haha

even now if there is even a hint of green I would presume a reading of 0.25 and act accordingly