dying cories...help!!!!

[shawmutt]

OK, this is going from bad to worse. I just got home, checked the tanks. The cories are dying! They are listless, just sitting at the bottom of the tank. I checked the water...pH is 7, nitrites are .25, ammonia is 0, nitrates are 20 ppm. What should I do?

 

[reefrunner69]

Water change for starters, then figure out why the trites are up, had one been dead in there for awhile?

 

[shawmutt]

It's the 5 1/2 Gallon, there has never been fish in it until my fiance decided to commandeer it. I think it's cycling, maybe? I don't know, I never had to cycle my tank. The betta that was in it died (it was removed as soon as it was found--it wasn't dead for more than a few hours, but that was days ago), leaving just the two cories. I went out for a few hours and am just coming back...they are swimming around as usual again...were they resting? I'm concerned because I've never seen them sit still before. Am I just being paranoid?

 

[silvermidnight]

Yes you are being paranoid, leave my cories alone. They can't be active ALL the time.

 

[ghettorigged]

I recently lost all of my corys too.

I never found out why.
Good luck to you.

 

[Stephanie]

I've had the same cory catfish since I was 12 (10 years ago!). They aren't active all the time, so don't worry. They are actually pretty inactive most of the time. Mine usually lay around in a group all day and become active when I feed them. They also like to dart to the surface every once in awhile so don't get freaked out by that.

 

[shawmutt]

I just lost the betta my (almost) wife bought, so I panicked when they were just lying there. They seem to be fine now. Thanks for putting up with the paranoia!

 

[i3k]

When you say they are at the bottom of the tank? are they actually resting on the gravel or a few inches off the gravel? if they are actually sitting on the gravel and breathing fast then there is a problem. Are they eating?? also...you can try doing this...usually if you get really close to the aquarium, the fish will try to hide or move away from you as far as possible around the tank...if you get close to your aquarium and those cories dont budge then they are "sick"

 

[shawmutt]

I check my tank daily, and was getting used to them swimming around the tank. When I didn't see them, I panicked and took the background (it's around the sides too) off to look for them. They were lying there on the gravel in back of the driftwood. They have been acting normal ever since, so I think they were just resting.

Compared to my cardinals and ottos, the corys are far less skittish and usually don't hide when I approach the tank.

 

[vega]

Remember to feed them with sinking fishfood!!! I lost 2 to starvation....

 

[shawmutt]

Since this post, my cories have been thriving, no problems, thanks for the advice though!