Sick Cory

[fishfairy]

I got 3 albino cory cats a week ago. They have been doing fine the entire time, but I just noticed that one of them isn't looking very well. He is swimming around very slowly and one of his barbels looks like it is rotting away. He also has red spots on his nose. It almost looks like he has been injured, but he is not kept with any fish that would hurt him or anything. I don't know what could be wrong of if it's treatable. I don't think any of the other fish are coming down with anything though, so maybe it's not contagious. Do you think there is any way I can save him?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Cories can be pretty lazy at times, so that doesn't bother me, but the red spots do. What kind of substrate are you using?

What do you mean by rotting away? Cories can lose their barbels during stress, or bad water conditions. Is there any noticeable fungus? Anything growing on or around the barbel. This is probably hard to see against the white surface...but see if there is anything you can see. Also, any way you can move him to a different tank? Something small, but where you can treat him.

How large is your tank, and what do you have in it? Have you done a water test? What are the readings, if so?

Best of luck.

 

[fishfairy]

Cories can be pretty lazy at times, so that doesn't bother me, but the red spots do. What kind of substrate are you using?

What do you mean by rotting away? Cories can lose their barbels during stress, or bad water conditions. Is there any noticeable fungus? Anything growing on or around the barbel. This is probably hard to see against the white surface...but see if there is anything you can see. Also, any way you can move him to a different tank? Something small, but where you can treat him.

How large is your tank, and what do you have in it? Have you done a water test? What are the readings, if so?

Best of luck.

I do have red gravel substrate, but I think the spots have been there since I got him actually (from Petsmart). By rotting away, I mean that 1 of his barbels looks fine, but the other is half gone. There is no fungus on him or anywhere else in the tank that I can see. I don't have another tank right now so unfortunately I can't move him at this time.

I have 20 gallon tank and in it are the 3 cories, 5 glowlight tetras, 4 zebra danios, 1 clown pleco, and 1 golden apple snail. I don't own a test kit and usually get my readings done at the LFS. They are closed tomorrow, but I'll get tested as soon as I can.

So far I've been monitoring the tank and all the other fish seem perfectly healthy, but he is still acting kind of odd.

I'm also wondering if maybe another fish could have been nipping at him. 1 of the other cories seems to swim up to him a lot, bump into him, and then swim away..

 

[Rach101]

If you are too worried you could go out and get a 5-gallon from walmart, they are only about thirty bucks, and treat it in there.

 

[Toirtis]

Barbel erosion is mainly about bacteria....bacteria working on a laceration or abrasion usually from sharp gravel......clean water and clean gravel are of primary importance here...for both prevention and treatment.

 

[fishfairy]

Here is an update on my cory:

I thought at first that he was getting better. He was acting a little more normal, but his barbel was still missing. In fact, he started losing the other one. He still had the red spots on his nose. I just did a water change hoping to help him out, but when I went back and looked at him, the redness had spread over the entire bottom of his body. It really looks like blood, but it isn't spreading from him. I think it is some kind of internal injury and I think he had it since I got him because the red spots were there the day I brought him home. Sadly, I had to put him down because I could tell he was suffering and was not going to get better.

This was my fist fish death since setting up this tank, so it is a learning experience, but still very sad.

 

[rich311k]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[coolchinchilla]

I am so so sorry about your fish.