bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
One of my black Venezuela Cory babies lost or wore down whiskers. Will they grow back ? Will he starve ?
Cory barbels
- Thread starter bkiggy
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HUKIT
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes the barbels will generally grow back once the cause of the errosion is corrected. This can include a sharp substrate, continually high ammonia/nitrates, stress, and predatory fish. All of these all easily remedied through substrate changes, loads of water changes, and correct tankmates.
Keep the nitrates below 10ppm and you'll start seeing improvement in no time.
And no he won't starve, he'll still continue to feed.
Keep the nitrates below 10ppm and you'll start seeing improvement in no time.
And no he won't starve, he'll still continue to feed.
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BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Corydoras Barbels
Hello bk...
You may have something in the tank that's abrasive or sharp. Soemtimes, a decoration or pieces of gravel in the substrate can cause an injury.
Good news. The barbels will heal or grow back in two to three months if they're not reinjured in some way.
You can help your Cory by feeding nutritious food. I prefer to feed different kinds of frozen foods, like brine and mysis shrimp, bloodworms, plankton and krill. I also feed a little minced garlic once in a while. The garlic is high in vitamins and has some healing properties.
B
Hello bk...
You may have something in the tank that's abrasive or sharp. Soemtimes, a decoration or pieces of gravel in the substrate can cause an injury.
Good news. The barbels will heal or grow back in two to three months if they're not reinjured in some way.
You can help your Cory by feeding nutritious food. I prefer to feed different kinds of frozen foods, like brine and mysis shrimp, bloodworms, plankton and krill. I also feed a little minced garlic once in a while. The garlic is high in vitamins and has some healing properties.
B
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is the smallest of the 3. The other two are growing and barbels have turned beautiful white. I have small river rock (soft) IMO. Still aqua gravel just not the colored stuff.
PH 6.5 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 NitrAtes 40+/-
20%
WC every 5-7 days with gravel vac
Other 8 Cory's are ok. Just lost one to age I guess IDK why. He was fine all day and got up and dead. My albino, Whitey.
PH 6.5 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0 NitrAtes 40+/-
20%
WC every 5-7 days with gravel vac
Other 8 Cory's are ok. Just lost one to age I guess IDK why. He was fine all day and got up and dead. My albino, Whitey.
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Corydoras
Hello again bk...
Corys prefer a neutral pH (7) or a bit more basic, but with most aquarium fish, they'll adapt. Your nitrates are a bit high. I would change out half the water in the tank every week and use a good nitrate removing filter medium like ACUREL. This company has been in business for decades and know aquarium products.
A 20 percent change will do little to maintain a stable water chemistry, regardless of the fish load. Think of the tank as an unflushed toilet. By flushing a lot of pure, treated tap water through the tank every week, there will be no time for toxic nitrogens to build up in the water and stress your fish before the next large change.
Just a couple of thoughts.
B
Hello again bk...
Corys prefer a neutral pH (7) or a bit more basic, but with most aquarium fish, they'll adapt. Your nitrates are a bit high. I would change out half the water in the tank every week and use a good nitrate removing filter medium like ACUREL. This company has been in business for decades and know aquarium products.
A 20 percent change will do little to maintain a stable water chemistry, regardless of the fish load. Think of the tank as an unflushed toilet. By flushing a lot of pure, treated tap water through the tank every week, there will be no time for toxic nitrogens to build up in the water and stress your fish before the next large change.
Just a couple of thoughts.
B
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
In addition to water changes, you should also focus in substrate care a little more. Most of the time Cory barbel erosion results from poor water quality and poor substrate hygiene. Your should start vacuum your substrate more frequently than you currently are.
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Really? Every 5-7 days isn't enough? I thought I was doing it too much..... Over kill if you will. I change 10g out of 40g tank of water and treat with prime ..... Aren't nitrAtes good? For plants that is ....
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
You only need 10 ppm or so. Any more than that is unnecessary.
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
I did loose the little guy. I have had a severe nitrate spike and it stressed him out too much
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Nitrates
Hello again bk...
Nitrates in the 20-30 ppm range won't hurt your fish. However, in the case of this type of nitrogen, lower would be a bit better. ACUREL has a what I think is a very good product designed to lower nitrates in the tank water. It's a dense, poly fiber. I use some of their media in my planted tanks and am sold on it.
You can also emerse the root ball of a land plant called Chinese Evergreen in the tank water. The roots will lower the nitrogen level in the tank water in a matter of a few days to next to nothing. I've used this plant in my tanks for several months with good results.
B
Hello again bk...
Nitrates in the 20-30 ppm range won't hurt your fish. However, in the case of this type of nitrogen, lower would be a bit better. ACUREL has a what I think is a very good product designed to lower nitrates in the tank water. It's a dense, poly fiber. I use some of their media in my planted tanks and am sold on it.
You can also emerse the root ball of a land plant called Chinese Evergreen in the tank water. The roots will lower the nitrogen level in the tank water in a matter of a few days to next to nothing. I've used this plant in my tanks for several months with good results.
B
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you!! I put in Seachem De*Nitrate into canister filter. It was over 80ppm!!! Ill try to find the plant
Bettafanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Do a 50% water change, and after that do another 50% water change. Your nitrates is WAY too high. Definitely look for the plant. Keep doing 50% water changes until you can get it to normal level.
OP
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Nitrate Removing Plants
Hello bk...
The type of Chinese Evergreen in your pic is fine. There are several others, too. If you need any help setting up the plant, just let me know. The plant has to be prepared first, you can't just drop it into the tank.
Attached is a pic of a 20 G with a large Chinese Evergreen, but you can use smaller plants. Tested the tank water once a couple of days after I emersed the plant. No traces of nitrogens in the water, so no further testing is needed. No large water changes, I just top off the water that's lost to evaporation, because the tank is open.
I do have a small backup HOB in the tank to filter the water at night, when the plants slow their filtering work. So, a weekly water change of about a gallon is needed to service the HOB.
Pretty much maintenance free. Not a tank for the purist, but I've kept the standard tanks for years. These are more interesting. I have some much larger tanks with the same system with low light aquatic plants and keeping so many plants around the place is nice.
B
Hello bk...
The type of Chinese Evergreen in your pic is fine. There are several others, too. If you need any help setting up the plant, just let me know. The plant has to be prepared first, you can't just drop it into the tank.
Attached is a pic of a 20 G with a large Chinese Evergreen, but you can use smaller plants. Tested the tank water once a couple of days after I emersed the plant. No traces of nitrogens in the water, so no further testing is needed. No large water changes, I just top off the water that's lost to evaporation, because the tank is open.
I do have a small backup HOB in the tank to filter the water at night, when the plants slow their filtering work. So, a weekly water change of about a gallon is needed to service the HOB.
Pretty much maintenance free. Not a tank for the purist, but I've kept the standard tanks for years. These are more interesting. I have some much larger tanks with the same system with low light aquatic plants and keeping so many plants around the place is nice.
B
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
@bbradbury - what do I have to do?
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Emersing the Land Plant
Hello bk...
This takes a bit of time and effort. Briefly, here are the steps:
Remove the plant from the pot.
Put the plant into a 5 gallon bucket.
Rinse as much potting mixture from the roots as possible.
Open the tank canopy and carefully lower the root ball into the tank water.
I used netting with wooden dowels to support the plant in the tank.
The root balls can be emersed indefinitely or you can remove the plant at any time and just repot it.
The roots will take in all three forms of nitrogen in a matter of days.
You can test for the forms if you want, but after a few days, your tests will show only traces of nitrates (NO3) and eventually, none at all.
B
Hello bk...
This takes a bit of time and effort. Briefly, here are the steps:
Remove the plant from the pot.
Put the plant into a 5 gallon bucket.
Rinse as much potting mixture from the roots as possible.
Open the tank canopy and carefully lower the root ball into the tank water.
I used netting with wooden dowels to support the plant in the tank.
The root balls can be emersed indefinitely or you can remove the plant at any time and just repot it.
The roots will take in all three forms of nitrogen in a matter of days.
You can test for the forms if you want, but after a few days, your tests will show only traces of nitrates (NO3) and eventually, none at all.
B
OP
OP
bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
WOW! That's awesome. Thank you! I will go look for a plant tomorrow !!!!
BBradbury
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,011
Using Land Plants
Hello bk...
Good luck since tomorrow's a holiday. But, let me know if you have questions.
Have fun with your newly planted tank.
B
Hello bk...
Good luck since tomorrow's a holiday. But, let me know if you have questions.
Have fun with your newly planted tank.
B
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bkiggy
Aquarium Advice Addict
My other tank now has nitrate issues so I'm going to find 2 plants !!!!
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