Need Corydora help

[Davon]

I started with 3 panda corys with the intent to get several more fairly quickly. One was super duper active and happy. The first night one disappeared (I fear he was eaten) and one died. I tested the water, made a few very minor adjustments being way overly cautious and the tank seemed fine. Meanwhile all the rest of my fish are happy, swimming all over, and eating great. I took a water sample to petsmart with the dead fish and they confirmed my results were good.

I got 4 more Corys for a total of 5. 4 were very happy and 1 just didn't seem well. Turns out he wasn't, he sadly passed away during the night. Now I came home from work to one dead Cory and three swimming around happy playing in the bubbles. I tested water. pH is 7, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 5.

So why are my sweet Cory's dying? Could it just be unhealthy fish from PetSmart? The two swimming around are super active and playing with their reflections and the bubbles. Am I not feeding them right? I bought Cory wafers but I think they don't find them. I'm going to try placing one in their favorite spot instead of just dropping it in. They also eat any leftover flakes. The tetras eat A LOT so I've been putting in tiny pinches at a time until I get a good feel for how much they need.

Am I doing anything wrong? Or is it just bad luck?

 

[Davon]

Is it possible for my gravel to be too big for the Corys? I'm down to two and today they are not active. I'm afraid I'm going to lose them. Water parameters are pH 7.0, nitrites 0ppm, ammonia 0ppm, nitrates 10ppm

 

[The camaro show]

I would never buy fish at a petco or petsmart chain store known for parasites and bad quality fish I would say you need to find a fish specialty store don't be afraid to drive a little too because I live in a smaller town and all I have is petco I drives hour to my store.

 

[The camaro show]

And that just shows how bad the fish are now I'm not saying it's impossible to have them die on you but corys are very hardy and great fish I think pandas are a tad bit less hardy then like the albinos but still very hardy

 

[Barliman]

It's possible they got a bad batch in, but I will say I've also bought very good fish at the big box stores, and, in fact, the bad luck I had with pandas came with a school I bought at an LFS. Luck of the draw.

I'd encourage you to try a different store, but, also (and if you can) quarantine the fish in a small tank for a few weeks and treat them with erythromycin and API General Cure to get rid of any illnesses and/or internal parasites they may have come in with. (What you describe sounds like fish that were already sick.) Once you've taken them through a treatment, and if they seem healthy to you, move them to your main tank. A lot of fishkeepers do this, and it cuts down on frustrating losses.

Good luck, too. Pandas are among my favorite corys.

 

[toolman]

It's possible they got a bad batch in, but I will say I've also bought very good fish at the big box stores, and, in fact, the bad luck I had with pandas came with a school I bought at an LFS. Luck of the draw.

I'd encourage you to try a different store, but, also (and if you can) quarantine the fish in a small tank for a few weeks and treat them with erythromycin and API General Cure to get rid of any illnesses and/or internal parasites they may have come in with. (What you describe sounds like fish that were already sick.) Once you've taken them through a treatment, and if they seem healthy to you, move them to your main tank. A lot of fishkeepers do this, and it cuts down on frustrating losses.

Good luck, too. Pandas are among my favorite corys.

[emoji106] Dead on Barliman, couldn't agree more.