Pepper Cory Lying Upside Down

[chris]

Hi everyone,

Well, after having successfully treated ich in my tank, it seems one of
my cories isn't doing that well. I have 7 black neon tetras, 5 pepper
cories and 2 plecos. My temperature is back down around 78F and I
treated with salt and velvet. The ich on the tetras seems to be gone,
but this evening when I came home, I found one of my cories lying on
the gravel on his side. He is alive but breathing sporadically. I
tapped the glass and you reacted, swimming upsidedown mostly and doing
loops. He basically can't stay upright. I'm not sure if he'll survive
the night, but if he does, what can I do to help him out? I'd really
rather not be picking a dead fish out of the tank tomorrow, but it
looks like I might be doing just that.

My water quality is 0, 0 and I don't have a kit for nitrate, so I'm not
sure about that.

Thanks,
Chris

[NetMax]

"chris" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi everyone,
>
> Well, after having successfully treated ich in my tank, it seems one of
> my cories isn't doing that well. I have 7 black neon tetras, 5 pepper
> cories and 2 plecos. My temperature is back down around 78F and I
> treated with salt and velvet. The ich on the tetras seems to be gone,
> but this evening when I came home, I found one of my cories lying on
> the gravel on his side. He is alive but breathing sporadically. I
> tapped the glass and you reacted, swimming upsidedown mostly and doing
> loops. He basically can't stay upright. I'm not sure if he'll survive
> the night, but if he does, what can I do to help him out? I'd really
> rather not be picking a dead fish out of the tank tomorrow, but it
> looks like I might be doing just that.
>
> My water quality is 0, 0 and I don't have a kit for nitrate, so I'm not
> sure about that.
>
> Thanks,
> Chris


I don't know what you used for treatment, but small & scaleless fish can
often only tolerate a half-dosage. I think corys are classified as
scaleless (armoured but lacking scales on their underbelly). I'm sure your
cory would rather you weren't having to pick out dead fish tomorrow either
;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[John D. Goulden]

> I'd really rather not be picking a dead fish out of the tank
> tomorrow, but it looks like I might be doing just that.

While I earnestly hope that your Cory recovers, this is to me the hardest
part about tropical fishkeeping - no matter how careful you are, you WILL
lose fish every now and then.

--
John Goulden
mostly goldies, guppies, swordtails and bettas

[chris]

I used this stuff that turned the water bluish. I was using half the
recommended dose because of the tetras, or one drop per two gallons as
opposed to one drop per gallon. The cory is still alive. He is also
eating, but i'm unsure of his state of mind. My LFS seems to think
that it has to do with the ich treatment and that I should try feeding
them some frozen bloodworm for the next little while. Does everyone
concur?

Chris

[Gill Passman]

chris wrote:
> I used this stuff that turned the water bluish. I was using half the
> recommended dose because of the tetras, or one drop per two gallons as
> opposed to one drop per gallon. The cory is still alive. He is also
> eating, but i'm unsure of his state of mind. My LFS seems to think
> that it has to do with the ich treatment and that I should try feeding
> them some frozen bloodworm for the next little while. Does everyone
> concur?
>
> Chris
>
If the Ich has now been treated and cleared up I would do a 30% water
change and add some carbon to my filter to pull out the rest of the
meds. I always feed high protein food when treating Ich so it sounds
like a good idea to me.

Gill

[Elaine T]

Gill Passman wrote:
> chris wrote:
>
>> I used this stuff that turned the water bluish. I was using half the
>> recommended dose because of the tetras, or one drop per two gallons as
>> opposed to one drop per gallon. The cory is still alive. He is also
>> eating, but i'm unsure of his state of mind. My LFS seems to think
>> that it has to do with the ich treatment and that I should try feeding
>> them some frozen bloodworm for the next little while. Does everyone
>> concur?
>>
>> Chris
>>
> If the Ich has now been treated and cleared up I would do a 30% water
> change and add some carbon to my filter to pull out the rest of the
> meds. I always feed high protein food when treating Ich so it sounds
> like a good idea to me.
>
> Gill

I'm with Gill. Change water! Feeding bloodworms sure can't hurt. All
your fish will love you.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[NetMax]

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
...
> Gill Passman wrote:
>> chris wrote:
>>
>>> I used this stuff that turned the water bluish. I was using half the
>>> recommended dose because of the tetras, or one drop per two gallons as
>>> opposed to one drop per gallon. The cory is still alive. He is also
>>> eating, but i'm unsure of his state of mind. My LFS seems to think
>>> that it has to do with the ich treatment and that I should try feeding
>>> them some frozen bloodworm for the next little while. Does everyone
>>> concur?
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>> If the Ich has now been treated and cleared up I would do a 30% water
>> change and add some carbon to my filter to pull out the rest of the meds.
>> I always feed high protein food when treating Ich so it sounds like a
>> good idea to me.
>>
>> Gill
>
> I'm with Gill. Change water! Feeding bloodworms sure can't hurt. All
> your fish will love you.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com


Bluish water? Are the using methylene blue as an Ich remedy somewhere? the
UK?
Ah well *sigh* what do I know? ... do water changes.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Gill Passman]

NetMax wrote:
> "Elaine T" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Gill Passman wrote:
>>
>>>chris wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I used this stuff that turned the water bluish. I was using half the
>>>>recommended dose because of the tetras, or one drop per two gallons as
>>>>opposed to one drop per gallon. The cory is still alive. He is also
>>>>eating, but i'm unsure of his state of mind. My LFS seems to think
>>>>that it has to do with the ich treatment and that I should try feeding
>>>>them some frozen bloodworm for the next little while. Does everyone
>>>>concur?
>>>>
>>>>Chris
>>>>
>>>
>>>If the Ich has now been treated and cleared up I would do a 30% water
>>>change and add some carbon to my filter to pull out the rest of the meds.
>>>I always feed high protein food when treating Ich so it sounds like a
>>>good idea to me.
>>>
>>>Gill
>>
>>I'm with Gill. Change water! Feeding bloodworms sure can't hurt. All
>>your fish will love you.
>>
>>--
>>Elaine T __
>>http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
>>rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
>
>
>
> Bluish water? Are the using methylene blue as an Ich remedy somewhere? the
> UK?
> Ah well *sigh* what do I know? ... do water changes.

Almost all fish meds I've used in the UK contain some type of blue dye
without containing Methylene Blue which is sold entirely separetly - I
guess this is done to prevent people from drinking it much in the same
way that meths is purple in the UK although I would guess the price of
fish meds would not make this a cost effective method....

Maybe, the question should be what meds where used?

Oh yeah, and yet again do the water changes

Gill

[§tudz]

Ok, I'm not a professional by any means, probably not even a novice lol.

but your cory might have a swimbladder problem, caused by constipation or
possibly an infection in the swim bladder itself.

A treatment I know works for consipation is to dip the fish quickly into
very weak andrews solution (A human miedication for trapped wind), and put
him back in the tnak, he usually has a big poo, lol, and then is fine.

Just a thought, prob not the best way to treat it, but it works.

§tudz

"John D. Goulden" > wrote in message
...
>> I'd really rather not be picking a dead fish out of the tank
>> tomorrow, but it looks like I might be doing just that.
>
> While I earnestly hope that your Cory recovers, this is to me the hardest
> part about tropical fishkeeping - no matter how careful you are, you WILL
> lose fish every now and then.
>
> --
> John Goulden
> mostly goldies, guppies, swordtails and bettas
>

[chris]

So, I did the water change and I got some high protein food. I looked
at the little guy and his stomach seems to be a bit imploded. Would
this be an indication of malnutrition? I was under the misapprehension
that cories were vegitartians. So all I was feeding them was sinking
algae pellets. Anyway, I bought some sinking complete pellets by
Nutrafin and they seem to be munching on it.

I guess the next update is, the fish seems to have a sunken stomach but
is eating and moving around when I'm not looking.

Thoughts?
Chris

[Gill Passman]

chris wrote:
> So, I did the water change and I got some high protein food. I looked
> at the little guy and his stomach seems to be a bit imploded. Would
> this be an indication of malnutrition? I was under the misapprehension
> that cories were vegitartians. So all I was feeding them was sinking
> algae pellets. Anyway, I bought some sinking complete pellets by
> Nutrafin and they seem to be munching on it.
>
> I guess the next update is, the fish seems to have a sunken stomach but
> is eating and moving around when I'm not looking.
>
> Thoughts?
> Chris
>
It could be a parasite looking on the bleakest side....or it could be
supplementing his diet will help - from a quick look on google it
appears that Pepper Cories are tending towards carnivorous (although
I've also seen omnivores) - anyway certainly not vegetarians. I've got
Panda Cories that relish a mixed diet of frozen bloodworm/daphinia/brine
shrimp and sinking pellets and the very occassional bit of flake - its
also a heavily planted tank and I'm sure they occassionally take a
nibble. What do you feed the other fish in the tank? My bet is that he
is picking on this as well - or at least everything that sinks.

Hope he improves

Gill

[chris]

I serve the other fish in the tank flake and some frozen bloodworm. I
should say that this single cory is darker than the other cories. The
other cories are the light beige with "pepper" sprinkles of spots. The
afflicted fish is much darker with a white belly.

Chris

[Gill Passman]

chris wrote:
> I serve the other fish in the tank flake and some frozen bloodworm. I
> should say that this single cory is darker than the other cories. The
> other cories are the light beige with "pepper" sprinkles of spots. The
> afflicted fish is much darker with a white belly.
>
> Chris
>
From my limited experience when I had a Clown Loach with a parasite he
went very dark...a Dutch Ram I lost a few days ago after 8 days of
ownership also lost all colour. Hopefully someone can advise you on the
treatment of parasites - meds are very limited in the UK so I have no
answers - sorry

Gill

[chris]

Well the final analysis is that he survived and has apparently
recovered. All it took was a change in his diet. So, if anyone ever
thinks cories are herbavores, that's wrong and it will make them sick.

:)

Chris

[Gill Passman]

chris wrote:
> Well the final analysis is that he survived and has apparently
> recovered. All it took was a change in his diet. So, if anyone ever
> thinks cories are herbavores, that's wrong and it will make them sick.
>
> :)
>
> Chris
>
Glad you found the answer and it wasn't anything more sinister :-)

Gill