New cory with clamped fin

[lahlumdi]

Today I found an awesome new fish store (only fish)... and I got 5 peppered cories and 3 skunk cories.

As soon as I put the 5 peppered cories in the tank, I noticed one's fins clamped. But in about 10 minutes he swam around with the best of them.

Now about 6 hours later, he was sitting in the bottom of the tank with clamped fin and glazed look in his eye. He also looked darker than the others, which is wierd to me, because usually fish go lighter if they are not in good health.

Anyhow - I took some tank water and gravel and set up a QT for him. As soon as I moved him, he started swimming around like normal... but I suspect he must have something wrong. Maybe paracites? I don't have any fresh garlic in the house right now. Might garlic powder work (not salt... powder). I read too, that Cories don't take well to salt, so I won't add that.

Any thoughts?

OK, now I'm really unsure what to do. Now all but one peppered cory is sick and all 3 skunk cories are sick. I thought the one in the QT was dead. He was lying upside down at the bottom. But next thing you know he started swimming around again.

[rich311k]

Sounds like a bad batch of fish or they were not acclimated properly. How did you introduce them to the tank?

[lahlumdi]

I bought 8 Cories yesterday. 5 peppered and 3 skunk.

This morning all but one appears listless, clamped fins... In fact one I put in quarantine last night, and thought it was dead this morning... lying upside down. Didn't seem to be breathing. Next thing I know, it starts swimming around.

What might be going on? What should I do?

My tank is new, but cycled fully. The parms are fine.

I also started a thread under other catfish, but I don't know how to set up a link to it.

[Red]

What are your parameters?

[lahlumdi]

76 degrees
pH 7.5
Alk 80
TH 80
Nitrate 20 (or less - it's light)
Nitrite 0

[rich311k]

Ammonia? How were the fish acclimated?

[lahlumdi]

Well for the peppered cories, the bag sat in the water for about 40 minutes with me introducing water from my tank every 10-15 mins. The peppered cory is the one that showed a clamped fin immediately upon entering my tank.

The skunks I had in the bag, with water from mine introduced. Somewhere in the first 10 minutes, the bag slipped into to water and they swam out. So they were never acclimated properly. However, yesterday they swam all over the place as if they owned the place.

[Northernguy]

Feed fresh minced garlic is the best way without meds.Mix small amounts with their food coating all of it and then feed.
You also do not mention your ammonia reading.

[lahlumdi]

Ammonia is also zero. Sorry I didn't include that.

Taken from the other thread I started last night...

For the peppered cories, the bag sat in the water for about 40 minutes with me introducing water from my tank every 10-15 mins. The peppered cory is the one that showed a clamped fin immediately upon entering my tank.

The skunks I had in the bag, with water from mine introduced. Somewhere in the first 10 minutes, the bag slipped into to water and they swam out. So they were never acclimated properly. However, yesterday they swam all over the place as if they owned the place.

[fins_n_fur]

Note that I have merged both threads with similar topic. It's better to post one thread than more than one. It gets you faster and quicker help by keeping one thread for others to reply.

[lahlumdi]

Thanks. I note that. I'm afraid no one in the cory section had responded. Guess I should have deleted that one.

[fins_n_fur]

Don't worry about it. Once you post, give it some time. Folks are usually pretty darned fast here in responding to help!

[lahlumdi]

I know, that's why I was surprised no one responded. Then I realized I may have written in the wrong place, and it'd be better to come to this section. Guess I don't know if I can delete my own thread either.

[lahlumdi]

I talked to the place where I bought the fish, Fintique in San Antonio. They have a "Dr. Tom" that I talked with. He thinks something in my tank has stressed them in the transition. I am currently bubbling some water in pails with air pumps for a "minor water change," since I dechlorinate without chemicals. We shall see if that helps them. I also added some garlic to the water. Not a bad thing for a whole tank of new fish.

[lahlumdi]

The other thing interesting is that the Platies are hovering over them like a bunch of vultures, waiting for them to die. Occasionally they will nip them. Then they scurry off and I know they are still alive. Hmmm. Such drama.

[Wild Turkey]

I would suggest drip acclimation in the future. It really seems to help problems like this and theres less chance of an accident

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=39559

[rich311k]

Your readings were all normal. Your acclimatiobn was a little off that could have stressed already sick fish. I stick with my origional thought they are not a good batch of fish. It happens to the best of stores.

[lahlumdi]

So how long do we let them lay there till they are pronounced dead or give them a chance to recover? Till the other fish start eating them? Or do I remove them assuming they are diseased?

I'm not a novice, but I must admit I don't have a lot of patience for treating fish, always being afraid the whole tank will be effected.

[lahlumdi]

Or I can move them into quarantine and see how they all do. It's not very big, but then they aren't moving around much either. Also, is there a place I can learn about drip acclimation? Is it a sticky? I'm not familiar with it.

[Wild Turkey]

Heres the link for DIY drip acclimation, its literally pennies

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=39559

I wouldnt move them since it really sounds like acclimation problems. Hopefully they will recover, but I would remove them any as soon as you think they are beyond recover and euth in cool water + freezer

Is there improvement in any of them?

[lahlumdi]

No change. However, I thought of another mistake I made that may be effecting the Cories more than any other.

I set the tank up about 4 weeks ago. I have done this before twice... so I just forged ahead without reading till afterwards. I bought 1 bag of substrate and 2 25 pound bags of rocks from the aquarium store. Then I never rinsed any of it. I just put it in, and then loaded it with water. Maybe something nefarious has been on those rocks and it didn't effect the rest of the fish, just the cories who go around on the rocks. The two cories who are not sick have spent the entire morning in the upper area and have avoided the gravel altogether. Could there be something bad for them on there? And if so, I don't know what could be done to change that except for a full gravel change. I have plants all over the place - plus it is 60 + pounds of wet gravel.

[lahlumdi]

Ok - a couple hours later... I did about a 30% water change with some Aqua Safe I bought to remove chlorine, etc. It is about an hour later, and the fish remain the same. Alive, but struggling. Haven't moved at all. They look like me with a migraine.

There is one that did better in the quarantine, so I happily returned him to the big tank. Probably too soon. Fish have been nipping at him and he has blood spots. He is swimming around, but not doing well. Being chased. He gets in the current of the filter and gets knocked around the stream, followed by one of the Serpae Tetras.

[lahlumdi]

Minutes after the last post... OK, a couple of them (skunks) have moved now to a new position. This is an improvement. And two peppered cories that were on their side are now lying upright in a more normal position. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

[lahlumdi]

Last night I removed the 3 skunk cories and the 1 injured peppered cory to the QT, since he was being chased by the others and nipped on.

Then I went out and bought some distilled water. The LFS had told me that the water here in San Antonio is very hard, and cories, the skunk cory in particular, like softer water. They said adding distilled water helps especially in a new tank.

Last night I saw no immediate change. However, this morning, the peppered cory in the QT was swimming around just fine.

In the main tank (55 gal), 2 peppered cories, acted like normal and 2 were sluggish. However, when I fed the tank, all 4 of the cories went around the bottom eating. The 2 are still guarded, but improved.

I would like to wait a couple days with the injured cory in the QT before putting him back in the main tank so his wounds heal. Also I realize that pH is probably different now between the two tanks since I put about 1 3/4 gallons of distilled water into the big tank, but about a quart into the QT so the percentages are different. I will need to try that drip acclimation method when the time comes, if I can figure it out.

The skunk cories are a different story altogether. I think 1 is dead. Two of them keep flopping around on their side periodically. It is like they are having spasms. I am just not sure what to think and not sure if they can come out of this to survive like normal fish.

[lahlumdi]

Sadly the three skunk cories have died.

[lahlumdi]

One final update. The 4 peppered cories in the 55 gallon tank have finally acclimated as of yesterday. They are all 4 swimming around eating, cosying up to each other and socializing, etc. I still have the one in quarantine and he is acting normal also. Want to get him in the big tank when I can get drip acclimation set up.