[When to pull BN pleco fry]

I am also at the should I pull the pleco fry stage.  The male is in his normal hiding place, which also happens to be where the eggs were.  I used to be able to see a few eggs under him, but  cannot now and do not know if they have hatched and he has them corraled higher or if he has eaten them.  I see that he is still fanning and have not seen him out. I have a separate tank set up and ready to go.  The tank has 4 angels in it, 3 other plecos (including mom) and 4 pepper cory.  As you can see there are plenty of plants and places to hide.  So should I just take the whole ornament out and put in the other tank or leave it alone and let nature take its course.I am also at the should I pull the pleco fry stage.  The male is in his normal hiding place, which also happens to be where the eggs were.  I used to be able to see a few eggs under him, but  cannot now and do not know if they have hatched and he has them corraled higher or if he has eaten them.  I see that he is still fanning and have not seen him out. I have a separate tank set up and ready to go.  The tank has 4 angels in it, 3 other plecos (including mom) and 4 pepper cory.  As you can see there are plenty of plants and places to hide.  So should I just take the whole ornament out and put in the other tank or leave it alone and let nature take its course.

 

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:17 PM, Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics said:

I think adding an air stone could help. 
 

I believe 77 degrees is toward the top of the temperature range for pandas… is it possible to drop it a couple of degrees without bothering the other inhabitants?

 

On 9/25/2022 at 10:17 PM, Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics said:

I think adding an air stone could help. 
 

I believe 77 degrees is toward the top of the temperature range for pandas… is it possible to drop it a couple of degrees without bothering the other inhabitants?

Yes, 77 degrees is at the top of the temp parameters, but doesn't seem to affect the spotted ones in the 55 gallon.  The temp of my tank(s) is affected by the ambient temperature in the room.  Both tanks run within a degree of one another.  Currently, the 36 gallon is at 77.7 degrees and the 55 is at 78.3.  The cory's were dying even before I added the powerhead.  The powerhead at the top/water line is there to break surface tension and allow for gas exchange.  The lone panda that was in the 36 gallon and I moved to the 55 gallon is alive and well and eating and it has been over 48 hours.  It is definately something in the 36 gallon that is affecting the cory's, or at least the panda's, and I am beginning to believe what a moderater stated in another forum.   Like I said,  the only difference between the tanks is I have 2 ornaments that I ordered from Amazon that I rinsed good before putting them in that tank.  If I take them out, my plecos are going to be none too happy but may come to that and I will have to make a cave for them out of natural stone.  I may also buy 3 spotted and put in that tank and see if they also die/come up missing.  That way I feel I can say it is something in THAT tank and go from there.  Just funny that the tetras and pleco are not affected.  

 

 

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

On 9/25/2022 at 4:15 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Not sure this fits.  What Colu mentioned might be on target. 

Fish are stressed, tired, low oxygen (comparatively) and then you add a powerhead.  They rush to the surface to get air, sometimes, and because it's a tall tank it can be stressful on an already stressed corydoras.  They smack the lid, causing internal damage.  It happens.  Happening to every fish isn't likely but if you're keeping the waterline near top of the rim, I can see it happening.  Then.... fish are trying to hold on and keep going and you add a powerhead.  Stressed fish, under more stress because of the added flow it needs to swim against.  The photo you showed had a cory with it's tail almost 30-50% completely gone.  That fish had some pretty severe issues to be in that shape, whatever the cause of it.  I can't speak to what the others looked like, but whatever is the cause of all these issues there's a few things I would highly recommend doing right now.

1.  Add an airstone if you can.
2.  Add a feeding dish for corydoras with this gravel
3.  If you can, if you don't have a risk of killing plants, probably add some aquarium salt.
4.  Treat with general antibiotics like Colu mentioned.
5.  Treat for fungal with Ich-X and follow the directions on the bacteria medications.  If it says to change water on the third day, you'd change the required volume and re-dose with Ich-X as well as the bacterial meds.

Because you're having such severe issues, I would highly recommend having a QT tank setup and use it on any new fish you purchase.

Thanks for the thoughts. 

I had never seen them darting to the top for air - my tanks are on each side of my TV so I can notice if something strange is happening.   Water is 1 inch below bottom of rim/ 2 inches from top of rim.  I have not see them trying to swim against the flow, or struggling to swim.   They have stayed towards the front of the tank and inside the decorations.   Lower powerhead is is pointed along/against the back wall and slightly down so it helps flush the detritus towards the intake.  I have the same setup in the 55 gallon with angels where flow can cause them to fatigue and die due to constantly fighting the flow and they are all fine, as are the spotted cory.  There are no more cory's in the 36 gallon at this time, so waiting to see what else happens.   I do have live plants.  One thing I forgot is that I had the infamous brown (diatom) algea bloom so I was making sure to vacuum gravel more to get that out/off the gravel but everything I read does not state anything about affecting fish and my plecos are fat and happy. 

On another forum, a moderator posted this .....

"This unfortunately is quite a common problem in corys, it tends to be known quite simply as red blotch disease.
It's not known exactly what causes it, if you catch it early enough you can try treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic.
Panda corys seem to be a lot more delicate as they're so intensively bred now"  

So, just going to let this sit for a while and see if things level out.  FYI, I do have, and use, a quarantine tank.  I have looked at any new fish with a critical eye before even taking them home.

FYI - lone panda I moved to 55 gallon - still alive and kicking.

 

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:05 PM, Matt_ said:

Ok, responses are what I expected; looks like temp. water, food, etc. is normal and within range for those Corys.  As a side note, I have gotten to the point where I just shake all the liquids when I use the API test kits so that I don't have to remember which ones require shaking 🙂.

Low oxygenation may have been the issue even with a powerhead.  Two powerheads is a lot of flow for a tank that size.  A quick way to check is to see if the tetras and plecos are all at or near the water surface at night when they are typically less active (checking with a flashlight in a dark room).  If there is an oxygen deficiency then the fish will be behaving differently (i.e.: swimming lethargically, breathing surface air).

After that I am out of ideas and hope that transitioning the fish to the 55 gal fixed the issue.

So, what do you think about my theory that the decorations are trapping water in the dead space above the openings and water not being circulated out like my tree trunk in 55 gallon that has openings everywhere and no dead space.  Only problem I have with that theory is, again, the other fish are not affected.

Going to try and drill some holes in the very top of the decoration on the back side tomorrow and hopefully not destroy the piece in the process.  But, if I do, I do.  Just have to buy something else.

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

On 9/24/2022 at 7:07 PM, Matt_ said:

Sorry for your loss.  Those are nice looking tanks.  I have a question and a couple of things to check from personal experience.

I have kept Corys with sharp rocks and substrate in a 2' deep tank for years so I tend to doubt either is contributing to the issue. 

Were the API test results in the initial question identical for both aquariums?  It is strange that there is no measurable ammonia in the 36 gal. at this point with those losses - I usually get minor indication from the API liquid Ammonia test kits no matter what I do.  Recommend ensuring that the testing liquid is well shaken prior to testing if you are using the API liquid test kit and retest the 38 gal for Ammonia and Nitrite.  If the Corys are doing well in the 55 gal. using the same well water, then the issue should not be an undetectable parameter with the well water (like salt, heavy metals, or industrial pollutants).

Other quick checks: recommend independently checking the tank temp. again to rule out a faulty heater/thermometer if you are using an electronic thermometer.  Confirm all foods, especially the sinking pellets/wafers, are unspoiled and less than a year old (preferably younger than that, but it is a start).  The water temperature of the well water could be a factor at a 40% water change if it is significantly warmer or colder than the tank water assuming you checked this by feal at the water changes.

If the water tests for Ammonia and Nitrite are still reading at 0 in the 38 gal. and GH/KH is not elevated one idea would be to check for stray current from the powerhead/heater.

API tests have been identical.  In fact, the 55 gallon nitrates were a little higher before the water change.

Ammonia is negative - bright yellow when tested and checked after 5 minutes.

Ammonia instructions do not indicate that it needs to be shaken, although I do give it a good 10 second shake.  I use a timer with the 30 second initial shake for nitrate and then times 1 minute shake before letting set for 5 minutes.

I have tested my well water using the API and all is negative and like I said, I just had my well tested.

Digital thermometer currently says  - 77.9; infared thermometer registers 78.2; no heater in use at this time.

Foods have all been bought in past 2 months.  Both tanks fed same food.

When I do a water change, regardless of how much, I always try and match the temp of the water going into the tank as close as possible to the current tank water and use the infared thermometer.

Have had my hands in the water many times lifting the decor and artifical plants looking for bodies.  And yes, I always wash my hand/arms before immersing them.

 

Thanks for the repsonse.

 

 

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

On 9/24/2022 at 6:17 PM, Colu said:

Did any of the other Cory's that died have the this Redding on their body 

The ones that I have found did.

On 9/24/2022 at 8:08 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Flow is very different than oxygenation.  This is why I am specifically asking about an airstone / surface agitation.  The powerhead that is lower likely has a very direct output and very likely is what caused the redness.  If we don't have a guess as to the other cause, I'm willing to bet that is a contributing factor to that damage internally / belly redness.

I just added the lower power head 2 days ago.  The die off/MIA has been happening.

On 9/24/2022 at 8:17 PM, Matt_ said:

You should be able to stray current if you have a multimeter, but I doubt it is the issue since the fish are not behaving erratically.  Just trying to think through why only the Corys are not doing well in only the 36 gal tank vs. the 55 gal.  @nabokovfan87 oxygenation comment also is worth considering.  One way to check is to see if the tetras and plecos are all at or near the water surface at night (with no stray light).

I have had my hands/arm in the aquarium many times to lift the decor or artificial plants looking for fish/bodies and no shock

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

Both the 55 and 36 have 19 inches of water - bottom of substrate to top of water line.  Temp is currently 77.4.   There is a powerhead at water line for circulation and one on lower corner pushing water across back wall.  Spray bar is point forwad and slightly down.  This is the same for both aquariums - and of course the 55 is longer and no issues.

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

And NOW there is 1.  This morning both happily scooting around foraging.  Now........  I do not see any of the fish bullying them.  The plecos are doing their thing, the Tetra are doing their thing.  Right or wrong I moved it to the 55 gallon since that seems to be the tank where staying alive is best.  

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

The albinos were first bought from my "local" fish store 1 hour away.  There were 3, 1 survived.  I bought 2 more albino (from PetsMart- yeah, yeah I know  🙄) so the single one would have friends and bought 3 panda at sime time.  After quarantine, added those 5, 1 panda survivied.  Bought 3 more panda (from PetsMart) and 6 spotted (from different fish store) to put in the 55 gallon.  I currently have 2 panda left in the 36 gallon and all 6 survived in the 55,

 

 

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

I feed both tanks the same.  Because pellets can get lost on the crevices of the gravel, I feed wafers & sticks appropriate for corys.  I feed flake food and some frozen bloodworms and shrimp as that stays on top of gravel.   

 

I have only found 2 that died and their bellies didnt seem sunken, but had a red hue.  

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

Although I did just  measure the 2 tanks.  The 36 bow front stand is taller, but both tanks have 19" of water in them.  So depth should not be a problem.

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

Yes, it is slightly taller than my 55.   I have a powerhead at water level, and another one at bottom corner moving water along the back wall.  Also, the spraybar is tilted forward amd slightly down.  Have same set up on 55.

[Hello From the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia]

Done.  Also here is pic of my baby angels occupying it.

[Mysterious Cory Catastrophes]

Hello, I need to pick your brains. I have a 36 gallon bowfront and 55 gallon. Both are set up with the same substrate ( pea gravel), cannister filters and 2 power head - one at water line and one low along the back wall as well as artificial and live plants.  I feed every other day, both tanks.  Foods I alternate between is flake, wafers, frozen bloodworms and other frozen food, tubiflex worms.  Trying to find shrimp wafers.

My 55 gallon as 12 quarter to half-dollar size juvenile angels (will be thinning out), 4 three inch bushynose plecos and 6 small spotted cory - all living, thriving and happy. Rocks for decor and plant attachment and a faux tree stump for hiding spot(s).

My problem is my 36 bowfront. I am having consistent cory deaths/MIAs.  As I said it is set up mechanically the same. It is stocked with 3 red & blue columbian, 2 lemon and 3 del rio tetra, 2 bushy nose pleco and currently, that I can find, 2 (I think - I can find one) panda's left, some rocks (for plant attachment) and faux rock structures for hiding.

I have lost 6 albino, and 6 panda. I have only found 2 dead and the rest came up MIA. Yesterday I was feeding and the lastest loss spiraled to the top of the tank, went back to the bottom, rolled over and died before I could get it netted out and put into a medication bath. When I buy them, I have quarantined them for a couple of weeks and they are fine. I accliment and move them to this tank and stuff happens within a day or two.

Specifics you are going to ask about:

Water source is well and was tested in September and was clear.


API Testing: pH - 7.2; Ammonia - 0; Nitrite - 0; Nitrate - 10; kH - (2 drops) 0-50; gH - (3 drops) 50-100; phos 1.0

Water change - 9/22 - approx. 30-40% - API stress coat (because I am sure water changes can cause stress)

Substrate vacuum 9/22 - Seachem prime (because vacuuming can stir up the ammonia/nitrate values)

Cannister filter was opened and rinsed in tank water last week.

I have prefilter on intake - no fish attached.

All fish doing fine.

 

Maintenance performed on 55 gallon same day - 

Water change - 9/22 - approx. 30-40% - API stress coat (because I am sure water changes can cause stress)

Substrate vacuum 9/22 - Seachem prime (because vacuuming can stir up the ammonia/nitrate values)

Cannister filter was opened and rinsed in tank water last week.

I have prefilter on intake

Everyone happy, healthy and beggng for food as they normally do.

So, I am at a loss as to what is going on. Anyone have any thoughts?  Hoping Cory will see this and chime in so I can get hs perspective.

 

 

[Hello From the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia]

Hello all,

I live in Virginia and just came back to the hobby after 15 years.  Sadly gave up on the hobby and gave away my 55 gallon clarity plus, which I loved and wish I hadn't.  I now have a 55gallon with quarter to hlaf dollar size angels, bushy nose and spotted cory's and another tank that has some tetras, couple of plecos and couple of panda cory which I am having a mysterious problem with and will post in the General Discussion area.  Anyway.  HELLO!!!  From Virginia.