Corydoras advice: purchased with bad barbels, now popeye, swim bladder :(

[MichelleN]

We purchased our 6 corydoras in groups of 4, (3 died first night), 3 and 2 from different stores over the last three weeks. They are the only ones we'd seen and our purchases may not have been wise.  Only one has a full set of barbels, and it's the lone survivor from the first group. We hoped in our larger tank, with weekly water changes they'd recover. We think now we may not be doing enough for them.  On the smallest which came home with no barbels, the mouth seems more swollen now, I think, and one of the most recent ones now  has red under a fin and gill and popped out eyes, and I don't recall that much red or the eyes like that earlier this week, but, its hard to be sure. 

Uodated: We just moved the 5 that hang together into a new 10 gallon for quarantine. The 6th we suspect is a different variety, and a special case, so we didn't want to chase him down. If we get an easy chance we'll move him too.

Advice on quarantine please: 

1 or 2 a day water changes for a week observation before trying a med or salt?

Or half or full dose of Maracyn right away?  

If salt how much for corydoras? I see so much conflicting information on corys and salt.

Some other med instead?

Parameters in the 75  since we cycled tend to be 74 degrees, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 20 nitrates. But we struggle with reading those nitrates. So I added pictures of two tests from tonight, with API master kit and a strip test. My recorded parameters over the last month and pics of the two we are most alarmed about.  

All other fish in tank, 8 larger and 8 smaller black neon tetra, 4 white cloud minnows, 1 red drawf, 1 blue dwarf and 4 honey Gourami appear fine and the Honey Gourami have been making nests.  We just had to buy a 2nd 10 gallon for this quarantine because we have just hatched fry in the one we had been setting up. So I really hope the 75 tank is ok, and I really want to heal these Corydoras and provide a good home for them.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by MichelleN
Typos, edited to shorten.

[Alison]

I personally have had some bad experiences with corys.  It has nothing to do with the health and quality but they seem to be very sensitive to stressers.  Once they get established in a tank they are little troopers though. I tried to get a school of 6 and lost all but one within a couple of days. Water was great. I even took samples to lfs to get double checked. The second time I tried to add I got a group of six and three died in a couple of days.  The remaining three from the second attempt and the one from my first seem to be doing really well.

Mine didn't come with any concerning health problems but I did see some that didn't have barbels.  It honestly hasn't seemed to have any sort of negative effect on them.  I have watched carefully to see if I could spot any signs of infection or stress and I haven't noticed anything. They are all derping around the tank and eating just fine.

I am not an expert in fish diseases and ailments by any means, partly because I've been very luck to not have to deal with anything.... yet.  I truly hope that someone else responds to this as well with some experience treating corys because the one with the red mouth and swollen gills definitely has something going on.

[MichelleN]

@Allison AmayaThanks so much for your reply. I did start Maracyn yesterday.  In the smaller tank it was easier to watch behavior and see the ones I was most worried about were less active. The Popeyes one tended most to isolate.   I also added cattapella leaves and anacharis to the QT tank, thought it might make the water more comfortable.   I'm feeling better about the whole QT today.  All five are active this morning and hanging together again.  The one's eyes are looking much improved. Still redness under those fins. I was much relieved to have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and while nitrates are still between 20-30 at least its no higher. I pulled a gallon out and added a gallon new water with the meds.  

Edited November 15, 2020 by MichelleN
Typos

[Alison]

I'm so glad they are showing signs of improving. They really are amazing ans fun little fish. I am enjoying mine quite a lot. They definitly have very distinctive personalities.

[MichelleN]

😕 the Popeyes are no more, but now one of the little guys is showing swim bladder issues, gets itself righted but its breaking my heart.  Two more days treatment to go. My distraction from Covid-19 is at the moment distressing me also.  Two months in when I'm delighted by a new shrimp or sporting my too shy pygmies I'm feeling evil for trying to keep living creatures in an artificial environment in which an idiot (me) is in poor control. All to like the outside world to be a comfort. 😢

[MichelleN]

Last Matacyn dose was Wednesday.  Cory's looking much improved.  I need to keep taking photos to track but I believe we are seeing barbel growth on all but the little guy who had none, and that ones mouth looks better.  Daily water changes continue. They seem to flash a bit after each change so we've most recently added addition floating plants and a cycled sponge filter from the main tank in hopes we can either move to smaller daily changes or every other day changes while

 we hold them in unmedicated quarantine a couple more weeks close observation before moving them back to the big tank.  Waters a bit messy in photos because I just scaped the glass.

[MichelleN]

Update: look someone is growing new whiskers!  😄

Edited December 2, 2020 by MichelleN
Status update

[lefty o]

the whiskers do grow back.