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Mani, welcome to FP. Couple of questions before I run to get some help...I know you don't suspect your water parameters, but have them checked anyways. How long has this been going on? How long has the tank been set up? How long have you had this cory? What do the other fish in the tank look like? And what are they?

Answer these, and I'm running off now to find someone to help you...they should be here shortly...I hope...Best of luck, Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

but it isnt quite dead...

its been like this since the weekend. just floating around the bottom. it was fine before this and i have no reason to suspect the water. it did have a scratch mark on its back and one of its fin did look like it was bleeding but the scratch on the back has since gone away

i've put some melafix in and done a water change

but it just floats around. occasionally it'll burst into life swim around and then just float as if it was dead. quite often on its side or upside down. but hte gills are clearly moving.

and is that normal garden green peas yeah?

well it was only a lil bit of melafix cuz thats all i had remaining in the bottle...

i went and bought soem swim bladder thing

it talks about aquatic salts... sorry aqualibrium salt

is that different to normal salt? how so?

it says it works better with that kinda salt in the tank..

If you've already added the Melafix, adding another med to the mix might not be a good idea for now, but for future reference, one I'd add to the collection is Myxazin. Which I've already road tested with Panda Corys (notorious for being delicate and sensitive to any conditions not to their liking) and they showed no adverse effects when I used it. This is the home page of the company that makes it, along with a range of other meds I use such as Protozin. The company is UK based, so there should be no problem getting these meds from any decent UK fish dealers.

I'd wait until the Melafix has had chance to work though before switching to Myxazin. Which in my experience DOES work well with bacterial infections and related conditions.

However, if the swim bladder is deranged, you might like to try 'unblocking' your Cory in case it's constipated. This sounds a tad silly, but sometimes fish swim bladders become deranged because of gastrointestinal tract blockages. Yes, time to try a laxative!

The favoured method with many of the aquarists here on the Board is to feed fresh shelled peas. Which has a definite laxative effect. Sometimes, something stronger is needed, such as a temporary soaking in a solution of Magnesium Sulphate (commonly known as Epsom Salts). If this doesn't cure the problem, then it's probably something more serious. If the swim bladder has become deranged because of a bacterial infection, then treating it might prove difficult, especially as antibiotics are only available here in the UK via a vet prescription. In which case, you would have to take your Cory to a vet and let him examine it first. Which might prove problematic if your vet has specialised in small mammals and dogs, and has precious little fish experience!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

cud it b swimbladder?

ugh!! i always mix up the nitrite and the nitrates

no i dont see any worms and i've just scooped a whole cup full to look at it in detail...

i'm suspecting it cud b a fungal disease so i'll b gettin some more melafix in there... the rest of the fish seem to b swimmin fine havent noticed any change in their behaviour

umm, CA - please note, antibiotics are not available to UK fishkeepers unless they obtain a veterinary prescription.

D'oh! Forgot to notice the flag. My bad.[/font]

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Use a good antibiotic like Maracyn Plus to wipe out the infection. I have had to use this several times at work, and have had a lot of success with it.

umm, CA - please note, antibiotics are not available to UK fishkeepers unless they obtain a veterinary prescription.

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Keep a close watch on the little guy, cause when Cories aren't happy they can drop off in a flash.

But...
Am I reading your NitrItes right? If so, you've gotta do a water change, fast. I'm hoping you meant NitrAtes. (If you did mean NitrAtes, then 20 is in the safe range)

The "bleeding fins" makes me suspect a bacterial infection. These infections spread quickly and and can killa fish very quickly, so in my opinion you should treat the tank immediately.

Use a good antibiotic like Maracyn Plus to wipe out the infection. I have had to use this several times at work, and have had a lot of success with it.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is too late for this particular cory, so protecting the rest of the tank's inhabitants should be your number one goal if it is indeed a bacterial infection.

Keep us posted.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

How often do you gravel vac? And do you dig deep to get at all the mulm?

Also, do you see things that look like small worms, sort of tea coloured thin worms, wriggling about in the gravel?

Only they could be implicated in your Cory's illness ...

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

rightt


ammonia is 0, nitrate 0 , nitrite around 20...

the tanks been set up for over a year and half - dec 2003 i think
and thats when i bought the cory - maybe a month later...

other fishes are 2 golden loach, 1 striped snail eater, i otto, 4 neons, 2 fantails, 1 lyretail molly, 1 swordtail,

taNK IS 96 GALLON - 3 FOOT BY 1 by 1 roughly...

yeah i did a water change on monday nite 25% - there's one plant of unknown

nah its not been "flashing"

food wise i give them a variety. one day it'll b flakes only next it'll b algae wafers then pellets etc.. i have about 10 different feeds i just rotate - live feeds come about once a fortnite since i dont have a shop nr by

Hello ... first of all, before any diagnosis can be attempted, water parameters are needed URGENTLY. Need Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate data first of all, followed by pH and if you can supply it, hardness.

Next, aquarium size would be useful (preferably X x Y x Z dimensions: US gallons are still a mystery to me ) and a list of other occupants. Plus, whether the aquarium is planted, and any special details about substrate (e.g., whether or not you're using something special such as Eco Complete or flourite).

Next, have you performed a water change and gravel vac recently? Did you temperature match the water during the water change?

Next, has the affected fish been 'flashing' at all? This is a sort of flicking movement where the fish scratches itself against the substrate or any hard surfaces in the aquarium. In particular, has the fish been trying to 'scratch' a particular part of its body?

Next, what diet does this fish subsist on? Does it live mostly off flakes, or does it receive supplements of live foods, and such items as Hikari algae wafers (which my Pandas go nuts for!)?

Supply as much data as possible!




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

It's not long if he's on his side.

There are other ways besides decapitation. There are lots of ways. I use clove oil.

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When I use clove oil, I use a small disposable container capable of holding at least a liter for a small fish. I use about 1 ml of clove oil that I add to a bottle that has a small amount of tank water and lots of air for vigorous shaking. You shake it well until it is fully emulsified (milky white solution). I have a bubbler running in the water on a segment of airline that I just throw away. Once the clove oil solution hits it, you don't want to use it in a tank again, or you can store it for other euthanasia. It circulates the water well. I fill that container with tank water, add the fish, then slowly pour in the solution. They do sometimes fight it, but it only lasts a few seconds. Keep in mind, clove oil is used as an anesthetic at lesser doses. You mus follow up with freezing or decapitation. I leave them in the solution a good hour, then move to the freezer.

In the US we can easily buy clove oil in our health food stores. Some pharmacies sell it too.

Best wishes

Diane

i havent done it yet

cuz i just havent got the heart

but i know its either that or a slow death

at the moment he's lying on his right hand side and even when he does his burst of energy release its on the right and lands on that too

The only thing is that it is difficult to do that to something as tiny as a pygmy cory. You can barely hold it at a 1/2 inch or so.

Well, fish in stock tanks often aren't able to die in peace, because the other fish start eating them while they're still alive, and we need to get them out of there to prevent any illnesses from occuring or spreading.

The only reasons why I've done it is because [1] the fish came in with some sort of infection, or [2] because some idiot put the fish in an incompatible tank and the fish was critically injured and would not be able to survive.

I never euthanize fish if I believe they have any remote chance of surviving.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

^^^^^ Oh My God sounds just like a horror movie. I dont think i'd ever have the heart to do that to my fish...:#(:#(I'd just let it live as long as it can and let it die in peace.... Imagine that happening to u, or me....

Use the sharpest knife or rasor blade you can find, and separate the head from the body as quickly as possible using all of your strength.

When done correctly, the fish is killed instantly and painlessly. Make sure you do it in a place that is easy to clean up, because although it isn't as gory as it sounds (I have had to decapitate several fish at work, from cardinal tetras to 12" eels), a bit of blood will most likely get on the cutting surface because it takes a few seconds for the fish's heart to stop beating.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.