# Found dead cory cat today. Others bullied? PLEASE HELP!!



## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

I woke up to a disturbing sight today. Found one of my emerald cories dead sucked up against the filter intake. I am absolutely devastated. I dropped some pellets in last night, turned the light off and went to bed. I'm pretty sure he was alive last night, but I don't know. 

I think I made a huge mistake. My 20 gallon tank consists of

5 gold barbs
5 (now 4) emerald cory cats
5 cherry barbs

I was going to get 6-8 white minnows, but I decided to hold off. 

I think I made the mistake adding the fish. I added gold barbs first, then cories, then cherries all about 4 days apart. I HAD NO IDEA barbs were aggressive, and I am so angry that I didn't read more closely...my research mostly consisted of the specs of what temp/food/etc; 

This is my problem....I was looking more closely at my cories today and I noticed that almost all had about half their dorsal fins. I couldn't remember if they were like that...but I took videos a day after I got them...and most, if not all, had the full beautiful flowy dorsal fin. I think the gold barbs are harassing them. AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP! A lot of times the barbs and cories hang out near the bottom of the tank throughout the day...I think it's to look for food, but IDK. 

Should I go buy one more gold barb? I definitely need to replace the cory so that there are at least 5...PLEASE HELP!


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

my water seems fine, I tested nitrites and got 0, I have to test ammonia...I got the cories and cherries from the same petco. They are actually housed together in the same tank at petco, but I got them 4 days apart. Petco will replace fish as long as I give them a water sample, which I am pretty sure has nothing to hide...the others are fine


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

and the thing is, I never see my barbs harass any others. They mostly hang out together...but this morning one came up behind a cory and lunged at his tail...the cories are extremely quick to dash to the other side of the tank if others approach them. I don't think the barb actually got him, but I'm really scared right now. I'm worried they are getting bullied overnight mostly...or when I'm at school? My dad always turns the light off when I'm at school, and they tend to hang out closer to the bottom-ish.


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

anyone?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You need to test for ammonia and nitrates also to be sure where your tank is at. List those here. Also how long has the tank been set up and how soon after did you add fish? What is your water change schedule as it does sound like a water quality problem.


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

nitrites 0
ammonia 0-.25 (added some food a bit ago)
nitrates 5-10 ppm (having hard time picking the color...)

I do about 50% water changes a week. I changed two days ago, and again today. Both 25% changes. I may start doing a bit more. probably 20% changes every few days


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

If I also buy some more fake plants and maybe a cave, will it make them feel safer?


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

It will definitely help the more places to feel secure the better. Usually cories are pretty tough fish as far as bullying goes I would suspect something else is going on.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Even my Cherry Barb that likes to chase around mist anything that moves doesn't bother my cories. I think you can rule them out.

Very likely an acclimation or water quality issue. 

May or may not make you feel better but I pride myself on tank maintenance and out of 13 Cories, I lost one a few weeks after adding him.

Just test frequently, keep up on the water changes and cleaning schedule. You should be fine.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Are you using test strips or liquid tests. AND HOW LONG HAS THE TANK BEEN SET UP?


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

My only concern would be around this is you added to many fish to close together, its usually best to add one lot then wait several weeks for them to acclimate and let the filtration work its magic and grow stronger bacteria. Then add the next lot. Where as you've done 3 lots in a matter of days apart where you really wouldn't be letting the filtration get used to the added work load it hasn't seen yet. 

That being said corries tend to do well sticking up for themselves in my experience


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

I cycled bringing ammonia levels up to 4 ppm and that there was more than enough bacteria to handle everything. I was told I could add them closer together by others on the forum...so I did that. probably a bad decision then :/ 

I use API master test kit (liquid tests)

Tank took about a month to cycle and once it cycled, I added gold barbs a few days after (after adding minimal ammonia to keep bacteria alive and massive water changes to lower nitrates). The rest of the fish seem totally fine...could it be fin rot?


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

Ok it's definitely a water thing but idk what. Found a gold barb stuck to the filter this morning (the filter didn't have anything to do with it right). I only had tine to check for nitrites (0) and ammonia (0) before going to school. I'll check after and tell you, but PLEASE HELP


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Test your nitrates this afternoon. If they are in the safe range, it may be nothing mire than fish not acclimating well. 

Is your water from the same source as the water at the fish store? How and how long did you acclimate them?


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

So I would let the bag bob for 20 min, then carefully i would pour my own tank water into that bag and let it sit for another 20 min. Then I'd put them in a bowl and net them into the tank


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Drip acclimation is much more effective.

If you do the bag float method, try this in the future: flooat for 20 minutes. Then start removing a half cup, or so, of bag water and replace it with a similar amount of tank water every five minutes for at least a half hour..... I do it for a full hour.


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

I think it was how you staggered the introduction but under a short time apart. Which in turn staggers the bacteria needed to cope if you had added all the same time it would react differently than adding a couple days as its one hit rather than several. But then I say this from my own experience others may say otherwise.

However it could be just the water???? Are all the fish compatabile to the same water parameters? Have you also checked for any weird behaviour or signs of infection?


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

how can I check for infection? And also, what can I do to help fin regrowth for the cories. the fins look a little ragged (dorsal only)...some have more than others...


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

is melafix a worthy investment?


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## bolram (May 17, 2011)

There are a few inexpensive options, but I believe as above melafix is a good option and worthy buy


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I think the best cure would be plenty of water changes as cories can't handle much in meds since they are scaleless fish.


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

Water changes are the best medication you can do unless you know for sure what the problem is. Sometimes the stress from moving them will bring out diseases but usually water changes and time will cure all, as far as their fins go they will grow back.


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

Ok I will stick to water changes. Do you have any recommendation on percentage/week? I have a twenty gallon tank and currently do 25% every few days so about 50% a week. Is that fine?


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

Ugh...i replaced the gold barb yesterday. Pet supplies plus said my water was fine. Another cory died today...nitite 0 nitrate 0 ammonia was at .25 I'm guessing maybe from the decomposing fish? I did a 25% change on Sunday and I'm Doing today another today. What should I do now? No cherries have died, but they were housed in the same tank as the cories at Petco. Could it maybe be that they are starving? I droppellets in the tank along with flakes, but the cories never see them and the other fish eat them. I assumed that the left overs are eaten by the cories. Should I get another species of cories instead? I have 3 tiny emerald cories left...


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

When you are doing your water changes are you dechlorinating and matching temperatures?


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

Normally 4pm every two or three days...i do dechlorinate using Prime and let temp adjust...could it be because of how often i do the changes and how large? I do 25% changes


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Water changes aren't killing your fish.It would be nice if you could see the cories eat.Try offering zucchini as maybe the other fish will not eat all of that.


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

Or drop more shrimp pellets. My other fish swarm when I drop in shrimp pellets even though they just ate the flakes. But I put enough in that the Cories seem to get plenty to eat also. 

You can see my stock level in my signature. I drop 8-10 pellets every mornng and every evening.


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## PFeathre (Jul 22, 2012)

Ok, i three a few more in there. I went to petsmart and saw two emerald cories that were fully grown so they were about $6 each. I bought mine for $2 each...if petco gives me a refund should i pay the extra money for the larger cories. The ones i have now and bought are younger and smaller. I still feel like something shady is going on in that tank at night or when I an not watching. Will larger cories hang out with the smaller ones?


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## CAM (Jan 27, 2013)

If you saw full grown Emeralds, they must have been about three inches long. They get that big. 

Not sure the full grown ones will fare any better than juveniles. 

But yes, they will get along fine with smaller Emeralds and other Cories.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Personally I would try to give them thawed frozen bloodworms at night. I have about 80 cories and they get that 3 to 4 times a week.


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