Need help Immediately!!! Gasping Cory!!!

G

greenday04

AC Members
Nov 28, 2004
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Concord, CA
I got two dwarf cories w/black spots. The bigger one is doing great but the smaller one(which I liked to to his spunk at the LFS) is doing terrible. He is floating on his side at the surface of the water just barely breathing. His gils are working but he looks ok color wise but the breathing thing, oh no!!!

He is still stressed from coming home & new tank (we brought him home, acclamated & put in tank 4 hours ago)?

Please help right away!! Should I let him just be to see what happens or what!!
Thanks!!! :bowing:
(water conditions fine)
 
If the water tests okay (and by that I mean NH3 & NO2 are both 0, NO3 <25) and the pH and temperature are similar to what the fish was in at the store (or you acclimated them very carefully over time), I'd assume it's stress. I'm guessing it's not poisoning or shock from lack of acclimation to either pH or temperature since the other cory is fine.
Leave him alone, turn the lights off, and hopefully he'll be okay. Some fish react severly to being shipped, others start eating and swimming around right away - give it time and hopefully he'll settle down.
 
I certainly hope so. I was just worried that since he is on top that he is a lost cause. I will leave him alone.
Thanks.
Any other input is surely welcome.
All you guys are great!!!! :cool:
 
No3

A reading of no3 between 15 and 25 is high-sensitive fish won't last too long in this. Pygme cories are schooling fish so only having two possibily adds to his stress though likely something else is wrong.
 
Update

He or she is now on the bottom on his/her side breathing. When the other fish swims by she gets upright and swims out of the way then goes back down on her side. Nothing seems to be broke. I am thinking it is stress but how long will it last? I know when I get that way it may take 12 hours of rest to snap out of it. Same for fish?

Thanks! Like I said before, dogs are so much easier to predict!
 
rest

I'm sorry to say but when fish get that way it's more like twelve hours until death. sorry
 
It may be that shipping has done your little guy in. Corys can be sensitive IME and sometimes new additions just don't make it. He may have been squashed in the bag, or while the LFS employee was netting him, or it could just be stress - if the other fish are fine, I doubt it's anything to do with the tank or your acclimatization process. It sounds like there's absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent it. I hope he recovers, but once they're on their sides, it's unlikely. Poor you, and poor little cory :(
 
aye it no longer sounds like stress now. I'm sorry to hear about your cory. Best to Quarantine him if you have a spare tank.
*edit* and you say theres no symptoms at all? abnormal colors or too thin or bloated ect.? *edit*
 
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