Cory Cat's Dying

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rockbellab

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
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Turtle Lake, ND
Hi, I'm new to Cory Cat's so I really need help. Here's the information. The reason I'm writing is I've lost 5 Cory Cats in a week. I've tried to give you all the information that you need to help me.

Quarantine Tank set up on Friday, February 10th.
Tank: 20 gallon long
Water: Bottled Spring Water (my tap water is really bad)
Substrate: white sand (bought at LFS for freshwater tank, I rinsed it well).
Decorations: Two Sphinx and Egyptian pillar and one medium river rock (was boiled)
Water Temp: 78F to 80F

Tests (after set up and before fish) 2-12-06:
pH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm

80% water change on 2-17-06 (I thought this might help the fish, probably didn't)

Tests today 2-20-06:
pH - 8.0
Ammonia - 0.50 to 1.0ppm (I know that's not good)
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm

I've lost four of seven Spotted Cory's, one of two Sterbai Cory's and I still have the three Bronze Cory's. The Spotted and Bronze Cory's are from the LFS and the Sterbai are from an online aquaria place. I ordered four Sterbai but only two arrived alive, one died two days later and one is still alive and kicking.

I will do a water change to help with the Ammonia and pH. I didn't know pH would rise like that.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong and/or ideas as how to keep the other Cory's alive?
Thanks.
 

CatLover

Rummy Nose Tetra Fanatic
Jan 4, 2006
220
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Texas
Is the tank cycled? Does it have any addatives such as salt? What are you feeding them? Temperature?

Sorry to ask so many questions, just trying to understand the situation.

I have spotted cories, peppered cories, and panda cories. So, I have kept cories before, maybe I can help.
 

rockbellab

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
67
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Turtle Lake, ND
Yes, the tank is cycled. Yes, I added salt on Friday. I thought it would help. Had I done my research I would have realized that Cory Cats do not do well with salt. Could this be what is killing them? They will start off not moving at all and their gills, fins, whatever start laying flat, their breathing becomes rapid and they stop going for air. I've had to euthinize two of them because I didn't want them to suffer like the others. I really think that the ammonia that is showing up could be from the sand. I washed it in tap water (my tap water has ammonia of 1.0 to 2.0 ppm), I added Prime to compensate. I guess I should have done a lot more research. I thought Cory Cat's were supposed to be much easier. My Oscars and Betta's are a lot easier.
Thanks for your help.
P.S. I plan on doing a large water change to help with the ammonia. Also, do you think their deaths are stress related? Or is that even possible?
 

ghinksmon

AC Members
Aug 30, 2005
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Northern NJ
I'd guess Gumby's got it. But in addition what's the pH and hardness of the bottled water? Though it wouldn't cause the sudden deterioration you've described, a pH of 8 coupled with hard water isn't great for cories either.
 

rockbellab

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
67
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Turtle Lake, ND
Here is the info you wanted.
dKH - 6 & KH - 107.4
dGH - 6 & GH - 107.4
pH - 7.4
These are the readings directly from the Spring water bottle.
Should I do a huge water change to get the salt (out) and the Ammonia (down)? Is there any other strange facts I should know about Cory Cat's so I don't kill anymore?
Thanks for your help.
 

racingjason

Big Fish Tank..Small Fish Knowledge
Feb 7, 2005
354
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I've used salt in a tank that had corys with no problem before. You should check your water again, I have seen this with corys when the ph is bouncing around. Good Luck.
 

CatLover

Rummy Nose Tetra Fanatic
Jan 4, 2006
220
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Texas
I'd agree that it is definitely the salt. I would say do the water change to get the salt and ammonia down.

Just saw the post above mine. I have also kept cories with salt, but I acclimated them gradually and my lfs uses small amounts of salt with their cories. It is likely that the cories you purchased have never been in water with added salt, therefore it was a major shock to them. I keep all my cories at a ph of 8.1 steady. Fluctuating ph could definitely be an issue . . .
 
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rockbellab

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
67
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0
Turtle Lake, ND
I just finished a water change and will do another tomorrow. Maybe the rest will survive and I will have learned an important lesson. Thanks for your help.
 

Holly9937

AC Members
Jan 20, 2005
2,695
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Michigan
Am I missing something? If you dont' have any nitrates, the tank is not cycled, which would also explain the spike in ammonia, soon it will be a nitrite spike. Both are harmful to the fish, and I'm willing to bet that is the problem~an uncycled tank. Just do lots of large water changes and keep the ammonia at/very close to 0
 
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