Dead Albino Cory - Why???

[ct-death]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this Forum

I am asking for any knowledge on why my Albino Cory may have died???

Tank: 30 Gallons; 3 months old
Weekly water changes @ 20% and gravel cleaning

Fish:
1 Oto
1 (Dead) Cory
2 Neon Gouramis
2 High-Fin Black Tetras
5 Neon Tetras
2 Sepea Tetras
2 Mollies
2 Pengiun Tetras
3 Guppies

Tank Specs:
pH: 7.1-7.2
Nitrites: 0.0
Ammonia: 0.0
NitrAtes: 20
I may have these readings reveresed --
Alkalinity: 25
Hardness: 40-80

Recent changes:
Added 3 Guppies (2 males 1 female) to 'fill' out my tank 2 almost 3 weeks ago

Feedings:
2x a day (Flakes)
1x a day 1/3 of a algea wafer

Symptoms before his demise:

- 1st, she was ALWAYS hyper-active until 3 days ago
- She began by not feeding one evening, which was extrmely unusual!! She usually ate both the flakes and the wafer pieces I put into the tank (The Oto just seems content sucking on the glass and artifical plants)
- Next day she was 'breathing' slowly and perhaps laboring a bit (did not feed the tank that morning)
- That evening I found her lying on her side, breathing and blinking slowly under a shelter
- This morning she was belly up on the gravel, alive, but obvioulsy she was on her last fin.

I removed her and placed her into a bowl (1/2 gallon Beta Bowl) of fresh distilled water by herself. I had to leave for work, but I am not optimistic that her last breathe was not already taken...

The other fish seem very energetic and "happy", but I have grown to really appreciate this little guy, much to my suprise. :sad:

 

[ct-death]

The onl.y thing I should add would be that I have owned this Cory for the life of the tank. She helped me Cycle it, which makes her at least 3 months old. She has probably added a 1/2" of length to her size and is around 2" overall.

Also, I DO add the recommended Salt indicated on the Box - 1 tsp for every 5 gallons (although the more I read, the more I guess I shouldn't?). I do this by adding 1 1/2 tablespoons when I do a monthly 50% water clean and tank scrub.

Thanks again for any help!

 

[Cory Lover]

Hi,

First off, your tank is on the edge of being over stocked IMO (but nothing really to worry about, just don't get anymore fish), but I don't think that caused the death. Another thing is Cories NEED to be kept in groups, and because your Cory was alone, lonelyness might have contributed to his/her death. Cories can be sentsitive to salt, but yet again I don't know if that caused your Cory to die. Cories also need varied diets, and about 30% of a algae wafer and some flakes is not that good. If you ever get anymore Cories again, give them some shrimp pellets and frozen bloodworms (about once a week with the bloodworms).

Hope this helps!

Cory Lover

 

[daayda3]

Also, I heard that cycling a tank with a cory shortens there life-span...
Welcome!!!

 

[Ulan]

I also had cories die upon adding some new fish to the aquarium (in my case some otos). Those are the dangers of not observing any quarantine. At least in my case, the cories died before any of the other fish showed disease symptoms. Later the tetras got ich.

And I hope you didn't put the fish really into distilled water. That's cruel. They will explode internally. Or was that meant to kill it?

 

[ct-death]

Thanks for the input!!!

Would I be okay to get 2-3 Corys for this tank? I do not want to over-stock my tank, but I now feel that they are a must for any setup!

I think maybe a combination of poor diet (my fault clearly - Thanks Cory Lover for the tips!), adding 3 new fish a few weeks ago that maybe carried a disease, and perhaps most importantly not providing a mate for happiness. But she seemed so full of life and happy not 52 hours ago

As for the water, she was exhibiting no motion or gill activity. The fact that she was on the gravel (as opposed to floating) I assumed that she either was alive (barely) of JUST died. As such I knew it was over, and wanted to make sure, but preserve her for when I got back from work in case anything showed up (i.e. itch, etc.) Should I have used a different method? I was hoping that this was 'humane'. Sorry for my ignorance...