I've never had any of my cory cats phyically attacked in a community tank. Do you have enough places for them to hide? Like even set up a small cave or two rocks with one over the two to create space below for them to take cover?

I do have a small tank(12 gallons) set up at my office that has 4 cory cats (3 of them albinos), two glass cats and a neon blue gourami. Don't see any injuries of any sort in that tank. Some gouramis can be bullies about food, though.

With any corys I've had that did indeed have some sort of fin rot, plain water changes helped enormously. I didn't use anything for treatment since I thought they were more sensitive to meds.

Thanks Skygee,

I am stumped, and it may have been because the group had problems at the store. The former batch was even smaller and of those only two survived. A younger person who is extremely knowledgable and they let work their during his summer school breaks (high school)(back in school now) said when I asked for more, they weren't ordering more as they were coming in too small (really really teeny and fins esp pectorial almost stubs!) Bad breeding I guess.

The thing is, it doesn't look like the fin rot so on I am used to, leading edge ragged, reddish or even anything white, which may be hard since they are white/pink. Like little half circles chunks missing from tail so on.

Well, just keeping water clean and see what happens at this point.

By the way, do you know why the messages seem to get out of order now (didn't notice it prior). I also haven't been getting emails and one of the reasons (along with log in problems) I stopped visiting. Is it just me? I see some months way out of order, so its harder to follow a thread time line? I just emailed staff so will see.

I have a large piece of driftwood, and java ferns but can add some rock formations or caves for them... I do twice weekly partial water changes, so do you think this is enough. I was thinking of putting them in the 10 gallon with the two bettas which seem well on way to recovery from flex columinaris, but maybe too soon. Just have them in 2 gallon hospital tank and would like to get them into something larger.

Thanks again, Sherry

If they weren't in great shape to begin with - could be that they've got some internal bacteria infection they're trying to ward off - so anything else around is hitting them hard (like fin rot). Plus if they are getting harassed by any of the other fish in the tank - voila. Perfect setting for any sort of issue.

I have had minor fin rot with cories - and it never looked red or at least I never saw any of the red veining that is sometimes visible with larger fish or goldfish.

Create some places for them to hide - with cories, I've noticed mine like to get out of the hustle bustle of the community tank action. They always come out for feeding times though!

I would NOT put them in with the bettas. I'm only thinking that their resistence is low as it is - you don't want to further stress them with a move and possibly infect them with something new. JMO! :)

OK thanks, will keep them where they are and treat as for fin rot... just didn't see red, but at least someone else has had same... will set up 10 gallow just for them.. I am going to give away blind cave fish (I sent you an email re free fish?????) and gourami as well. I think it is just weakness from where they came which was not great. Still swimming et al... Thanks much again. Sherry

(did water change all things same will continue as you mentioned, clean clean water)

Just a note to add here.

The gravel or substrate can sometimes be a problem with corys as well. Sometimes rocks have sharp edges that can wear down a corys fins and barbels. How are the barbels on these corys? Are they the correct length and do they look healthy?. Lots of water changes as mentioned is good, but also keeping the substrate vacummed and very clean of uneaten food particles will help also.

The best substrate that I have found for corys is the finely crushed gravel. It has to be stired with each water change and kept very clean, but the corys do much better with this than the larger gravels. The easiest thing is bare bottom tanks.....if you can be happy with the bare look....its the easiest to keep clean.......of course you will have to provide cover as sky has mentioned.

The other thing that I have found is that some corys don't do well in hard water. Have you tested the hardness of the water?

Good luck with your corys!

Sierra

That's something to think about inre the gravel. The type of gravel I use is the "stone" type. Which is pebble-like (albeit very small pebbles).

Sherry - I'll only take free fish if you'll take some guppies! LOL ;)

Sorry to all for not responding quickly, not getting email any more. Guppies (shish - I don't think so Skygee, lol)
(just curious though, what type of guppies, beautiful blue males???)

Just now getting rid (naturally dying from old age) of mine, the babies my blue mom was supposed to have, (turned out red)...

At any rate, gravel size is fine and I realized the problem. I have just a small layer of fine sand (ok for fresh water) and really small rounded gravel (I had read of this prior) That said their barbels are just fine.

I seperated most of them to seperate 10 gallon, low light, fake plants for security.. with filter (ammonia chips) and mardel one two... and change part water daily (I find with nyc water - even prefiltered, just needs daily if can't cycle which since this is a hospital tank, isn't)

Little bit of salt, and that tea tree stuff (sorry lights out and forgot spelling)...

Much improvement, some fins growing back in. To my horror though a few left in original tank, had slight blood behind eye - I knew what that meant. So, even though I thought I was maintaning the tank I (only one month for fluvial) changed the outside fluvial (sp)... uck and more uck... I had changed the other two filters one each week... (alternate to keep bacteria ok) (I use a bio bug product that is great, in other tanks water crystal clear)

I agree with less gravel, as is what is done in other tanks (got idea at Dr. Foster site I think) But maybe too much? about 1/3 inch maybe more in spots.... driftwood with Java ferns - but they aren't doing so well, so think dead plant matter may have clogged fluvial (wasn't that bad but wasn't that clean, more in intake outtake tubes, some sort of filmy stuff floated back into tank, so did a gravel cleaning and diaton cleaning to clean muck that was released into water.

(a quick aside on java fern, seems like some sort of rusty stuff, now going on my driftwood... I took one out and it rubs right off, like spores in the water almost (not the ferns spores) just very fine stuff... I was reading on fungal rusts (but for land plants) Is this something similar.. can that effect the water quality?)

I have set up a third tank (still cycling) huge round plastic form about 2 1/2 feet wide, will have Anubias, and driftwood - will go slower this time... to put 3 cave fish into.

That said, I hate to say, seems like bacterial due to water quality. (Even thought the water is clear, think the gravel wasn't) I think since I put food in under water to sink some for cories, (the cave fish acted like piranahs during feeding - hogging in one mouth bite the cory pellot food).

so even though I did water (10 - 20% week) changes et al each week, must not have been good enough. I feel horrible as I really like these guys and feel I wasn't responsible...

So, will stay in 10 gallon until other is cycled, and I can feed less due to 'piranah feeding frenzy' problem.

Was it too much bio organic stuff, driftwood, new java ferns not doing well, too thick gravel and too much food? (once a day though) Also, pet store manager thought stress from caves (only at feeding time they really go nuts plowing into one and all, even the gourami is scared at feeding time) then the bacteria set in. Thanks sorry for length... Best Sherry

ok, guess beautiful blue neon drawf gourami will not be at the home of skygee, lol....

Sherry - I work in the city and have a couple of tanks set up (have for about 5 years now). One, a 12 gallon, occasionally gets that same sort of rusty algae which gets on decorations and tank walls and fako plants. Like you said - it rubs off easily. That tank has a dwarf flame gourami, two glass cats and 4 cory cats. This comes and goes. I mean I wipe things down - since I'm at work, it's not like I can do massive cleaning - and things seem to clear up for a while. And then it starts to creep back into the tank. But the other tank - a 6 gallon with one betta in it and live plants - has never gotten this rusty algae. Go figure! I do use the same pad to clean the sides of the tanks, too. Both tanks are Eclipse tanks. I think the well established plant in the 6 gallon keeps that type of algae at bay. The bigger tank I've never been able to get plants growing well since gouramis tend to love to yank up plants and try to make nests up at the top with the leaves.

I think it didn't help that you got cories that weren't all that great stock to begin with. And - (some may disagree with me here) I think you're fussing too much! And not allowing your tank to really cycle.

Forget the tea tree stuff. I know they say it's safe for filters and such - but I've always found that it promotes algae growth whenever I've used it in my goldfish tank. Which I think then throws the whole bacteria balance off in the tank.

Sometimes with really stubborn bacterial infections you really just have to use something stronger to knock it out. Of course this means having to go through tank recycling, but you're already doing constant water changes, so it won't be anything new in your routine of late.

My guppies are mish-mash mutts! LOL I started out with some real beauties, but then you know how it goes! LOL