I have a 10 gal tank with 5 zebra danios and 2 spotted corys. I started it with 3 zebras, then about a month later added 2 more zebras and a spotted cory. I got them from the local Petsmart, because they were the only ones around with spotted corys in stock, and I just liked the look of the little guys. Anyway, the two new zebras died (not surprising -- the idiot at the store was pretty rough with them getting them out of the tank), but the cory settled in and did just fine. He (I'm assuming
) became the clown of the tank.
About 2 weeks ago I was in a different Petsmart, and was looking at the fish there. Their tanks were in much better shape than the ones at my local store, and I found out why -- when I talked to the clerk there, it turned out he has 3 tanks at home, and loves his little charges, and was very gentle with them. So I got two more zebras and another spotted cory there. All settled in fine and are still going strong.
The new cory was pretty shy for the first week or so, usually only coming out at 'twilight' (when the tank lights are off but the light in the room is still on). I could see the two corys playing in the tank, and during the daytime I'd sometimes seem them huddled together in the cave in the resin rock formation I have. But he usually hung out near the back of the tank in the plants so I never got a close look at him until tonight, when he was out and about at feeding time and was hanging out near the front of the tank. I thought something looked odd about him, and then realized what it was -- he's missing his left eye! It doesn't look like a fresh wound (looks pretty healed, in fact), and he's shows no signs of distress at all. Eating well, quite active now, and even likes to get into the stream of bubbles on the side of the tank and ride them to the top.
So I don't know if he was injured before I got him, got injured on the way home, or injured himself when he got into the tank. I made sure when I set it up that there were no sharp edges, and I've never seen the danios bother the corys at all (except for an occasional scrap over the sinking wafer I give the corys every couple of days), so I'm pretty sure he wasn't attacked. He doesn't seem to be in any distress, and is now just as active as the other cory, so I'm pretty sure it's an old wound. I started a round of melafix just in case it is a recent wound, but he seems to be ok.
So I have a little handicapped spotted cory -- it just makes him seem cuter in a weird way.
(I'll try to get a picture of him if he ever settles down near the front of the tank again.)
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