Albino Cory With Bloody Eye

I have noticed recently that my albino Cory has been losing chunks of his fins. I've had him for a little less than a year. He has grown up with mollies, tiger barbs, swordtails, a clown loach, gouramis and other Cory's. I started noticing his fin issue after I added some neon tetras to the group... so by process of elimination, I got rid of the tetras. After they were gone, his fins seem to be getting better. This morning I woke up to him having a swollen/bloody eye. Wondering if it is possible that he just bumped it on something or if maybe it is a disease I haven't come across? Btw, water levels are great, did a water change today, and added some stress coat to see if that might help. He is still swimming and rooting around in the gravel but has been still a lot more today. Anyone know what it might be? Or how I can treat him?

 

Welcome to FishLore!

I guess it's hard to know for sure, but you do have some fish in the tank that can be pretty aggressive

 

My guess would be the tiger barbs they can get agressive. Do you have any pics of the Cory?

 

Tiger barbs would be the prime suspects, but Mollie can also get mean

 

My guess would be the tiger barbs they can get agressive. Do you have any pics of the Cory?

I will try to get one. I honestly don't think it's my barbs. They are usually pretty docile and hangout with my swordtail at the back of my tank and have been in the same tank with my cories since they were tiny. The more I look at it, it looks pretty intact just bloody.

Welcome to FishLore!

I guess it's hard to know for sure, but you do have some fish in the tank that can be pretty aggressive

Thank you! I know it sounds silly but I stayed up all night one night to watch him when I noticed his fins missing and I caught the tetras picking on him so I immediately got rid of them but no one else seemed to be interested in the bullying. My molly is usually the referee if things get wild. I may do the same thing again. I just hope it's not some weird fungal thing or virus.

My guess would be the tiger barbs they can get agressive. Do you have any pics of the Cory?

This isn't the best picture since he's hiding in a weird spot but I'll get another later if I can get him to move.

 

Definitely hard to tell but can see the swollen eye. Not a disease pro by any stretch but if he's being chased there is a good chance he did hit something...As fun and dopey as cory cats are they are still missles in the water when they need to be. Try keeping the water pristine for the next few days and see if the red swollen eye starts to go down. Did you say you have a school of them or is it just him?

 

Definitely hard to tell but can see the swollen eye. Not a disease pro by any stretch but if he's being chased there is a good chance he did hit something...As fun and dopey as cory cats are they are still missles in the water when they need to be. Try keeping the water pristine for the next few days and see if the red swollen eye starts to go down. Did you say you have a school of them or is it just him?

I have a school of different kinds. I have a panda cory that usually lays with him or nudges him to get him moving a little. I took a couple more pictures. He has turned around but in the same awkward spot.

 

DoubleDutch
Looks like an injury to me. DD should be of more help than me hopefully!

 

Hard to say, but could it have bruised it when it tried tonfind food between the pebbles? Is this sized gravel the only that is in ?

 

Hard to say, but could it have bruised it when it tried tonfind food between the pebbles? Is this sized gravel the only that is in ?

That is what I'm thinking. He has always been kind of a spaz but more so when he takes off doing his fish zoomies towards the middle/top of the tank. The gravel kind of varies but yes, it's the only gravel in the tank. I checked him first thing this morning and the swelling looks like it has gone down but the redness is a tad darker. He is cleaning like a mad man tho. Hopefully this means improvement and no more making fish mom freak out.

 

This gravel might give you two possible issues. Food gets out of reach quite easy.
The fish will try to get to it (having this kind of injuries as a result). The food that can't be reached will start to rot what could possible cause ammonia / nitrites.

Think about changing or making a kind of "sandbeach" on which the Corys can be fed.

 

This gravel might give you two possible issues. Food gets out of reach quite easy.
The fish will try to get to it (having this kind of injuries as a result). The food that can't be reached will start to rot what could possible cause ammonia / nitrites.

Think about changing or making a kind of "sandbeach" on which the Corys can be fed.

I've actually been wanting to do that for a while but unsure of the best way to change it. I started the tank about a year ago and that's what I chose to begin with. I hate it now... plus the algae looks horrible on it. I'm pretty faithful at water changes and gravel vacuuming tho so my water stays pretty good. Any suggestions on how to get it out?

 

What algae are you facing exactly?

 

What algae are you facing exactly?

To me it looks like blue green algae. There's not much but enough to make it look gross right before weekly water changes.

 

To me it looks like blue green algae. There's not much but enough to make it look gross right before weekly water changes.

Mmmm that's in fact a bacteria taking its chance in case of an unbalance in ferts, lights, etc... Often seen in new tanks.
Do you add ferts ?

 

Mmmm that's in fact a bacteria taking its chance in case of an unbalance in ferts, lights, etc... Often seen in new tanks.
Do you add ferts ?

I do when I do a water change. I have the API Leaf Zone. I'm gonna try to change to sand. I honestly think the gravel just holds way too much waste. I check my levels usually every two weeks (sometimes every week) and for the most part they don't change... which I agree with you, eventually I feel like an ammonia spike may happen due to the left over garbage in the gravel. (Plus I think the sand makes the tank look better). Oh and update on my albino... his other eye did the same thing the day after I posted but was much darker in color. This morning they are both almost back to normal and he isn't looking so worm like with his fins finally growing back!