Cory cats

[poppet]

Well my corys have died yet my platy's still seem happy enough. If it was the water that killed them, how long should I wait before I should try introducing new fish to my tank? Also we have some shells at the bottom of the tank and I was wondering whether this could have helped to kill my fish. The shells were all washed before going into the tank but I still wonder if they could have changed the water somehow.

Thanks.

 

[Luniyn]

Shells actually increase the pH of your tank and if it's a small tank it could have contributed to the death of your poor cory's (one of my favorite fish... I'm sorry for your loss!). If you have a larger tank and only a few decorative shells rather then crushed shells as your substrate, then it might not have had any effect. However, if you don't have one, you should invest in a test kit . It will help you understand what the conditions of your water are. If you are not fully cycled (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5+ nitrate) then I wouldn't add any more fish until you are. Read this to understand how the cycle works. If you are fully cycled then depending on the size of your tank (general rule is 1" of adult fish size per gal of water) you could add more fish right away provided you have room. For example the platys get to be 2" as adults, so if you have 2 platys then you need 4 gals of water to house them. The corys usually get in the 2" to 2.5" range depending on the type. So let's say it was 2.5" then you would need another 5 gals of water for 2 of them. So if you have a 10 Gal tank then you are pretty much at max load with 2 of each. If you only have a 5 gal tank then you are full with just 2 platys. Good Luck!

 

[COBettaCouple]

Unfortunately corys seem to be most sensitive to water conditions being off, but platys are pretty hardy. Do your platys spend a lot of time near the top of the water or do they swim all over the place? How many platys do you have and what kind(s)?

 

[poppet]

HI our tank is 120cm x 45 cm x 35 cm and we had 2 peppered catfish. The platys are wagtail platys and we only have 2 of these they seem healthy but do seem to spend a bit of time near the top of the tank. Thanks.

 

[COBettaCouple]

HI our tank is 120cm x 45 cm x 35 cm and we had 2 peppered catfish. The platys are wagtail platys and we only have 2 of these they seem healthy but do seem to spend a bit of time near the top of the tank. Thanks.

That could indicate they're not happy with the water chemistry. Chances are you'll find high ammonia and/or nitrites when you get your testing kit. If you can get Prime or NovAqua+ for treating your tap water, that would be good for your platys. When your tank's chemistry gets in line for you, a few more of those beautiful wags would make the 2 in there happy.. try to get all males if you can.

 

[Luniyn]

Well with the size of your tank and the few amount of shells that you have, it probably didn't have much to do with anything. It would be OK to put them back in (I noticed you mentioned removing them in another post). The more important thing is probably as FLBettaCouple mentioned, the ammonia level and possibly the nitrite levels. That test kit will really help narrow it down, and if it's not possible to get that test kit then at least take the water to be tested by the pet store. And be sure to ask them what the numbers are not just let them tell you their opinion of the quality of the water.

 

[bbfeckawitts]

I saw in another post your ammonia was .3-.6. I would do a 50% water change to get it down. Do NOT add any other fish until your ammonia reads 0, your NitrIte reads 0, and your NitrAte reads 5+. This could take anywhere from 4-6 weeks. You have to be pateint, which is hard sometimes! Once you get all this worked out you will enjoy them trust me! I did the SAME thing with my tank. Unfortunately I lost some fish too. But now they are all better they really are a joy. I have 3 platys, 2 silver dollars, 2 ghost catfish, 3 corydoras catfish (bronze and aenus). Good luck.
Brianna