Cory In Bad Shape

I have a 29 gallon lightly planted, been cycled for years. Readings are pH 8.0, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. 77° It had 3 neon tetras, one male fancy tailed guppy, and one albino cory.

Last week I changed the substrate to black diamond blasting sand and add 6 neons, 2 red cherry shrimp, and another albino cory. They only had one albino cory and didn't get any more in at the end of the week. I'm trying to increase their shoal to a dozen or so but need to wait for them to get more in.

Everyone has been doing great, the corys have been interacting, the new one was glass surfing a bit but nothing crazy.

Tonight, I saw one of the corys eating his sinking pellet but the other is just kind of swimming around mid tank. Looking closer, I see the poor guy is missing all but one barbell and over half his tail!

He doesn't seem to know how to eat, he swims to the food and looks like he's going to eat then backs away from it.

What could have caused the damage? I halfway suspect the guppy, but he normally swims around with the neons.

Is there any kind of disease that may be the culprit?

Is there anything I can do for this little fellow at this point? I'm afraid he's going to starve :'(

Here's the best picture I could get off the wiggle butt.

 

He's been nipped at. Errr you need more neons. I don't know what to say because I go through this with most people. Cories need to be in shoals of 6 or more. Neons also need more together. Neons are cooler water fish while albinos are warmer. Guppies like to be together so adding one more would be good.

 

Can you tell if this is the new Cory you recently got, or the older one?
Honestly, I just find it hard to believe that Neon Tetras are capable of nipping off Cory Barbels. I’ve only seen that done by large, aggressive fish. It could be he came with missing barbels, or lost them some other way. The nipped fins are likely from the Tetras though. As Sarah suggested, upping the numbers of both groups should help curb nipping. In my research, it looks like the temperature requirements for Bronze/Albino Cories and Neons overlap, so you should be fine there. Finally, keep the water nice and clean with regular water changes to help the little guy heal.

 

He's been nipped at. Errr you need more neons. I don't know what to say because I go through this with most people. Cories need to be in shoals of 6 or more. Neons also need more together. Neons are cooler water fish while albinos are warmer. Guppies like to be together so adding one more would be good.

I figured I'd get more neons eventually, but thought 9 was ok- ish for now?

I know corys need more, but the lfs has none so I'm hoping they get more this Thursday. If not I'll try to make the hour drive to the next closest fish store.

Fish lore says neons need 69-79°, and albino corys 72-78°, is the info wrong?

The guppy has to go.

Is there anything I can/ should do for this guy in the meantime? Or is he a goner?

 

Can you tell if this is the new Cory you recently got, or the older one?
Honestly, I just find it hard to believe that Neon Tetras are capable of nipping off Cory Barbels. I’ve only seen that done by large, aggressive fish. It could be he came with missing barbels, or lost them some other way. The nipped fins are likely from the Tetras though. As Sarah suggested, upping the numbers of both groups should help curb nipping. In my research, it looks like the temperature requirements for Bronze/Albino Cories and Neons overlap, so you should be fine there. Finally, keep the water nice and clean with regular water changes to help the little guy heal.

I just see the dorsal fin unless at. Wasn't talking about the barbels. That could have come from the store, not having a smooth surface, of infection.

 

I figured I'd get more neons eventually, but thought 9 was ok- ish for now?

I know corys need more, but the lfs has none so I'm hoping they get more this Thursday. If not I'll try to make the hour drive to the next closest fish store.

Fish lore says neons need 69-79°, and albino corys 72-78°, is the info wrong?

The guppy has to go.

Is there anything I can/ should do for this guy in the meantime? Or is he a goner?

Fishlore hasn't been updated in a long while. The experts have been though

 

Can you tell if this is the new Cory you recently got, or the older one?
Honestly, I just find it hard to believe that Neon Tetras are capable of nipping off Cory Barbels. I’ve only seen that done by large, aggressive fish. It could be he came with missing barbels, or lost them some other way. The nipped fins are likely from the Tetras though. As Sarah suggested, upping the numbers of both groups should help curb nipping. In my research, it looks like the temperature requirements for Bronze/Albino Cories and Neons overlap, so you should be fine there. Finally, keep the water nice and clean with regular water changes to help the little guy heal.

I want to say it's the new one who is injured just based on the fact he was the one doing the glass surfing and now neither is? I'm about 90% sure he wasn't missing barbels before today, he ate well when fed and acted normally.

How many neons do I need to get up to? 12? 15?

The guppy has to go!

Thanks!

 

I want to say it's the new one who is injured just based on the fact he was the one doing the glass surfing and now neither is? I'm about 90% sure he wasn't missing barbels before today, he ate well when fed and acted normally.

How many neons do I need to get up to? 12? 15?

The guppy has to go!

Thanks!

You can do anywhere from 6-20 neons!

 

You can do anywhere from 6-20 neons!

I'm so frustrated right now, I thought I had a solid plan!

Ok, so in your first reply you said I need more neons. I have nine. But then you said I can do 6-20. I'm so confused!

What am I missing here?

 

I don't think they saw that you got 6 more tetras at the same time as the cory. Do you have a qt tank or something you can set up? usually injured fish get picked on even more.... have you seen either the guppy or the tetras hanging around the cory? Also I can't see the whole tank but make sure you have some hiding places for the cories since they are getting nipped

 

I don't think they saw that you got 6 more tetras at the same time as the cory. Do you have a qt tank or something you can set up? usually injured fish get picked on even more.... have you seen either the guppy or the tetras hanging around the cory? Also I can't see the whole tank but make sure you have some hiding places for the cories since they are getting nipped

Ah, yeah. I thought that OP had 6 Tetras, not 9. That’s why I shouldn’t give advice on Fishlore when I’m tired.

I want to say it's the new one who is injured just based on the fact he was the one doing the glass surfing and now neither is? I'm about 90% sure he wasn't missing barbels before today, he ate well when fed and acted normally.

How many neons do I need to get up to? 12? 15?

The guppy has to go!

Thanks!

This is just strange, loss of barbels comes from dirty or improper substrate, but you have perfect substrate. Fin nipping is usually from too few fish, but you have a good amount of Neons in a tank that is plenty big enough. The only thing I can think of for the barbels is that they were already damaged or infected when you got him, and they fell off later. But it’s odd that he was acting normally before.
Upon doing a bit of research, I did notice some reports of Red Cherry Shrimp possibly nipping at fins, but this seems to be pretty rare.

My best advice is to make sure he has places to hide, and do water changes often. You can also check to see if he’s eating enough by looking for a concave belly. It’s most easily seen when they’re glass surfing, it’s a sudden oval shaped indent. In a healthy Cory, their bellies should be pretty flush with their body. You can try and tempt him to eat with yummy foods, my Cories go crazy for frozen bloodworms.

I wish you luck!

 

Ok, guys (and/or gals,)

I moved him to a 5 gallon tank all by himself with a nice plant and clay pot to hide in, same sand as the other tank. I stole a sponge out of another tank and stuck in the internal filter. Does this look ok?




He glass surfed quite a bit, and didn't seem to eat anything today. I just removed the wafer from this morning and replaced it with the second favorite kind and a few rehydrated freeze stuff blood worms. So far no eating.

Can he smell at all without barbels? Is there anything else I can do for him to help him eat?

He was chilling when I checked on him, here is the best pic I could get.




His tail is kind of down behind the hump in the gravel, he has a bit of a nub like the top part .

Right now he's swimming around, I think looking at me, but no eating.

 

Keep your water clean and add some stress coat. I think your other Cory did it. He's been in there ruling the bottom and now another one shows up. I have a friend that the same thing happened with his Albino. Again just 2 in the tank. Tail chewed off completely, dorsal gone completely.....was caught in the act. He separated him but he didn't last 2 days. Like others have posted, fill your schools. It helps prevent one getting picked on.

 

Keep your water clean and add some stress coat. I think your other Cory did it. He's been in there ruling the bottom and now another one shows up. I have a friend that the same thing happened with his Albino. Again just 2 in the tank. Tail chewed off completely, dorsal gone completely.....was caught in the act. He separated him but he didn't last 2 days. Like others have posted, fill your schools. It helps prevent one getting picked on.

You know, I wondered about this because this morning the healthy one seemed to be chasing the injured guy away from the food. What a jerk! I thought I made him happy by getting him a buddy.

I plan on getting more, the lfs only had one and didn't get any more last week. Do you think of I add 4 or 5 at one time the existing one will behave?

As far as the stress coat, I think I've read its not safe to use within 24 hours of prime? Or am I mistaken?

 

You know, I wondered about this because this morning the healthy one seemed to be chasing the injured guy away from the food. What a jerk! I thought I made him happy by getting him a buddy.

I plan on getting more, the lfs only had one and didn't get any more last week. Do you think of I add 4 or 5 at one time the existing one will behave?

As far as the stress coat, I think I've read its not safe to use within 24 hours of prime? Or am I mistaken?

That's true for SafeStart.
I haven't heard that about stress coat.
If you can find Seachem stress guard that's what I use. As far as new ones I'd try the 4 or 5. Monitor your water parameters though.

 

You know, I wondered about this because this morning the healthy one seemed to be chasing the injured guy away from the food. What a jerk! I thought I made him happy by getting him a buddy.

I plan on getting more, the lfs only had one and didn't get any more last week. Do you think of I add 4 or 5 at one time the existing one will behave?

As far as the stress coat, I think I've read its not safe to use within 24 hours of prime? Or am I mistaken?

Even though Cories are incredibly peaceful fish, 2 can be a bit of a tricky number for them. Aggression is rare, which is why I didn’t bring it up. But now that it’s been mentioned, it makes sense. Getting more will curb your bully’s aggression. Also, if the LFS carries Bronze Cories (often labeled as Emerald Green) you can get those as well, they’re the same species as albinos and will school with them.

 

Even though Cories are incredibly peaceful fish, 2 can be a bit of a tricky number for them. Aggression is rare, which is why I didn’t bring it up. But now that it’s been mentioned, it makes sense. Getting more will curb your bully’s aggression. Also, if the LFS carries Bronze Cories (often labeled as Emerald Green) you can get those as well, they’re the same species as albinos and will school with them.

I have to agree with this. I have 4 albino and 7 green(bronze) they all stick together. These were added in 2 different batches tho. I started out with 2 albino and 4 green. I got the green because I wanted albinos but my LFS only had the 2. Then a month later I went back and got 2 more albino and 3 more green.