Alyssum
- #1
Please help: SterbaI Cory paralysis, twitching, "seizures"
Hello, I'm posting on this forum because one of my cories has had a rapid decline in health. I've posted on several sites and have gotten very little advice or none at all. I'm trying to be as detailed as possible with pictures and videos as well because I want to document this sickness. I have not seen many topics about it, maybe a few threads, but they never reach a conclusion. I am aware it isn't easy diagnosing fish and he will probably die, but I figure I might as well make his death somewhat meaningful or get some information.
Basically, he has lost function in his ventral fins and can't swim normally. He has bouts of twitching. Some say it could be poisoning of some sort or TB (curving spine) I've read of a similar cases on a forum with no conclusion and it seemed to happen to several of his cories, one after the other. Could this be contagious? Should I quarantine him again?
1. Water parameters
Temperature range. 76-79
pH: 7.6
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite: 0, 0, 0
Water change frequency: Once a week, about 60%
2. Tank set up
a) Size. 10 gal
b) Substrate: Sand
c) Filtration: Tetra Whisper Filter
d) Furnishings: Some fake plants, a hideout made of slate
e) Other tank mates: two other sterbaI cories and a betta
f) How long has it been set-up? 10 months
3. Symptoms / Problem description
Summary: Sudden change in behavior. Swam rapidly into side of tank (abnormally, not normal cory behavior swimming). Lost function of ventral and pectoral fins and thus cannot surface for air or turn with ease. Spine curves sometimes when he is still, but he straightens it. Darkened skin. Twitching.
UPDATE 10/31/2014
No change.
NEW VIDEO
10/30/2014
I have observed that he cannot seem to use his bottom fins. He can't lift his body up with his ventral fins, which makes it difficult for him to feed. He has a hard time turning because he cannot move his pectoral fins very well, if at all. He scoots across the ground, lying flat on his belly. He does eat food, but cannot access it well because of the above problems. I don't think he can surface for air. The barbs of his pectoral fins seem grayish and faded, instead of bright beige like his tank mates. He twitches strangely every few seconds, but will have bouts where there is no twitching. Slightly darker skin tone.
10/28/2014
I don't know the gender...
Sudden onset of erratic swimming. I know cories like to swim against the glass, but this is different. It's expending all its energy swimming as fast as it can in the corner and actually made a crater in the sand from swimming so hard. It's twitching here and there when it stays still. I thought it was going to explode from using so much energy. Didn't think it'd make it until morning. I thought it may be swim bladder, but I'm not so sure. It isn't turning upside down, but instead just swims in a straight line, always staying upright.
Seems to have difficulty changing direction or going up for air. Does not seem interested in food because it is too busy swimming fast against a corner and breathing heavily. It was fine 10/27/2014 when I went to clean the tank. It was swimming with its buddies and did not appear to be stressed. Mere hours later, it was swimming like crazy and breathing heavily. I had noticed rapid breathing for the past couple days. Its barbels are very short/gone, but its been that way for months. It didn't seem to affect it in any way. It has been staying away from the other two here and there. I thought maybe its belly was a bit swollen, but I cannot say for certain. Reddish tint on gills and belly, don't know if that's normal.
4. Action taken (if any)
10/30/2014
Update: I have since returned him to the main tank. He has been fed and an air pump added. Did a 50% water change and vacuumed.
10/28/2014
I moved him to a small tub with tank water. I was concerned it might hurt itself or its tank mates. I was uncertain what to do about a heater, I know it's bad to let them sit in a tank without a heater when that is what they are used to. I have a small heater meant for a 5-10g so I was unsure if it was safe to put in the container. It was very late at night and I stood up trying to find an answer to what might be wrong, but it is very hard to diagnose a fish. Nothing really seems to fit. Some mention the possibility of poison from their barbs, but I figured he'd be dead by now and his breathing rapid, not slow. Could be parasites. I don't know. I've been treating the tank with kanaplex because my betta is a fin biter and I wanted to make sure he didn't have/get an infection. I added the last dose into the tank when I cleaned the water.
I've put six doses into the tank so far, spaced out as instructed, and waited about a week between each 3 round course so it didn't kill my bb. I figured it might help its barbels too because I read it might be from infection and I think I saw a little improvement, but not much. I put a pea into the tank after deshelling, boiling and crushing it because there was nothing else I could do and I figured if he had SBD it might help. Admittedly, I haven't been as diligent with cleaning the tank of leftover food because I've been working on a lot of projects and I feel really bad about that. The nitrates reached 50 ppm at one point, but I have since cleaned it twice or thrice. That's all I can think of that might have caused it.
5. Medications used (if any)
Kanaplex
A pea
Food: Omega one shrimp pellets and hikarI disc
His tank mates are acting normal with no signs of stress. They both have long barbels and swim together. Right now he is staying still and twitching here and there. I assume he is exhausted from all the swimming. I don't know what to do. I feel helpless. I'm not expecting any miracles and he probably will die, but I'm hoping someone might know something...
I have pictures and a short video of his behavior. Unfortunately, it doesn't exhibit the same vigor and urgency that he had last night, but you can see something is not right. Sorry if the frontal photo is distorted, but he just sits in a corner and the container makes it look funny. Should I put the heater in the small container? I don't want to cook him. I had plants in there but they seems to be impeding his ability to swim to the surface because he'd get stuck, so I took them out.
Thanks in advance.
Hello, I'm posting on this forum because one of my cories has had a rapid decline in health. I've posted on several sites and have gotten very little advice or none at all. I'm trying to be as detailed as possible with pictures and videos as well because I want to document this sickness. I have not seen many topics about it, maybe a few threads, but they never reach a conclusion. I am aware it isn't easy diagnosing fish and he will probably die, but I figure I might as well make his death somewhat meaningful or get some information.
Basically, he has lost function in his ventral fins and can't swim normally. He has bouts of twitching. Some say it could be poisoning of some sort or TB (curving spine) I've read of a similar cases on a forum with no conclusion and it seemed to happen to several of his cories, one after the other. Could this be contagious? Should I quarantine him again?
1. Water parameters
Temperature range. 76-79
pH: 7.6
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite: 0, 0, 0
Water change frequency: Once a week, about 60%
2. Tank set up
a) Size. 10 gal
b) Substrate: Sand
c) Filtration: Tetra Whisper Filter
d) Furnishings: Some fake plants, a hideout made of slate
e) Other tank mates: two other sterbaI cories and a betta
f) How long has it been set-up? 10 months
3. Symptoms / Problem description
Summary: Sudden change in behavior. Swam rapidly into side of tank (abnormally, not normal cory behavior swimming). Lost function of ventral and pectoral fins and thus cannot surface for air or turn with ease. Spine curves sometimes when he is still, but he straightens it. Darkened skin. Twitching.
UPDATE 10/31/2014
No change.
NEW VIDEO
10/30/2014
I have observed that he cannot seem to use his bottom fins. He can't lift his body up with his ventral fins, which makes it difficult for him to feed. He has a hard time turning because he cannot move his pectoral fins very well, if at all. He scoots across the ground, lying flat on his belly. He does eat food, but cannot access it well because of the above problems. I don't think he can surface for air. The barbs of his pectoral fins seem grayish and faded, instead of bright beige like his tank mates. He twitches strangely every few seconds, but will have bouts where there is no twitching. Slightly darker skin tone.
10/28/2014
I don't know the gender...
Sudden onset of erratic swimming. I know cories like to swim against the glass, but this is different. It's expending all its energy swimming as fast as it can in the corner and actually made a crater in the sand from swimming so hard. It's twitching here and there when it stays still. I thought it was going to explode from using so much energy. Didn't think it'd make it until morning. I thought it may be swim bladder, but I'm not so sure. It isn't turning upside down, but instead just swims in a straight line, always staying upright.
Seems to have difficulty changing direction or going up for air. Does not seem interested in food because it is too busy swimming fast against a corner and breathing heavily. It was fine 10/27/2014 when I went to clean the tank. It was swimming with its buddies and did not appear to be stressed. Mere hours later, it was swimming like crazy and breathing heavily. I had noticed rapid breathing for the past couple days. Its barbels are very short/gone, but its been that way for months. It didn't seem to affect it in any way. It has been staying away from the other two here and there. I thought maybe its belly was a bit swollen, but I cannot say for certain. Reddish tint on gills and belly, don't know if that's normal.
4. Action taken (if any)
10/30/2014
Update: I have since returned him to the main tank. He has been fed and an air pump added. Did a 50% water change and vacuumed.
10/28/2014
I moved him to a small tub with tank water. I was concerned it might hurt itself or its tank mates. I was uncertain what to do about a heater, I know it's bad to let them sit in a tank without a heater when that is what they are used to. I have a small heater meant for a 5-10g so I was unsure if it was safe to put in the container. It was very late at night and I stood up trying to find an answer to what might be wrong, but it is very hard to diagnose a fish. Nothing really seems to fit. Some mention the possibility of poison from their barbs, but I figured he'd be dead by now and his breathing rapid, not slow. Could be parasites. I don't know. I've been treating the tank with kanaplex because my betta is a fin biter and I wanted to make sure he didn't have/get an infection. I added the last dose into the tank when I cleaned the water.
I've put six doses into the tank so far, spaced out as instructed, and waited about a week between each 3 round course so it didn't kill my bb. I figured it might help its barbels too because I read it might be from infection and I think I saw a little improvement, but not much. I put a pea into the tank after deshelling, boiling and crushing it because there was nothing else I could do and I figured if he had SBD it might help. Admittedly, I haven't been as diligent with cleaning the tank of leftover food because I've been working on a lot of projects and I feel really bad about that. The nitrates reached 50 ppm at one point, but I have since cleaned it twice or thrice. That's all I can think of that might have caused it.
5. Medications used (if any)
Kanaplex
A pea
Food: Omega one shrimp pellets and hikarI disc
His tank mates are acting normal with no signs of stress. They both have long barbels and swim together. Right now he is staying still and twitching here and there. I assume he is exhausted from all the swimming. I don't know what to do. I feel helpless. I'm not expecting any miracles and he probably will die, but I'm hoping someone might know something...
I have pictures and a short video of his behavior. Unfortunately, it doesn't exhibit the same vigor and urgency that he had last night, but you can see something is not right. Sorry if the frontal photo is distorted, but he just sits in a corner and the container makes it look funny. Should I put the heater in the small container? I don't want to cook him. I had plants in there but they seems to be impeding his ability to swim to the surface because he'd get stuck, so I took them out.
Thanks in advance.