Unhappy corys?

A few weeks ago I bought a female guppy and a peppered corydoras. The pet shop didn't mention anything about them being schooling fish, and I knew so much less back then! I recently moved my two guppies (and seven fry), four penguin tetras, and cory to a larger (38 gallon) tank and decided to get my cory some mates about three days ago. When it was alone, it was very active. It was always swimming around looking for food, swimming up the sides, and seemed to spend a lot of time with one of the guppies. I bought three more (which are slightly larger than the original one). Since getting the new three, they all are much less active than the original one was, and seem to be hiding separately for a lot of the time. I guess I just wanted to check that they're okay and that there's nothing I can do to make them more comfortable (if they are not already).

Thank you all again for your help!

 

I'd get 2-3 more tetras

THIS IS JUST A THEORY

My corys will lay on the bottom for hours barely moving. the new fish might be stressed and therefore not moving much. Since corys school the original one is staying with the stressed corys.

 

Congrats on the guppy fry! The new cories might still be getting used to the new place. I have found that dropping some either frozen or dried blood worms quickly gets their attention. I soak the dried worms in some tank water before feeding.

 

Okay, thank you! Even since posting this thread I see that the original one is being a bit more active (perhaps because I just did a WC?)

I will definitely get more tetras. I did buy five but one died pretty much as soon as we left the pet shop (the others seem to be doing well though and there doesn't seem to be any sign of disease).

 

good

 

They may also be getting used to a new social dynamic. One Cory is a simple dynamic, put a few together and they might be lying low until they figure each other out.

 

I'd get 2-3 more tetras

THIS IS JUST A THEORY

My corys will lay on the bottom for hours barely moving. the new fish might be stressed and therefore not moving much. Since corys school the original one is staying with the stressed corys.

They may also be getting used to a new social dynamic. One Cory is a simple dynamic, put a few together and they might be lying low until they figure each other out.

To add onto these because they are both very good and accurate ideas. I would watch them for which time it takes for them to get their spirits back up. The bigger ones are most likely just stressed out about their new environment and trying to get use to it all. Also fish aren't much different than us in terms of personality and they are prolly all being a little shy towards each other. It will take some time for them to get use to each other and want to play together around "the monkey bars" so to speak. I would watch them because that the other Cory's are a little bigger than the orginal you want to make sure they aren't picking on him. This doesn't happen to often in Cory's but like I said every fish has their personality and all the stress of a new environment and new fish they've never seen before anything could be possible.

 

Well, just looked in the tank and one was stuck to the filter intake. I think it's got red blotch disease. I guess what do I do? I have taken it out of the tank (it's still just breathing), and the others don't have any red spots that I can see at the moment. Is it contagious? Should I go out and buy some medication?

 

Well, just looked in the tank and one was stuck to the filter intake. I think it's got red blotch disease. I guess what do I do? I have taken it out of the tank (it's still just breathing), and the others don't have any red spots that I can see at the moment. Is it contagious? Should I go out and buy some medication?

What is your PH? How often have you done water changes since you got them? What is the temp of your tank
Red Blotch main cause is environmental stress.
He needs to be separated for treatment with optimal conditions for him. Tetracycline is a good treatment. But I also found online that many others have found success in using 1-2 teaspoons of tonic salt per gallon of water.
Not entirely sure about the spreading. But once contracted it becomes a bacterial infection so I would assume that means so to be on the safe side I would watch the rest very closely for awhile.

 

What is your PH? How often have you done water changes since you got them? What is the temp of your tank
Red Blotch main cause is environmental stress.
He needs to be separated for treatment with optimal conditions for him. Tetracycline is a good treatment. But I also found online that many others have found success in using 1-2 teaspoons of tonic salt per gallon of water.
Not entirely sure about the spreading. But once contracted it becomes a bacterial infection so I would assume that means so to be on the safe side I would watch the rest very closely for awhile.

Thank you. I'm not too sure of my pH (I haven't yet bought a test kit as they are more than $80 here) though I think my water is somewhat acidic. It is one of the ones I only got two days ago, and have only done one water change (this morning, about 25%) since I got them.

 

API master is $23 on amazon

 

I

API master is $23 on amazon

I was just looking online and saw that, so got super excited but then realised that they don't ship to New Zealand...

 

really?
I feel sorry for u

 

How likely is it that the other fish will contract it too? As they came from the same pet shop at the same time so will have been through the same things?

 

Thank you. I'm not too sure of my pH (I haven't yet bought a test kit as they are more than $80 here) though I think my water is somewhat acidic. It is one of the ones I only got two days ago, and have only done one water change (this morning, about 25%) since I got them.

Several large changes in water parameters in a small span of time can really stress them out environmental. I do a 60 to 70% change once a month or 40 to 50 twice a month to avoid uprooting their environment so often. Most Cory's don't like their water temp too high. 70 to 78 is ideal for them. And then perfer their PH to be on the higher side. 7 to 8.
But with all this said there is a huge possibility he got the disease at the pet store and hadn't shown symptoms yet. Red blotch is a slow growing infection and the sudden change in environment could of fast tracked his symptoms.

 

Several large changes in water parameters in a small span of time can really stress them out environmental. I do a 60 to 70% change once a month or 40 to 50 twice a month to avoid uprooting their environment so often. Most Cory's don't like their water temp too high. 70 to 78 is ideal for them. And then perfer their PH to be on the higher side. 7 to 8.
But with all this said there is a huge possibility he got the disease at the pet store and hadn't shown symptoms yet. Red blotch is a slow growing infection and the sudden change in environment could of fast tracked his symptoms.

Thank you for the advice. Temperature is about 72.



I noticed it first yesterday, probably 18 hours after adding them to my tank, though could definitely have been there before (I just didn't notice because I wasn't looking for anything, and because they have been hiding).
I have just tried adding a small amount of salt to its tank so I guess I'll see how that goes.

 

Peppered cores like their water in the low 70's. I keep mine with neons which also like water at that temp.