sick cory sterbais - 2 dead

sammigold · Post by **sammigold** » 22 Mar 2007, 09:58

Hi have had a colony of 12 young sterbai since around mid november last year. They have been going very well until the last week or so...
One or two had been acting a little strangely, up and down and hanging near the top more often than normal letting out little bubbles onto the water surface but no exterior signs of disease/fungus or fin rot or anything.

This tank has been running for about 12 months the only other tankmates are guppies and their fry.(about 15 tiny fry and maybe about 30 guppies of various sizes.

the tank is a 55 litre with a basic internal filter using sponge media. and am running an airstone.
Temp. 26degrees celcius
ammonia - zero
nitrite - zero
nitrate - approx 10
ph 7
gh - 12 kh-3

medium gravel with anubius on driftwood and some rocks.
Our tank maintenance consists
25% water change and gravel clean once a week.
clean filter sponge lightly in its own water every few weeks.

Lost the first one two days ago...
Have performed extra water changes over the last couple of days due to strange behaviour also treated tank last night with Pimafix.
the second one died today... no external symptoms.. maybe a slight redness of the gills but really look quite normal.
If I was to say anything it would be that to me they look a little dull..its hard to explain.. also this afternoon one or two of the others seem to be clamping their fins a little.

they are fed flake, bottomfeeder pellets and cucumber and zucchini. the occaisional frozen brine shrimp.

Should I try some salt in the tank... Im a bit wary as I have read so many conflicting ideas on salt with catfish...

Am just looking for some ideas.. and maybe some meds that are safe to use for these little guys.
Thanks in advance.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 22 Mar 2007, 17:56

Hi,
To lose a few fish is not necessarily reason enough to resort medications as your first action. Instead I would just try to improve water conditions by making water changes and hydrovacing the dirt from the substrate first. Maybe also increase the volume and frquency of the water changes compared to what you usually do.

sammigold · Post by **sammigold** » 22 Mar 2007, 21:33

that is what I have been doing for the last 5 days...small water changes and gravel vacs almost everyday...
last night a 75% w/c (getting desparate for them to look better) and another gravel vac... gravel not very deep...not alot of stuff in it as a rule anyway and now it is extremely clean.

So far have only been trying natural methods... should I use salt?

moo2bella · Post by **moo2bella** » 25 Mar 2007, 03:21

I can't help but comment that 12 cory's and 30 guppes in a 55L is massively overstocked. Those conditions would be causing prolonged and unavoidable stress to the fish population and weakening their resistance to disease.

It is possible with the warm weather that your tank is heating up during the day when the ambient temperature is high, then falling at night, which is similarly very stressful to the fish. If this is happening then it could be that oxygen deprivation is a factor when the tank heats up.

Velvet or gill disease are possibilities and can be treated in the early stages with Wardley's Promethysul (broad spectrum med). Have you added anything new to the tank recently eg. plants, new fish, that could have been harbouring parasites (gill disease can be either parasitic or bacterial)? Both diseases, along with many others, have the potential to strike very quickly and leave little notable evidence.

50% daily water changes should be regular tank maintenance for you (unlesss using meds) with such a dense population, although this is also very stressful to the fish. More than that can comprimise the beneficial bacteria in the tank and lead to nitrite spikes (which will also kill your fish very quickly).

Ultimately, you really need to consider either reducing the population in your tank or establishing a much larger tank where all fish can have their psychological as well as their physical requirements met.

Good luck, it is very stressful to lose fish under any circumstances.

sammigold · Post by **sammigold** » 25 Mar 2007, 06:48

Hi, point taken

I have moved out 10 guppies and now have mainly young gups left in there about 3months old about 15 of them and the sterbais and some really tiny few day old fry about 7 or 8 (others have been eaten I believe.

I guess with the way guppies breed it is very easy to forget and before you know you have millions of the little blighters and a very overstocked tank.

No new plants or fish have been added and I must say that with the removal of the fish and some extra large water changes the sterbai are looking decidedly happier.

I am tempted to take plant out so that the guppy fry are less likely to survive as evil as that sounds it is a necessity... I dont have extra tank space so want to prevent this happening again.

cheers,
and thanks for the advice.

moo2bella · Post by **moo2bella** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:01

Some pet stores will buy guppy fry, otherwise you could get a frog tank/pond or give them away to friends with big fish

. Even with 10 Sterbai's your tank is already overstocked even before considering any number of Guppies, sorry. You need to consider the floorspace requirements of cories, 5 would be the absolute maximum to be comfortably housed in a tank your size, and that's really pushing it. Glad to hear they're doing better though, and great that you had the idea of keeping them in a school. Good luck.

sammigold · Post by **sammigold** » 25 Mar 2007, 12:08

I do sell them (guppies)to my LFS when they get big enough usually but I have been a bit slack lately and really didnt notice the population rising (have been busy with my 3 year old, giving up

g and becoming a gym junkie to lose the

g kilos!.

) no excuse really I know but...

I will defend myself a little in regard to the sterbai as they are still quite young and not fully grown by any means..at the moment they are definitely not overstocking the floor of the 2ft tank. As they grow bigger they will be transferred into my 4ft tank in which I keep discus.

As it stands today they are out foraging and looking much happier I think we have staved off disaster.

and I will be keeping a much closer eye...
thanks again

moo2bella · Post by **moo2bella** » 29 Mar 2007, 01:34

I have a two year old, I understand! Glad to hear fish are doing better. Good luck with it all

sammigold · Post by **sammigold** » 29 Mar 2007, 06:09

Thanks so much! As it stands all current sterbs are happy and ok... in the end I lost 2 more..so now I have eight little sterbais but they all look healthy now at least. Things have been stable for a few days now so I am feeling positive that I have fixed the prob. I will now be very vigilant in keeping an eye on the gup population.

thanks again,
have fun with your bub..they are a handful arent they? especially at this age. lol

cartouche · Post by **cartouche** » 03 Apr 2007, 23:20

Flavobacter spp. - or the inflammation of gills. Due to bacteria that multiply from the uneaten food.