Sick Sterbais - parasites, Mycobacterium, SWB..?
Posted: 09 Feb 2021, 20:34
Hi, I recently got back into fishkeeping after a ~7 year hiatus and hoo boy, I have had some discouraging luck. My new shipment of Corydoras sterbai arrived on Thursday with 3 of them in poor condition and they appear to be getting worse. There is an underlying issue which is either nutrition deficiency, internal parasites, or infection, and then today we have constipation/swim bladder issues. Video: https://youtu.be/uej4qDwZ6QY
1. Water parameters
a) Temperature - 26.3oC/79.3oF
b) pH - 7.0
c) GH - 3dg
d) KH - 3dg
e) TDS - 113 ppm
f) Ammonia - 0ppm, Nitrate - 0ppm, Nitrite - <5ppm
g) Water change frequency - 20% daily
h) "Routine" water treatments - Prime dechlorinator
2. Tank set up
a) Size - 20 high
b) Substrate - Caribsea sand (Crystal beach I think?)
c) Filtration - large sponge filter
d) Furnishings - mopani, resin cave, 2 amazon swords
e) Other tank mates - apple snail
f) How long has it been set-up? - 6 months
g) Food used and frequency - trying everything - frozen bloodworms, live microworms, and Bug Bites for catfish are the biggest success. Have tried multiple flakes and pellets, algae wafers, zucchini, peas, frozen brine shrimp
h) Recent changes in the tank which occurred shortly before the disease/problem appeared - had added 1/2 tsp aquarium salt and half dose of pimafix to tank prior to acclimation; replaced the pimafix 2 days later but have not replaced the salt with subsequent water changes
3. Symptoms / Problem description or history
Thursday - Received the 8 cories on Thursday afternoon, acclimated slowly over ~1.5hrs. One cory was on its side, looked dead, but was still alive, and had a curved spine. 4 of the cories were thin, and 3 of those I would consider emaciated.
Friday - One emaciated cory was incredibly pale and listless; didn't respond to much but would snuffle about in the sand every so often and would eat when I put food directly in his face. Scoliosis/"DOA" cory was acting fine, but still bent spine and incredibly thin. I suspected internal parasites so began feeding food soaked in Metroplex/garlic guard in the evenings.
Saturday - no change
Sunday - Pale cory was on it's side, I thought he was dead, but went to pick him out and he swam away jerkily before coming to rest upright. I watched closely and he was back to the same behaviour as before - fairly listless but would eat and forage occasionally. Fed freeze-dried bloodworms soaked for 1/2hr in garlic guard/Metroplex in evening.
Monday - Pale cory found dead in the morning. Scoliosis cory had clamped fins, and her hind end was buoyant. I thought this was constipation from Sunday dinner so fed boiled peas + some Bug Bite catfish crumbles soaked in Metroplex solution.
Tuesday (today) - Scoliosis cory still has clamped fins, is now floating at the surface when not actively swimming at the bottom. 2 of the good-condition cories are also floating on their sides at the top. The other emaciated cory has no buoyancy issues but has clamped fins. All are quite still today, very different from the usual activity.
4. Action taken - Daily water changes because they are picky eaters and often leave food behind for my apple snail to poop out.
5. Medications used (if any) / changes in fish observed since treatment began (if any) - Metroplex/garlic guard soaked food every evening since Friday. See above for daily behaviour changes - today is by far the worst and even the healthy cories are affected.
The company tells me they were tank bred. Initially I thought it was a nutritional deficiency (curved spin, very thin), but then thought they may have internal parasites, and am worried it might be a Mycobacterium. I think the swim bladder issue is from the freeze dried bloodworms (even though they were soaked). My questions are:
1. How should I treat for the swim bladder issue? They don't appear to have touched the peas. If I starve for a couple of days to reduce bloating then I worry about the thin ones and not treating potential internal parasites.
2. What is the main illness? Do you think it is parasites, Mycobacterium, or this "mystery disease" as I've seen people call it? I thought if it was parasites I would have seen some improvement by now.
I am especially bummed because I LOVE cories and was so excited to get them from (I thought) a reputable shop, and had hoped to breed them. I will definitely not be breeding this lot...
Thank you for your help!
1. Water parameters
a) Temperature - 26.3oC/79.3oF
b) pH - 7.0
c) GH - 3dg
d) KH - 3dg
e) TDS - 113 ppm
f) Ammonia - 0ppm, Nitrate - 0ppm, Nitrite - <5ppm
g) Water change frequency - 20% daily
h) "Routine" water treatments - Prime dechlorinator
2. Tank set up
a) Size - 20 high
b) Substrate - Caribsea sand (Crystal beach I think?)
c) Filtration - large sponge filter
d) Furnishings - mopani, resin cave, 2 amazon swords
e) Other tank mates - apple snail
f) How long has it been set-up? - 6 months
g) Food used and frequency - trying everything - frozen bloodworms, live microworms, and Bug Bites for catfish are the biggest success. Have tried multiple flakes and pellets, algae wafers, zucchini, peas, frozen brine shrimp
h) Recent changes in the tank which occurred shortly before the disease/problem appeared - had added 1/2 tsp aquarium salt and half dose of pimafix to tank prior to acclimation; replaced the pimafix 2 days later but have not replaced the salt with subsequent water changes
3. Symptoms / Problem description or history
Thursday - Received the 8 cories on Thursday afternoon, acclimated slowly over ~1.5hrs. One cory was on its side, looked dead, but was still alive, and had a curved spine. 4 of the cories were thin, and 3 of those I would consider emaciated.
Friday - One emaciated cory was incredibly pale and listless; didn't respond to much but would snuffle about in the sand every so often and would eat when I put food directly in his face. Scoliosis/"DOA" cory was acting fine, but still bent spine and incredibly thin. I suspected internal parasites so began feeding food soaked in Metroplex/garlic guard in the evenings.
Saturday - no change
Sunday - Pale cory was on it's side, I thought he was dead, but went to pick him out and he swam away jerkily before coming to rest upright. I watched closely and he was back to the same behaviour as before - fairly listless but would eat and forage occasionally. Fed freeze-dried bloodworms soaked for 1/2hr in garlic guard/Metroplex in evening.
Monday - Pale cory found dead in the morning. Scoliosis cory had clamped fins, and her hind end was buoyant. I thought this was constipation from Sunday dinner so fed boiled peas + some Bug Bite catfish crumbles soaked in Metroplex solution.
Tuesday (today) - Scoliosis cory still has clamped fins, is now floating at the surface when not actively swimming at the bottom. 2 of the good-condition cories are also floating on their sides at the top. The other emaciated cory has no buoyancy issues but has clamped fins. All are quite still today, very different from the usual activity.
4. Action taken - Daily water changes because they are picky eaters and often leave food behind for my apple snail to poop out.
5. Medications used (if any) / changes in fish observed since treatment began (if any) - Metroplex/garlic guard soaked food every evening since Friday. See above for daily behaviour changes - today is by far the worst and even the healthy cories are affected.
The company tells me they were tank bred. Initially I thought it was a nutritional deficiency (curved spin, very thin), but then thought they may have internal parasites, and am worried it might be a Mycobacterium. I think the swim bladder issue is from the freeze dried bloodworms (even though they were soaked). My questions are:
1. How should I treat for the swim bladder issue? They don't appear to have touched the peas. If I starve for a couple of days to reduce bloating then I worry about the thin ones and not treating potential internal parasites.
2. What is the main illness? Do you think it is parasites, Mycobacterium, or this "mystery disease" as I've seen people call it? I thought if it was parasites I would have seen some improvement by now.
I am especially bummed because I LOVE cories and was so excited to get them from (I thought) a reputable shop, and had hoped to breed them. I will definitely not be breeding this lot...
Thank you for your help!
