morfin Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Well kind of. Something strange is happening with my cories. First one, one if the larger ones started three weeks ago. It suddenly darts to the top, and then floats down completely 'dead'. When it gets to the bottom it rights itself, but then continues to fall over and the come right again.. It seriously looks like it goes unconscious then wakes up. Comes right within about an hour and then just goes around normally. Until the next time. Twice I have caught it thinking it was dead and the it comes right. When I got back from holiday the nitrates were high and I noticed that 5 of my 8 had lost their barbels. After two weeks of water changes and keeping things clean only two aren't showing signs of growing back.. Tonight one of my other cories started it. Seriously it looked dead half an hour ago. Normal now. Params are Ph 7, amm 0, nitrate under 10, nitrite 0, temp 29, all stable (slight ammonia at one end of tank last week due to dead spot all fixed). Water changes 20% every two days. 300l. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouseabout Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Very weird. My Sterbai corys dart up to the top from time to time however they dart straight back down rather than what you are describing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 weird.. i had a guppy do that once but he spiraled as he went down and then sat there looking dead for a while before he swam around again. In hindsight I think he may have been suffering from some sort of paralysis as he never righted before he died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I am thinking your tank is too hot for them making come to the surface to suck air. Given they shouldn't be doing this it is probably causing some sort of fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I did wonder that. Up until about three weeks ago they were doing the mating dance every water change so I thought they were quite happy. It's only one cory that heads to the top, and now the second one. The first one has since stopped doing it, and none of the others do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Yeah my thoughts are maybe they're having trouble getting oxygen so they're going up to the top for air. Weird behaviour though. Perhaps lower the temperature? Cories usually aren't too great at high temperatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 The temp is that high for the discus. So my only alternative us to take them out and put in my 60l which has 19 neons and one bristle and I don't want to overstock it. It is set at 25.5 though temp wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 The temp is that high for the discus. So my only alternative us to take them out and put in my 60l which has 19 neons and one bristle and I don't want to overstock it. It is set at 25.5 though temp wise Perhaps swap the BN for the cories? And use an air pump to add as much oxygen into the warm water as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Bristlenose once mid sized don't handle the high temps either. They will come up and sit with their noses out sucking air as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Bristlenose once mid sized don't handle the high temps either. They will come up and sit with their noses out sucking air as well. Ah OK - I only read that they could go up to 30 degrees but have only kept mine at 27 at most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Mmmmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 My Cories used to do the darting upto the surface for air regularly, not sure about the other behaviour though. All corys are facultative air breathers, meaning they have the ability to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent if necessary. They possess a modified, highly vascularised intestine to aid in the uptake of atmospheric oxygen. This adaptation allows them to survive if their habitat becomes oxygen-deprived for any reason. In the aquarium you’ll see them darting to the surface to take in gulps of air on occasion. This is perfectly natural and no cause for concern unless water conditions are deteriorating, in which case the frequency of visits to the surface will usually rise correspondingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Sounds a bit like swim bladder which can be caused by high nitrates. Feeding peas is supposed to help as a cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 My Cories used to do the darting upto the surface for air regularly, not sure about the other behaviour though. All corys are facultative air breathers, meaning they have the ability to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent if necessary. They possess a modified, highly vascularised intestine to aid in the uptake of atmospheric oxygen. This adaptation allows them to survive if their habitat becomes oxygen-deprived for any reason. In the aquarium you’ll see them darting to the surface to take in gulps of air on occasion. This is perfectly natural and no cause for concern unless water conditions are deteriorating, in which case the frequency of visits to the surface will usually rise correspondingly. Thanks for the info. :gpo2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Sounds a bit like swim bladder which can be caused by high nitrates. Feeding peas is supposed to help as a cure. They did go thru a nitrate spike when I was away, which I have read can also contribute to their barbel issue. I've been working for two weeks to ensure they stay under 10 and preferably 5 so will keep that up and see what happens. Cory number 1 has now not done it for a week and a half and number 2 did it again yesterday. Triply the weirdest thing. Peas for tea today though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Thanks for the info. :gpo2: That is correct but I wonder if something is making them come up and take too much in - similar to hyperventilating? Are they all the same size/sex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 That is correct but I wonder if something is making them come up and take too much in - similar to hyperventilating? Are they all the same size/sex? No there are three quite big ones. And 5 smaller ones. The first one to do t was a big one, and the second one was smaller. Tonight the smaller one was lying on his side, breathing heavily, didn't go up to the top at all. Next minute he's up and eating and looks perfectly fine. I swear five mins before ge was completely out to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Do you have a build up on the top of your tank of anything, even a small surface slick, algae? Have you changed anything like food, water conditioner. Flyspray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Do you have a build up on the top of your tank of anything, even a small surface slick, algae? Have you changed anything like food, water conditioner. Flyspray? No algae at all in tank bar a very small Amy of black hair on my crypt. Never have. They have Ben getting more of the tetra bits for the last two months while the discus have been in thre but they also gt their wafers and sticks as usual. No fly spray near the tank. No slick on top - there are two oxygen walls and the filter outflow so a lot of movement on the top. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Dosing flourish excel? If so have you increased the amount or frequency? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Dosing flourish excel? If so have you increased the amount or frequency? Nope no additives in the tank at all. It's crazy eh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morfin Posted March 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 Ok. Could be nuts. One of my discus started hiding and last night saw him flashing on a plant. Put the prazi in this afternoon. Already he has started to come out...... But. Suddenly after cories looking listless for three weeks and the fits etc I now have two, including the second one to have the 'fits' doing the breeding dance, do you think it was possible that it was flukes causing the problem? I will treat another two times to be sure, or is it just coincidence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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