Corydoras panda are losing their eyes!   1/26/06
I hope someone can help.  Recently I noticed 4 of my young pandas have lost their eyes.  2 have died so far.   After they lose their eyes they start to
loss their color and turn whitish. They still feed and act silly.  I've had pandas for a few years and have managed to breed them very successfully.  I
love my little guys and take good care.  Could this be a disease?
<Not likely>
or is someone attacking them?
<Yes>
  The only "new" addition is a very young Kribensis Cichlid (about the same size as the pandas).  I have a 60 gallon tank with
mostly tetra (cardinals and hatchets), 5 platies, 2 small angelfish, 2 yoyo loaches and 2 Plecos.
<I suspect the Kribensis or loaches... but could be an angel... only close observation or systematic removal will reveal the culprit. Bob Fenner>
Help me please - Sabiha

Cory Quarantine Query (Now say it 5 times fast!)  12/26/05
Hello~
<Hi.>
A newbie in the field, but have been gleaning a lot of info from this site-very appreciative of all the knowledge that is accessible.
<Outstanding, glad to hear we have been helpful.>
I have a 12 gal going for about 3 months...all is fine, but spotted a few panda Corys that I would like to buy and  QT- and all that I have running besides the 12gal is a 2 gal...would this be big enough
<Enough.>
for the Pandas (3) to spend about 2-3 weeks in before putting them in the larger tank?
<2 gallons is pretty small, and I would be a lot more comfortable with something in at least the 5 gallon range. However of you plan to go ahead with it, the tank would need to be well filtered and have good surface area. Daily water changes of 30 to 50% would be a must.>
Thank You Very Much,
<Quite welcome.>
Merry Christmas,
<Ditto.>
Judy
<Adam J.>

Panda Cory with Milky Film - III - 10/22/2005
Hello Sabrina,
<Ahoy thar, matey!> <<Hey.. talk like a pirate day was last week!>>
Thanks so much for your quick reply!
<Sure thing.>
To clarify, I ended 8 days of treatment with Furan 2 yesterday. (The package says to use it for 4 days, then you may repeat if necessary, which I did.
<Ah, I see.>
I cut open the capsules to get the right dosage for my 7 gal tank. I don't know if there's a better way.
<Mm, probably that was right to do.>
<<Please note: this stuff can stain clothes permanently.  MH>>
I washed my hands immediately afterwards.) Three days after starting the Furan 2, I took a photo that shows the pectoral fin. Five days after that, another photo showed the fin was gone. (Without the photos, it's hard to compare how he's doing since he moves so fast.)
<At least he's still acting well!>
I removed the carbon during the treatment and just put it back yesterday. Today the water is clear again instead of greenish from the Furan 2. Is it okay to continue the Furan for another 4 days (for 12 total days)?
<Actually, I would not.>
It's hard to tell if it made a difference (except he's still here!). Do you have a recommendation for an Oxytetracycline product? I'll look for some today.
<Having discussed this with Bob, I wish to recommend that you use Acriflavine in the water, instead.... Methylene Blue if you can't find Acriflavine. In addition to this, a food medicated with Oxytetracycline is a really, really good idea. Here is one place to purchase such a product: http://flguppiesplus.safeshopper.com/29/cat29.htm?264 . Otherwise, you can make this yourself, if you can find Oxytetracycline.... or could use tetracycline.... or other antibiotic.... This article contains a passage about preparing your own medicated foods: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/holedispd.htm .>
Thank you! -Anita
<Sure thing. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Doomed Corydoras
Hi WWM crew . . . haven't emailed you in a while (thankfully).
My main problem is, that no matter how hard I try, my Cory cats never seem to prosper. It's so frustrating since Corys are my favorite fish.
<Mine too> 
No matter what conditions I keep them in, they eventually die, lose their barbels, or remain stunted (never mature from 1 inch juveniles). I have acquired some beautiful harder-to-get species, such as similis "violet", xinguiensis, caudimaculatus, and trilineateus. I used to have six xinguensis (now five? or four?), and have two similis, caudimaculatus, and Trilineatus each. I assume that it is not for lack of company that they are dying. They seemed to lose their barbels on a Fluorite substrate, so I switched them to a bare-bottom tank. The current tank: 10 gallons, sponge-filtered, a few plastic plants, one female Betta, rather warm (80-82 degrees). Every so often one of them, such as the xingus, will die suddenly. I can transfer them to a currently empty 75 gallon tank . . . I just really really wish to breed them, see them grow up and prosper . . . and live. My problems that I can see is the warm water temp . . . the infrequent feeding . . . and the rather dirty tank bottom. Thanks for your time and info!
<Arghhh, your breaking my heart. I love the little guys, their selfless devotion to cleaning your gravel, the way they wink at you when you stare at them long enough, ok I'm done. For starters, what are your water parameters? If you are serious about breeding them you will need to set up a tank for them, and them only. Like you said "warm water temp . . . the infrequent feeding . . . and the rather dirty tank bottom" this will cause problems. 82 is a little high, you will need to vary the temp depending upon the type of Cory, but high 70's is a good starting point. These guys love live worms, I feed mine shrimp/algae wafers and left over frozen food, but I am not trying to breed them. 10gal is a little small, a 20gal long is a good start. With good water quality and good food you should be ok. You might try starting with a more common Cory instead of shelling out the cash for the rare ones. Use the google search tool on our site and google.com to find more information on Cory care and breeding. Good luck, Gage>

Re: the doomed Corydoras ...
Thanks for the speedy reply!
I have a few more questions to clarify, sorry. Will Corys be happy with members of other species? Should I get more of each species? As I said, I have several pairs of different species in my tank. This is because I bought them at a local aquarium society auction. This is great as there are many dedicated Cory breeders who can provide us with many healthy, rarer, and more-or-less cheap (about $3 each) specimens. The 10 gallon was intended to be a quarantine tank, but I don't want to move them to the 75 gallon, as they look so small and delicate. Perhaps I should add a small bio-wheel power filter? (I've got an extra one lying around) My water parameters are:
nitrites - 20, and pH 7.8 (with "Amazon" buffer), KH 3, dh 2. My tap water is supposedly very soft, with no fluoride and hardly any (if at all) chlorine/chloramines. One of the perks of living in Hawaii! Of course the water is too warm 
<If I recall you mentioned your water was around 82, this is not terrible, but I would not go much higher>
. . . Well I will do more water changes, feed them twice a day, 
<They love worms!> 
add a fan . . . and hopefully see them grow to 2 and 3 inch maturity.  Thanks for your help . . . Trisha.
<Hey Trisha, great idea with the QT tank, it's the only way to go. I would however add the filter (the more the merrier), and keep up on water changes. Nitrates are really high, they should be around 0 I am guessing that ammonia is high too. How long has the QT tank been set up? Sounds like it is rather new. I would still be sure to use some sort of water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines, your Amazon buffer may do this, I am not sure. What other fish do you have in the 75gal? These fish are pretty tough for their size. Corys will get along with other species of Corys, but would be happier with more of the same. In the wild they like to hang out in shoals of about 50, not always easy to recreate in the home aquarium. Gage>

Are my Corys stressed?
Hi there,
I'm new to tropical fish having had a cold water system for a few years. I have a small setup of about 8 (UK) gallons - yes I know it's odd! I'm currently cycling my system with 4 Trilineatus Corys.
I've had them for a week now but I'm really worried that they're not happy. They don't stay at the bottom of the tank; they swim in the middle and up and down the sides of the tank and only go to the bottom when they're hungry. Now I've noticed that their gills are going pink. I've done ammonia tests and the levels are 0. What am I doing wrong? I don't want to lose them -they're too cute! Can you help please? Thanks, Sau
<Hi Sau, Yes, if you are cycling your tank it is producing Ammonia and then nitrites, both of which are deadly to fish. Cycling means that the nitrogen cycle is establishing itself and producing these wastes.  You should be testing for ammonia/nitrites and the final product nitrates.  Please read more about the nitrogen cycle at WetWebMedia.com and perform regular water changes to relieve your fish from these wastes.  This should help, Craig>

Re: are my Corys stressed?
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the advice, I'll get reading. Since last emailing, I've tested for ammonia, nitrite and Ph. Ammonia is 0 and Nitrite 0.1 and Ph is 8.6. Could the alkaline water be bothering them? Their gills are still pink.
<These fish are sensitive to hard water. This may be your problem.>
I also wonder why they are so jumpy. They flinch and hide every time I lift the hatch to feed them and swim up and down the front of the tank constantly. Do you think they're scared at the moment because there are not many fish in the tank?
<No, I suspect nitrites, ammonia if there is nitrite, and also hard water indicated by 8.6pH.
I was going to buy two more Corys this weekend so they had a bigger family to shoal with and perhaps not be so scared. Do you think this is a good idea? Thanks for helping, Sau
<After addressing the current situation, yes, but I wouldn't until then. Check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callichthyids.htm
There is lots of info you need there, especially health, source and water issues.  Craig>

Sick Corydoras Catfish
Hi, I have a question about what I think is a sick Corydoras cat fish.
I have an eclipse six Marineland aquarium, started it in Oct. 2002. Right now I have 2 white clouds, 2 harlequin rasboras, and 1 Cory cat.
<Corydoras catfish should be kept in groups, and not in tanks this small. Do read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callichthyids.htm>
Everyone was doing great since Nov., but these past two weeks the Cory cat has been swimming erratically, gulping water at the top once a day or so.
<His going to the surface to gulp air is normal for Corydoras species. If you have been at home more often than usual lately -- say, due to the winter holidays and time off from work/school -- could it be that you are simply watching the tank more often and thus noticing this behavior that was present all along?>
He was fine before, eating every day, and almost never went to top to gulp for air, and would move about bottom. Now he doesn't eat, and he hides out in corner of tank, Very still, alive, but still.
<What are you feeding him? These fish need meaty foods twice a day.>
I had gotten some plants in from a place called aquabotics.com-
<I'm not finding this e-tailer...>
and they didn't really last the week- 1 java fern, 1 African bulb lace, and a Boca Carolina plant. I had purchased a live driftwood centerpiece the week before, and no problem.
<I am guessing that by "live driftwood" you mean a piece of driftwood covered with plants? Did your Corydoras start acting oddly before or after you added this driftwood?>
Only the Cory cat isn't doing well- After a weekly water change I got rid of all plants, and the water is totally clear. I had been using a product called Algone, which takes care of excess nitrite/nitrate and keeps water clean. They have a webpage and a few people I know use the stuff- just put packet in filter. I had some high nitrite/nitrate and used it, from decaying plants, and the tank was clean in a week.
<When did you start using the Algone, compared to when the Corydoras started going downhill?>
I haven't had any trouble with water in past 2-3 weeks: I have no ammonia readings, 0 on nitrate and nitrite readings. Ph is between 6.8-7.2 but Jersey water is hard. I had readings of 20 or 25 on KH and about 15 on GH. I bought an AquaPharm. tap water system, and now the KH is 11 and GH about 9. Water looks a lot clearer too.
<Good>
Like I said the other fish are great- but Cory, not so good. I don't know what else to test for.
<Check the pH of the water coming out of the tap water purifier.>
Is there any chance that the plants somehow affected the cat.
<Perhaps not the plants themselves, but something carried in with the plants or driftwood.>
Any other tests you can think of- he looks fine, no color change, or ick or anything I can see. Just sits still and won't eat. I'm worried about him but don't know what else to do.
<I would suggest weekly water changes (perhaps a half gallon or a gallon) to keep the water quality high.>
thanks a lot
Rosa Haritos
PS- if he gets over this and is better, do you think it would help to get another Cory to keep him company? the clouds and rasboras get along great- Or would 6 fish be too much for a 6 gallon tank?
<Six fish would be too many for this tank. --Ananda >

Corydoras trilineatus losing colours
Hello WWM Crew,
I hope you can help with my problem, as nobody else seems to be able to. This is going to be a bit long, sorry.
About two months ago I bought 5 c. trilineatus fish in a shop. By the time I got home, even before I put them in the tank, two of them were already half dead (sank to the bottom and could only swim a few inches at a time). After a day of realizing this was not only a shock of which they're going to recover, I ended their misery. Then a third one developed the same symptoms and I did the same.  In a second visit to that same shop I've noticed that many fish were ill, or dead (and left in the tanks en masse) and so I never bought fish from them again. <Good plan!> I bought two other c. trilineatus in another shop whose fish look great, and they never had any problem.  
But that was just an exposition to the real problem.  After about a week of having the two original surviving Corys, I noticed that one of them had a white patch just behind his gill. I couldn't remember if he always had it or whether it was something new so I decided to keep an eye on it.  Now, after about two month, he has the same spot behind his other gill (which wasn't there before. The spot, not the gill. The gill was always there) <One would hope!> and the first spot is getting larger. He had a fin rot a while ago, which was treated with Melafix and is now completely healed, but I don't think it has anything to do with the spot as he had the spot first. Apart from the spot, he is okay. He swims with the rest of the Corys, he is active and he eats well.
One more thing about him, which might be the clue to solve the mystery. He is kept with some guppies and some of the female guppies sometimes try to nibble on him. They don't really bite him, but the act if food is stuck to his body.  They sometimes do it to the other Corys as well, but not as often, and while the other Corys just swim away immediately, this one "freezes" and only swims after few seconds.  He has no wounds from those bites, but he seems to be shocked. <The guppies are feeding on flakes of skin>
As for the tank, it is a 90 litres tank, with interior filter (Juwel compact), I change about 20% and clean the filter media weekly.  The other fish in the tank are 6 guppies, one Betta male, and one Pleco.  The water parameters are Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 10ppm, temp 25.7c, pH 7.4, 17 dGH and 6 dKH. <All good>
I know that the GH is too hard for Corys and that's my next project, but I more inclined into thinking that it's something that he got in the shop before I got him. <Maybe, it's possible that the hard water is stressing the Cory and lowering his immune system, but I think it's far more likely the bad conditions at the shop did that before you got him.>
I attach two pictures of the fish so you can see exactly what I'm talking about. I hope you can help me identify the problem and find a treatment.
Many thanks,
Golan.
<Hi Golan, Don here. Just a small point before getting to your main concern. Unless you're planning on breeding the Corys I wouldn't worry too much about your hardness. You could start doing water changes with RO/DI or bottled water, but that could change your pH. Not a bad thing, but it must be done slowly and kept steady. Better to have the fish adapt to your conditions then start tinkering with things, IMO. As to the white patch. It could be a fungus. I remembered a thread on this in our forum and found this.   http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/thread.jsp?forum=3&thread=22384&message=179838&q=22576869746520706174636822#179838 Get's a bit off track, but I think you'll find it worth the time. Meds were recommended, but ended up not being needed in Gup's case. Since your water seems in line but the patch is spreading, I think medication is called for in your case. If you have a small tank you could use as a QT, move him there to treat. If not, it would be a good investment. If you treat your main, make sure you watch for ammonia and nitrite spikes and do water changes to keep them at zero. Don>   

Cory melanistius Problems
Hello WWM crew!  Thanks again for having such an informative web  site.
Over the past few weeks I've lost a total of 4 Corys.  Three of  the 4 that
died lost all their black spots and black coloring on their  dorsal fin, making
them completely white...very strange.  I'm guessing this  happened once they
already died because every day I observe all my fishes  behavior and nothing
seemed odd about any of their color.  I've  noticed on three of them that their
gills looked a bit red, not swollen or  anything just red or reddish.  I was
wondering if you could help me  diagnose the problem.
Here are my stats:
30G tank with a Penguin 280 filter
1 male Betta
5 cherry barbs
7 neon tetras
2 Cory cats :(
I have all live plants w/approx 1 watt of light per gallon and 1 drop of  
Dupla plant 24 (fertilizer) every day:
Green Cabomba (which was doing unbelievably well in the beginning, but has  
recently started to "break" at their stem segments leaving me half a stem  
floating in my tank, can this be a sign of changing water conditions?)
Wisteria (doing very well, except I've noticed black algae with broad  
stringy arms on some of the leaves)
hairgrass
Mayaca
Echinodorus tenellus
pH 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate ?? (I know I should be testing for it, but the LFS told me that my  
live plants would keep nitrates low to nil)
GH 5
KH 1
Temp 29 C (I turned off my heater 2 weeks ago because I don't keep the AC  on
in the lounge room regularly, so this is just "room/water temp").  Maybe  
it's too warm for the cats?
All my other fish are doing well.  I figured if anything was really  that bad
my Neons would have been the first to react to it due to their  sensitivity.  
I do a 20% water change every week.  I feed my  fish tetra flake food 1-2
times a day or I may substitute some frozen  bloodworms for 1 of the feedings.  
Once or twice a week I would feed the  cats Hikari sinking wafers to
supplement.  I'm not sure what I'm doing  wrong, so please help.  Thanks, Chris
<<Hello Chris. A couple of things to consider. First, the LFS is wrong, plants will NOT leave your nitrates LOW TO NIL. What a load of horse hockey. The fact that your bio-load is low is the ONLY thing keeping your nitrates low. That is, IF they are indeed low. Chances are, they are not quite as low as you think they are. Buy yourself a NITRATE TEST KIT! The trick is in the balance between tank size and stocking rates. A large tank, say 75g, fully planted, with a dozen Neons, for example, may not have any trouble with nitrates. Yours will, if you don't already. Test your water! Another thing is, just how long has this tank been set-up? How often are you vacuuming the gravel? Try to do it at least twice a month, more often if possible, and be as thorough as you can. This is never easy in planted tanks. You might want to do a web search and read up on "anoxic substrate" problems. Cory cats can be quite sensitive to build-ups in planted tank anoxic substrates, normally they develop barbel disintegration problems, but worse things CAN happen... In which case, no, your Neons will not be the first to show a problem, the Corys will. I suspect your Corys are going to need a bit of intervention if you hope to keep any new additions alive. Always make sure you are buying healthy fish (I begin to doubt the quality of the LFS you are using...) Perhaps a quarantine tank will help. You can add a bit of salt which may cure any gill fluke problems. Yes, Corys CAN tolerate salt for short term medicinal purposes. Second, acclimate them properly: you don't mention your pH, is it vastly different from your LFS pH? And thirdly, if your tank is older than a few months, you may want to reconsider keeping Corys in this tank unless you can verify that the substrate isn't the problem. -Gwen>>

Cory melanistius Question
Gwen, thank you for your response.  
I bought my nitrate test kit as you asked and my readings are between 0 and  
12.5mg/l according to the TetraTest kit.  Based on the coloration, my  wife
and I agree that it is probably about halfway or between 5-7mg/l.   According to
the instructions this measurement is acceptable, what do you  think?  To
answer your follow-up questions:
1-The tank has been set-up for about 1.5 months
2-Along with my weekly 20% water changes, I also vacuum the gravel.
3-My pH is 7.0.
I really hope I can keep Cory cats, they're so comical!
Thanks again for your help. Chris
<<Dear Chris; The nitrate level does sound acceptable. As I recall, the Corys you had were turning white and dying? Perhaps then, the fish were from rather poor stock, or being kept in poor conditions before you bought them. I am sure I mentioned a quarantine tank, I usually do :P It might be a good idea to set up a little 5 gallon q-tank for all new additions, that way you can treat them without worry, and if they are sick, you don't risk your entire display tank. Plus, it's WAY cheaper to medicate a five gallon than a larger tank. When buying new stock, always ask the store folks how long the Corys have been there, were they medicated for any reason, are they eating well, general health, etc. Yes, some stores are not honest, but many are. Again, the q-tank is your best insurance :) Check store Corys for barbel erosion, they should have long, healthy barbels. Stumpy snouts should be completely avoided. The fish should be energetic with full finnage, good color, and normal respiration. Avoid fish that continuously cruise up and down the glass, from the bottom of the tank to the surface, over and over. Corys DO swim to the surface from time to time for air, but fish that repeat the maneuver in a frenzied fashion are usually ill. Also avoid Corys who hide from the rest of the group, or seem in any way not overly strong. The clerk catching them for you should have a pretty good time trying to net them, a healthy Cory is a fast one :) Hope this helps. -Gwen>>

Cory Catfish problem
       Hi, I want to get some Cory catfish and I read that they could not
tolerate any salt in their aquarium, but I also want to get platies or mollies.
< Cory cats come from the Amazon river basin where the water is very soft and somewhat acidic. The mollies and platies come from Central America where the water has more minerals and salts. >
I read that platies and mollies need some salt, so is there any that I could
have both in the same aquarium?
< I have found that platies are pretty tolerant of a wide range of water conditions and may be worth a try in your situation. Try and get half grown ones as they may be able to adapt to a wider range of water conditions. Mollies I have found truly do like some salt added to their water or they end up "shimmying" in the tank. There are a whole group of tetras worth looking at. Just try and get the ones that don't get too big. Barbs are fast moving fish that are fairly hardy but tend to be fin nippers, especially with your female Betta.> If not, what are some other fish that would
substitute the platies and mollies that would go well with female bettas? Thanks
for any information.
< Check out the rasboras too. These fish are from Asia and are attractive , don't get too big and will not bother the Cory cats. -Chuck>

Cory Catfish Question
Hello, I have an Albino Cory catfish in a 42 gallon tank.  It has been
with the other fish for months, but this week I noticed that it was not down
at the bottom like usual.  Instead it is swimming at the top and floating
around.  It seems a bit sluggish in its swimming, but otherwise looks
alright. My husband and I did a 30% water change last weekend which is
consistent with what we have always done with this tank.
> Do you have any ideas what might be up with my little fishy?  I don't know
if it is related or not, but we have had it for 4 or 5 months and it hasn't
really gotten any bigger. He is about an inch long.
> Thank you for your time and consideration. Anne
> <<Dear Anne; In order to answer, I need to ask for your water test
results. Do you test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? I would
need to know these levels. If you do not own your own test kits, please take
a sample of your tank water to your LFS and have them test your water for
the above. Please let me know the results. This is always the first thing to
do when you develop a health problem in your tank. It  does not matter which
fish is affected, it has to start somewhere. So, I always ask for water test
results first. IF all is well, it could be age, aggression, or some internal
problem the fish has developed over time due to diet deficiencies, etc.
Please let me know your test results first. Thank you, Gwen>>
Hello Gwen,
I got the test kits you recommended and I tested everything this afternoon.
ph 6.4, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate ?? it was quite pink, but it was brighter than ones on the chart.  I
am guessing 50 or higher, but I am not quite sure.
In any case, I guess I should do a water change tonight, shouldn't I. Anne
<<Hello Anne, thanks for getting back to me. Yes, go ahead and do a water change. In fact, if possible, try to do a 20% water change every second day, to bring those nitrates down. Then you should test your water every other week to make sure the levels are not going back up. Buy a nitrate test kit, and do it yourself, it's really quite easy and saves you a trip to the store. Also, your Cory should start feeling better within a few days, and all your fish will live longer and healthier if you keep track of your levels :) If there are any other problems, please feel free to email me again. -Gwen>>

Cory Cat 
Thank you Gwen for all your advice. Unfortunately, the Cory cat died today. I will continue to do the tests you recommended, and get a few more Corys. Anne 
<<Hey, sorry to hear, Anne. I hope you will get more Corys. They are fun to watch and a joy to keep. Try not to be too bummed, though. You did a fine job trying to save him, but sometimes we just lose them and there is nothing we can do about it. I urge you to get some more, and try again. Best wishes -Gwen>>

"Cory Catfish Question"
Greetings -
I read with interest and anticipation Anne's question
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/armoredcatfaqs.htm, "Cory
Catfish Question") as she described the current behavior of one of my
fish quite accurately.  After weeks of wondering, reading, medicating
and worrying, I thought to myself "Finally!  The Answer!".  Alas, it was
not to be, as Anne's Cory expired before a full examination could be
conducted.  :-(
Like Anne's, my fish is not staying down on the bottom as per usual.  It
is swimming, upside down, at the top of the tank and diving down to the
bottom every once in a while.  Until recently I thought it had trouble
getting to the bottom, when I noticed that it sleeps on the bottom of
the tank, so apparently not...  Comparison with a like fish (I have two
of the Albino Corys) shows that the one acting strangely has dark
blotches inside its abdomen.  Both fish seem to be a less active and
less interested in food than I remember them being.  Neither fish has
grown much since I bought them.

Corydoras, aquarium salt and goofy goldfish
G'day, mates!
<Good morrow Ted>
I've got a 60 gallon freshwater with a relatively stable 75 degrees F (24 degrees Celsius) temperature throughout the year and approximate 7.7 pH readings. At the moment, there are five 2-3 inch fancy goldfish. Rather peaceful characters they are.
<Yes, and comical>
I've seen and heard of many people keeping goldies and some tropicals together successfully.
<Mmm, not a good idea in general... as you are surely familiar... Goldfish are very eager eaters, and messy!>
Seeing as that my temp is pretty stable and goldies are very happy, I thought I might try adding a few Corys in the mix. Yes, I
know it's a bit of a risk, but isn't everything?  I'm aware of the possibility of mixing two types of fish like this (foreign diseases
possible), but I would definitely be taking steps to quarantine any new comers. Clown loaches would have been my second choice, but I haven't done too much research on them yet.
<Corydoras are a much better choice... undemanding and can span a range of water qualities, overlapping goldfish's>
My question is two-fold: 
1) Here we have two very peaceful fish types; do you foresee any major obstacles of this arrangement? 
2) I add aquarium salt to the water as a preventative measure (approx. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of new water); are Corys sensitive to aquarium salt?
<They are, but this is not too much for most all species. Bob Fenner>
Thank you so much for your assistance!  Ted 
<Welcome>

Will Epsom Salt hurt Panda Corydoras?
Thanks, Chuck, but you didn't answer my main question. Would Epsom salt hurt panda Cory cats?
< Corydoras come from very soft acidic water with no salt in it at all. Depending on how much salt you add with have an affect on the amount of irritation and discomfort you cats will be subjected too. If you fish are wild then I would not recommend adding any salt to their water at all. Domesticated or tank raised fish are more tolerant to salt being raised in confined conditions so a little can probably be tolerated.-Chuck> 

Corys & salt? (10/17/03)
<Hi! Ananda here tonight...found one bit we hadn't really answered...>
Question on the tank set-up.  If I do continue with salt for my livebearers am I correct to understand that I couldn't get Panda Cory's?  From what I've read they can't stand salt.
<You could get panda Corys if you have a different tank for them...you won't be able to keep them in a brackish-salted tank. --Ananda>

Treating Corydoras paleatus in main tank 8/24/05
Hi again,
I have a question about treating my main tank for ich. I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 peppered Corys in it
right now. I've recently moved my 3 goldfish into another 10 gallon tank and don't know if I want to
keep it as a QT tank or keep them in there for good.
<... you were keeping callichthyid (tropical) catfish with coldwater goldfish?>
I also moved my 4th goldfish into a temporary 3? gallon tank. I plan on either giving that one away to a
friend or a pet store because it's getting way too big and it's pretty aggressive towards one of my goldfish.
I know... too many goldfish for a 10 gallon tank haha
<Ahh, not funny...>
I didn't know/read about fish when I got them for my birthday so here I am with too many.
<Very common>
Now I'm trying to get rid of them. Anyways the goldfishes are being treated for ich in
the other tank right now but I don't know what to do about the ich that could be in my main tank and my
Corys. I want to just treat them in the main tank but I heard ich med kills the beneficial bacteria.
<Likely so>
I wanted to try treating the tank with salt but I don't know how well my Corys would do in it.
<Don't like>
Is there a way to treat my main tank with my Corys still in it without the risk of any dying?
<Half dose/s, elevated temperature>
They are doing really well and I don't wanna jeopardize their lives. And does salt kill the beneficial bacteria?
<Yes, can>
Whenever I treat fish in a QT tank they always seem to get so sluggish and I don't know if I'm doing it right or not.
<Good question, speculation>
Oh and one more thing! This is just for the future if I wanted to keep other fish. I want to add 2 more
Corys to the 4 that are already in the tank. Will any kind do or should I stick with peppered Corys?
<Can mix>
I would also like to add a few fish that aren't bottom feeders. Which kind would do well with Corys and also
won't make my tank overstocked? Thank you so much your help. It's great to know that I have a reliable source to direct my questions to!
Wayne
<Read on my young friend... re livestock selection, ich... the latter here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Sick Cory Catfish 7/26/05
Hey gang, I'm back to seek your advice once again. I have three bronze
Cory catfish in a 3 gallon quarantine tank. The tank is filtered, unheated
(temp 21-23c) and not cycled, but I am doing daily water changes to keep
the toxins down. The eventual destination for these fish will be my 10
gallon tank, currently occupied by a male Betta. Anyways, two of these
three Corys are doing fine, but the third is ill....fins clamped, listless,
and not very interested in food, although he does eat a little. I've had
these fish for five days now. I matched pH and temperature when I
transferred these fish into the 3 gal. tank; chances of some foreign
substance having gotten into the tank or water are minimal. I can't think
of anything else I might have done wrong.  I guess I'm not looking for a
diagnosis, as this fish's behaviour is a symptom of pretty much every
disease out there...but is there anything you recommend that might help
this little guy? I'm continuing to do my best to provide ideal conditions
for this fish, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Thanks in advance for
your help! JM
< Get a heater and raise the water temp to around 27C and treat with Nitrofuranace, watch for ich. Keep the water clean and maybe use some softer water until a cure is completed.-Chuck>