# Three stripe Cory catfish lost tail



## Ks198 (18 Jun 2017)

Hi guys,

Need your help again plz. I bought two three strip Cory catfish last week. Just noticed today one of them lost the tail mostly and seat on the rock most of time. I have a planted 180 littre tank. Have lots of platy - 4 big ones and loads of fry, 4 dwarf gourami, 4 zebra danios, 1 crown pleco, 3 oto and 2 bamboo shrimps. Which fish might have caused this? Do you think? The other Cory is fine seems. Thx

Kai


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## GHNelson (19 Jun 2017)

Dwarf Gourami's....is my guess!
They can be fin nippers.
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/Trichogaster-lalius
hoggie


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## zozo (19 Jun 2017)

If not fin rot caused by fungal and or bacterial infection..


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## GHNelson (19 Jun 2017)

Best move the little guy/gal to another tank....if you have one!
Nice clean water and add some Pimafix.
Even if its not fin rot, this procedure will help keep the wounds clean from secondary infection!
http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=630#.WUeHMYWcHSc
hoggie


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## Ks198 (19 Jun 2017)

hogan53 said:


> Best move the little guy/gal to another tank....if you have one!
> Nice clean water and add some Pimafix.
> Even if its not fin rot, this procedure will help keep the wounds clean from secondary infection!
> http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=630#.WUeHMYWcHSc
> hoggie


Thx. But I don't have another tank. Can I apply the pimafix to the main tank? Will this impact other fish? Thx a lot


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## alto (20 Jun 2017)

What have you been doing with the tank since the platy & oto's died?
This may still be the same disease ...

I'd be surprised if that tail damage is from another fish - looks more like bacterial or ammonia "melt" - check your tank parameters to be sure that ammonia & nitrite are zero, daily water changes are usually more effective than any medications - unless you can identify the issue

You might go back & look at the store tank, if you see more corydoras with tail damage, it was likely from their tank rather than your own - I'd still do daily water changes though as very clean water will help fish heal, you should see almost daily improvement if fish is successfully fighting off infection 

While dwarf gourami can be nippy, this is usually directed towards guppy (those flowing fins) & other anabantoids, in general dwarf gourami are not the swiftest or brightest fish, so most fish will avoid their grumpy overtures without sustaining any physical damage


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## Ks198 (20 Jun 2017)

alto said:


> What have you been doing with the tank since the platy & oto's died?
> This may still be the same disease ...
> 
> I'd be surprised if that tail damage is from another fish - looks more like bacterial or ammonia "melt" - check your tank parameters to be sure that ammonia & nitrite are zero, daily water changes are usually more effective than any medications - unless you can identify the issue
> ...


Hey alto,


Thx for commenting. Yeah, I did lots of water changes when platy and Otto died. Then seems everything goes well. The platy had new babies again and we end up to have 9 or possibly more platy frys now. Three remaining Oto seems doing okay, not eating any feeded food but seems happy with brown algae in the tank. So I went to buy more fish, 2 cat fish and 4 dwarf gourami and 1 crown pleco. I don't think it's gourami either as I been watching them. They don't bother with cat fish at all at least when the lights are on. The other cat fish is fine but I do noticed that they are not as active as when I got them. For the first two days, they were swimming up and down, but now the one lost fin just seat on a rock and sucking on the rock. The other one is digging sands but not going up and down. When I feed them, they do eat a bit. Do you think I can take him back to the fish shop even after 1 week and 1 day? 

The water seems fine, very small amount of nitrite, 0 ammonia and 0 nitrate. I will do a water change again tonight. 


Thx a lot!


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## alto (20 Jun 2017)

Return depends on your shop - call & speak with the manager or fish person

(Your tank seems settled so don't bring up the platy/oto deaths  )

I'm a title surprised they sold you 4 dwarf gourami - these fish can be quite territorial so just watch for bullying over the next days - weeks - months (behaviour can change)



Ks198 said:


> For the first two days, they were swimming up and down, but now the one lost fin just seat on a rock and sucking on the rock. The other one is digging sands but not going up and down. When I feed them, they do eat a bit.



That up/down constant swimming can be stress ... or not  it is fairly common when corydoras are introduced to a new tank, check if they seem thin or breathing seems laboured (too rapid or a lot of gill expansion with each breath)

It does sound as if the tailless guy is struggling a bit, you might add some sinking food after lights out to make sure the sick guy gets enough - if possible pick up some frozen bloodworms for the corydoras 


Not sure about your water test - I'd expect zero ammonia & zero nitrites & some nitrates but check with your water company as there maybe some nitrites in the local tap


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## Ks198 (21 Jun 2017)

alto said:


> Return depends on your shop - call & speak with the manager or fish person
> 
> (Your tank seems settled so don't bring up the platy/oto deaths  )
> 
> ...



you are right about dwarf gourami. The first week, they seems fine, now, they are a little bit aggressive to each other. No damage done yet, but I will have to keep watching them. I have 2 flame red and 2 neon blue, they are beautify; but they also like a pig. Not shy at all (maybe because they are the biggest at moment). They eat EVERYTHING i feed, no matter dry bloodworms, flakes, cucumbers, algae wafers or anything else. I have to distract them with food float on top and then drop some algae wafers to corydoras. Corydoras get some, but not too much.

The little tailless guy seems doing okay, constantly searching on sands. 

At what level of aggression from dwarf gourami, i should consider to send them back?


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## splatteredbrainz (30 Jun 2017)

Definitely had to be the gourami

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk


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## JMorgan (19 Oct 2017)

Ks198 said:


> then drop some algae wafers to corydoras


Corydoras generally do better with more meaty stuff - frozen blood worms, brine shrimp etc. I'm not saying they won't eat an algae wafer or that it will do them any harm, but if I was trying to bring a cory back into condition I'd try to spoil it with some blood worm - after lights out when the other fish will be at a bit of a disadvantage finding it.

Good luck


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