# Fins :(



## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

I heard adding salt to a tank can help the fin regeneration process, but I also heard that Corys don't like salt. One of my corys has virtually non-existent fins nowadays, and the other has pretty ratty fins since my betta wouldn't leave him alone while they lived together. What can I do to get their fins back to healthy condition? I heard that gravel can hurt a corys fins... Should I switch to a softer substrate, like sand? HELP


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Do you have rough edged gravel or the rounded natural gravel? I know the rough stuff can damage their barbels, but I hadn't heard of it damaging the fins!

I'm going to have to make some changes when I add my cory cats to my tropical tank. Currently, it's mostly the natural, smooth gravel. But it transitions to red rough gravel in the front. I'm thinking I'll just mix up the two. I'll let you know how they do!


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## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

I don't know how to differentiate between rough and smooth gravel. I mean I have some stuff that's like natural coloured, and some stuff that's the same stuff but painted metallic blues greens and purples, all mixed up. I've never seen aquarium gravel that's really smooth like river-rock.


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## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

they sell small pebble river rock in 5-25 pound bags at wal-mart and most petstore, and its very smooth like it was put into a rock tumbler.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Yeah... I was buying bags of tiny river rock, natural colored, at Walmart. Now I'm noticing that PetSmart carries bigger bags of slightly bigger rocks and much much larger rocks... I might get a few and mix them in for a natural looking effect. Seems to me like usually the painted rock is rough.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Sand is usually recommended for cory cats, but my mum's live with a river rock substrate and they do quite well.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

sharp gravel and some sand (like from lava rock) will wear a cory's barbels as it probes for food. The other fins are usually not affected. Like us, if it hurts, they 'don't do that'. That fins are gone suggests a bigger problem than hard substrate. Either a fin-nipper, a case of fin-rot or both. Suggest isolating the affected fish, giving it/them clean water and good food and watch the fins grow back. If the fins keep shrinking in the absence of sharp objects (you could even try a bare hospital. tank) and nippy tank-mates, you should treat for fin-rot.


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## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

Well, they did live with a betta for a while(they don't anymore) who I believe gave the big cory a working over, and I think the big cory nipped down the little cory's fins. I don't have another tank... well, I could move my betta to a vase for a bit and move the little cory to my 2.5 and see if his fins grow back again... Or I could just get a small hospital tank. The corys currently live with a shoal of 3 Pearl Danios. Anybody know if those guys are nippers?

Oh, and I went to walmart today and could only find regular gravel. It looked pretty sharp. No improvement on what I already have in my tanks, so I didn't waste the money. An employee told me where I can go to find some good stuff though. I'm going to try there as soon as possible.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

danio can nip. They aren't notorious for it like serpaes, but they can and sometimes do. Usually, they pick on each other, but with only 3, maybe they have some time to bother the cories. You could try more bottom hiding places so the cories can get out of site if they need to. You could also try a bare-bottomed hosp. tank. If there is fin-rot in the substrate, a vacation from it may help.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

I think the betta is more likely to nip the little cory than another cory... I'd put the betta in another tank first and watch for improvements. Then if you don't see any changes, seperate the cory cats. Then you can be more aware of who the culprit is. Seems unlikely to me that your danios would harass the cory cats but not the betta... I'm certainly no expert, though!


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## burninrubber390 (Oct 25, 2010)

well if your using the gravel thats in your avatar i wouldnt say its sharp i would agree that something is nipping your cory's fins


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## Trout (Mar 16, 2011)

Well, certainly the danios aren't as big as my big cory. Yet. I haven't seen the Danios harassing the corys except when trying to steal the corys' food. And then, they don't really nip the fins, they usually just swarm the area and do their best to get at the food. :/

I'm definitely going to try seperating them out as soon as possible, though.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Let us know how it goes! If nothing improves, I'd completely change out the gravel. Cuz if only the bottom feeders are being affected, it could be fin rot caused my something growing in the substrate.


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