# Corydora Barbels Look Skinny and Tucked Back



## j4ned0e (Jan 11, 2014)

Greetings! 

I purchased four spotted cories a couple of weeks ago. Three of them look great-- their color is good, their barbels look robust and they eat actively and, in general, they're very active and fun. However, the fourth fish doesn't seem to be doing well at all and I have spent hours searching the Internet for something fitting his (or her) symptoms. But, I can't find anything, so I'm hoping someone here will know. 

At first, we noticed that this guy's colors were slightly paler than his tank mates'. A couple days later, I noticed that he was keeping his barbels tucked back. They also seem to have become thinner. Now, he is to the point where his mouth doesn't seem to ever open. I've been observing their eating habits at night by the blue light on my tank (so that they can't see me, but I can see them) for the last couple of nights. The first night, he seemed to be looking for food. Last night, he wasn't as enthusiastic. I'm not really sure if he's eating or not-- but he doesn't look skinnier than the other fish. Sometimes, he seems a little lethargic or disoriented, but other times he darts around the tank with his buddies or up to the surface and back down like they normally do. 

It's freaking me out, to say the least. Especially because I can't find anything fitting the symptoms. 

They are currently the only fish in a 25 gallon Fluval. We have both the Fluval filter/aerator running and another filter. Our pH is at a 7.6, I think, so I know it's a little soft. I'm going to buy a vacuum today for the tank. I'm feeding them Hikari sinking wafers-- I know they need some variety. ... What else can I say? ... They do have gravel. The glo-fish kind-- because that's what my fiance bought and rinsed before I ever knew I was going to come home to a fish tank 3 months ago. And I have 3 cichlid rock home things and a few fake plants. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

did you ever see god use fluorescent colored gravel...lol..
the problem could be an internal parasite...find a good med and treat the entire tank..


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## j4ned0e (Jan 11, 2014)

Yeah. It wouldn't have been my first choice for substrate, either. I didn't exactly get to do a bunch of research until after there was a tank and a bucket full of gravel in my living room. (And then, at that point, it was, "Well, all those fish I've been in love with in the pet section of the department store are just not going to work in this tank." It's definitely been a process...)

When I came home, I noticed the barbels were more downward again and I saw the mouth moving. But, I'm not ready for any kind of rejoicing. Poor little guy is still acting not so well. 

I picked up an ammonia test kit and one for nitrates (as well as the gravel vacuum). Neither of those tests came to 0. The ammonia came to .25 and the nitrate came to 20 or 40. I vacuumed the tank and we changed around 20% of the water, changed the filters and added the dechlorinator and "nitrate and ammonia" eliminator solutions. There was a ton of debris in the gravel. Maybe they aren't eating as much of the wafers as I thought they were. There are four of them. I put in two tiny wafers in the morning and two at night and it _looked _ like they were eating it all. It must have been settling under the gravel. 

I'll look into getting some parasite medication tomorrow morning.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

I think its more a problem of filth than parasites. It could be both, of course. Whisker-melt often comes with dirty tanks or sharp gravel.


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## j4ned0e (Jan 11, 2014)

It's just weird because his barbels are long, but they're not as thick as his tankmates'. =/


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