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First let me say that this is a great forum and I am so glad to have found it!

I recently lost 4 cories within days of each other (2 pygmies and 2 pandas). All had the same symptoms.....sluggish, whirling, loss of equilibrium, lying on their side, and finally....death
This 3 year-old planted tank is 45 gallons, temp is 78 deg, ph=7.0, nitrates=15, nitrites=0, filter is an emperor 280. Tankmates are guppies, plattys, neons, rasbora tetras, and female bettas.

I had the 2 pygmies for 3 years and the pandas for over 1 year. I tried treating with Paragon II and then Kanacyn (after waterchange and carbon), but they didn't make it. Now, 2 weeks later, a spotted (I think Juli) cory in my angel tank is displaying the same symptoms. He has always swam in the filter current and in mid tank area. I noticed that his barbels had eroded and top fin has chunks missing, so I started treatment of Kanacyn 3 days ago. He has gotten worse with the meds and is now displaying symptoms like the others did in the planted tank. The other cories in this tank (2 bronze and 1 unidentified with a stripe down its side) seem to be fine. This tank is a 50 gallon with a sandy bottom and the readings are the same as above except that nitrates are 20 (instead of 15). Only angels and 1 rubber-lipped pleco are in the tank, and there are plenty of hiding places.

I never transfer media from tank to tank and sterilize nets and buckets so there is minimal chance that infection could spread.

Are there certain meds that cories are sensitive to (other than meth green?) I've used maracide in the past successfully.

Also, what is causing my little guys to die?

Should I give the last dose of Kanacyn, or do a waterchange?

Any advice would be appreciated. It kills me to watch them die and not be able to help them. Thanks everyone!

If I read your post right when you water change you change the filer carbon. I am not familiar with the treatments you have or are using but I am pretty sure the carbon in the filter will neutralize it making it totally ineffective.

Regular weekly water changes of around 25 -30% will normally keep a tank in tip top condition providing there is nothing being done to upset the balance such as over feeding.

Ian

Actually, I only use carbon when removing meds, so this can't be it. What I meant was that I did a waterchange and added carbon to remove old meds, before trying a different treatment.

What substrate are you using? this can and often does have a dramatic effect on on Corys.

Ian

Sand is the substrate. Could the meds have affected them?

The medication should not have any effect on the sand, what can have a drastic effect is if there are any bad spots in it where gasses are building up, I tend to keep the sand very shallow so the Corys can penetrate right through to the base glass and reach all the food particles that may be there.

Ian

Hi guys,
Coryman, what drastic effect on corys would gas buildup have?
What would be symptoms on corys?
How do you treat corys and with what? (other than remove gasses from sand)
I have planted 29 g with 1 to 1.5 inch sand and I see sometimes a bubble of gas if I do not stir sand every week. I thought plant roots would keep it clean but that is not so.

what drastic effect on corys would gas buildup have?

The hydrogen sulphide will kill them almost instantly. Hydrogen sulphide is a metabolic poison, and (to cut a long story short) prevents oxygen from reaching the cells.

What would be symptoms on corys?

Since they die almost instantly, there are little or no symptoms.

How do you treat corys and with what? (other than remove gasses from sand)

There is no other effective way to treat them other than to take preventive measures.

The sand is far to deep 10 to 12 mm is plenty, I realise you have plants which need a little depth to set roots into, but the problem area will mainly be where the food settles on the bottom. The only suggestion I can really make would be to agitate all the open areas of sand prior to your weekly water changes and if possible reduce the sands depth.

Ian