Do you follow fish keeping forum recommendations and still come up with dead or dying cory catfish? Why is the advice not working for you? In this article, we’ll take a different approach to help you out with your dying cory catfish.
Why Are My Cory Catfish Dying? Cory catfish are one of the first fish in the tank to show stress due their acute sensitivity. They need to be introduced very carefully to a new tank that is cycled properly. The substrate and feedings are extremely crucial for their survival as a group.
Why Do My Cory Catfish Die When I’m Following All The Advice?
We listen to recommendations and general rules of thumb, but our cory catfish still die. This is extremely frustrating. Different people may recommend different sets of advice. Just because someone works at a fish store doesn’t make them an expert that can’t be refuted. Here is one major example:
- 1 cory catfish to 1 gallon of water
Let’s start with this recommendation. We follow this general rule, but we’re left with overcrowded cory catfish who may not be getting enough food or space to thrive. Change the rules. Give yourself and your cory catfish more wiggle room. Make a new rule that is more lenient and comfortable for them.
- 1 cory catfish to 2 gallons of water
We don’t recommend messing with the water parameters, but we suggest that you don’t have too many fluctuations within the recommended ranges. For example:
- Water temperature: 72°-80°F
This is a large range that is considered healthy for cory catfish, but 8 degrees is a big difference for sensitive fish. Try to maintain the temperature at exactly 75°F to limit fluctuations that cause stress in your corydoras.
- Water temperature: 75°F
How Do I Acclimate Cory Catfish Into A New Tank?
- Don’t mix bag water with tank water.
- Transport with extreme care.
- Don’t feed prior to transport.
- Remove bag water in tiny amounts.
- Replace bag water with your tank’s water in tiny amounts.
- Perform 50% water changes weekly.
- Make sure you tank is cycled with a healthy bacteria colony.
1. All fish need to be carefully introduced to a new tank, but cory catfish need more sensitivity and time. The bag they arrive in contains tank water that is not the same as yours. Do not mix this bag water with your tank.
2. Transport your cory catfish carefully to ensure that they don’t arrived stressed. This means driving slowly or taking the time to make sure they aren’t swishing around in the bag all the way home.
3. Feeding them before transport will increase the waste in the bag. A minimal level of ammonia in the bag from their waste will cause an issue that may affect their overall health when arriving to your cycled tank.
4. Allow them the time to float in the bag on top of your tank. Don’t open the bag just yet. Remove small amounts of the water in the bag and replace it very slowly with your tank’s water. The slower you handle this process, the better it will be for your cory catfish to get acclimated to your tank’s water conditions.
5. We recommend larger than usual water changes as well once they are full integrated into your cycled tank with thriving beneficial bacteria. Cory catfish require pure water conditions that go above and beyond what guppies or bettas require.
Which Cory Catfish Are The Hardiest?
We wish it was as easy as selecting the most hardy species of cory catfish and calling it a day. Unfortunately, there are too many outside factors that supersede the anecdotal data that shows us which cory catfish are more hardy than others.
We have done our research, but our advice should not be taken as a fact. Here are our most hardy cory catfish in order:
- Anaeus (Bronze)
- Paleatus (Pepper)
- Sterbai (Albino)
- Trilneatus (Julii)
All data should be criticized and exceptions are made when one fish keeper says that they have a hardier cory catfish of another species.
Which Substrate Is Better For Cory Catfish?
The choice of substrate is extremely important for cory catfish who dwell at the bottom of your tank. They have sensitive barbells that could get worn down from regular gravel substrate that contain rocky material of different textures or shapes. The substrate needs to be:
- Smooth
- Free of jagged or sharp rocks
- No sharp or pointy decorations
- No sharp plant roots
- Sand is preferred
- Enriched substrate (Eco-complete, Flourite, etc.)
We want our cory catfish to stay alive and live with us for years to come. Worn down barbells or abrasions from the substrate will affect their longevity. Cory catfish enjoy sand. They take it in from their mouths and expel it out of their gills.
It’s simply not worth putting our cory catfish at risk of developing infections through the substrate. Plant debris can be toxic and their roots could also be sharp enough to affect cory catfish.
Be careful with your choice of plants and decorations that look great, but pose a risk to the well-being of your bottom dwellers. Finally, enriched substrates that are smooth provide added protection from toxic waste buildup.
Am I Overfeeding My Cory Catfish?
Overfeeding is a common reason for the death of cory catfish. They are constantly scrounging for food at the bottom of your tank and cleaning it along the way. They are also eating what you give them and this can all become too much for some cory catfish.
More Protein At First
We are told that feeding our cory catfish twice a day is correct, but this is open to debate. At first, your cory catfish juveniles require protein rich foods that sink to the bottom. Try shrimp pellets, bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Algae or No Algae?
Some recommend algae wafer that sink, but others say that this causes bloating because cory catfish do not ingest algae as much in the wild.
A Weeklong Fast
If you would like to rule out overfeeding as the cause of death for your cory catfish, then allow them to fast for up to a week. Your cory catfish will survive in ideal water conditions. They will find some safe debris in the substrate, but the fast will allow them to clear their guts of all the food we give them.
Less food means purer water. The water parameters will fluctuate less and your cory catfish could improve their health.
Supplements
After the fast, add more nutrients to their meals by dipping frozen or live food in solutions packed with vitamins like Selcon or liquid garlic such as Garlic Guard to boost their immune systems.
Did My Cory Catfish Starve To Death?
We’re going to discuss the following factors:
- Substrate is too clean
- Larger corydoras hogging the food
- Not enough space in the tank
- Food isn’t sinking quickly enough or isn’t enticing
1. If we are maintaining the substrate by vacuuming the gravel or using a syphon hose, we are also removing some of the debris that cory catfish naturally like to feed on.
It’s a catch 22 situation. We can’t help them with the purest and most ideal tank water without removing some if their nutrients that they enjoy scavenging.
2. The largest cory catfish in the group may end up eating most of what you’re offering. The weaker ones in the group could be malnourished and inviting illnesses through a weakened immune system.
3. Space out your cory catfish with a larger tank or separate them during the feeding process by adding a divider in the tank.
4. Make sure the food sinks quickly to bottom for your neediest cory catfish to get the meal you’re giving them. Sinking shrimp pellets work well and most cory catfish love them.
We hope you can enjoy the lives of your cory catfish for many more years through proper care and maintenance. We wish your cories the best of luck and the happiest of conditions to thrive and survive.
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