I have a hard time believing an endler ripped the operculum off another fish. Especially an armored cory. I'd have an easier time believing he lost his gill cover to infection.
Are my endlers beating on my cories?
My tank consists of ~40 endlers from fry to adults, 10 albino cories, 4 panda cories, and four billion trumpet snails. There were originally 10 pandas, but one by one their tails became chewed up and they died off. Now I have an albino with a chewed tail, a bloody hole where his right gill cover used to be, and a missing right barbel.
The tank is two years old, parameters are steady and normal, and no purchased fish have been added in several months. (Endlers are born in the tank continuously.)
I've always known cories to be passive, so I blame the endlers. My husband thinks they targeted the pandas because their coloring is similar to the female endlers, but now that an albino is injured, that theory no longer stands.
The only pattern I see is that I notice damage after a frozen feeding, as opposed to flakes. Perhaps this makes them more aggressive? Or perhaps they are getting in each others' way, since frozen food sinks and the flakes float? I'm not sure what to do if this is a problem. I want to feed a varied diet, but obviously causing injuries isn't acceptable.
Has anybody known these bitty things to be mean? I find it hard to believe they're roughing up fish five times their size, but I've run out of suspects.
The tank is two years old, parameters are steady and normal, and no purchased fish have been added in several months. (Endlers are born in the tank continuously.)
I've always known cories to be passive, so I blame the endlers. My husband thinks they targeted the pandas because their coloring is similar to the female endlers, but now that an albino is injured, that theory no longer stands.
The only pattern I see is that I notice damage after a frozen feeding, as opposed to flakes. Perhaps this makes them more aggressive? Or perhaps they are getting in each others' way, since frozen food sinks and the flakes float? I'm not sure what to do if this is a problem. I want to feed a varied diet, but obviously causing injuries isn't acceptable.
Has anybody known these bitty things to be mean? I find it hard to believe they're roughing up fish five times their size, but I've run out of suspects.
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I have Bronze cories with Endlers, and trumpet snails and have never seen any problems with the cories.
Perhaps step up the water changes, emphasizing vacuuming the floor of the tank. Maybe there is something going on there. Pandas are more delicate than Albinos, and the Endlers are higher up in the water. Perhaps less exposed to whatever it going on.
Perhaps step up the water changes, emphasizing vacuuming the floor of the tank. Maybe there is something going on there. Pandas are more delicate than Albinos, and the Endlers are higher up in the water. Perhaps less exposed to whatever it going on.
Sounds to me like a flesh-eating bacteria.
Frozen worms may have carried in some bacteria. I'd particularly suspect frozen worms.
Thanks for your ideas. I may have to rethink the use of frozen foods. I will switch from weekly water changes to lesser amounts twice per week; maybe that will help.
What kind of substrate are you using?
That's most likely not going to help the fish that are already sick.Thanks for your ideas. I may have to rethink the use of frozen foods. I will switch from weekly water changes to lesser amounts twice per week; maybe that will help.
I'd do that, it definitely never hurts to make sure you've got the best water quality possible, but I'd personally also get an antibiotic going in this tank ASAP.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
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