Archivarium 2004

[scoob]

One of my leopard corydoras' is really sick. It's gone all pale and emaciated. Hardly moving. I've put it in a quarantine (well separated it in the tank) and given it food in case it's starving - although it's not eating. It doesn't seem to be slimy or have obvious infection. Also it's partner is developing a red patch around the gills (and think the other had one too although it's now so pale it's just pink around the gills) and may be headed the same way although right now it's a lot more genki. All the other fish (molly, rasboras, guppy) seem fine.

I'm wondering vaguely if the red is caused by damage due to the gravel (I think the corydoras need sand as they forage using their whiskers) or as I read "bad" bacteria in the gravel becuase of not using a vacuum (I have a lot of plants and some driftwood making vacujuming the bottom quite difficult - should I( be removing the driftwood when vacuuming?) then again I wonder if the red patches weren't there from the start and I'm seeing things.

I changed the water (maybe 40%) just before I left for vacation and have just returned after 2 weeks. I get the feeling my autofeeder was feeding too much (once a day but probably too many flakes) during this period.

Temp is normal 78F, pH is 7.8 (usually 7.6), ammonia and nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 80ppm, general hardness is 6dH. I just did a 50% water change due to the high pH and nitrate.
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20 Gallon tank
1 Black Molly
2 Leopard Catfish (Corydoras)
1 Guppy
8 Harlequin Rasbora

[scoob]

Some pix...




(NB: "Genki" is Japanese for "healthy".)

The corydoras does occasionally lurch around so it's not entirely motionless.

Help appreciated!