Peppered Catfish Died

Calmwaters

Sorry about you fish. Good luck with the other ones.

Romad

Good luck with the treatment. Let us know how it goes.

jlthomson33

Well I went back to the pet shop where I get the peppered catfish from. I had a look at the other peppered catfish in the shop - they all looked healthy. I spoke to the shop owner and she reckons my catfish died because of the difference in PH between my tank and hers (mine is about 6.4 and hes she said was 6.8)......I feel very ignorant for not checking this at the time of purchase. Could pH have cuased this haemorrhage?

Coryologist

The difference in the pH values is not that severe and both are well within acceptable limits for most, if not all Corys.

I always wonder why people at the lfs simply cant say, "I don't know." lol. Especially since they usually don't know. - Frank

jlthomson33

Thank you She was very convincing when placing the blame on my shoulders, I felt very stupid by the time I left the shop. I was wondering whether I should up the pH of the tank a bit, but then I reasoned my other fish had been fine since I got them 2 years ago, so it might be best not to tinker with anything...

Coryologist

That is usually the best way to proceed. - Frank

Byron

I certaqinly agree with coryologist on this. You may have had one fish with a problem, don't dump stuff in the tank unless there is a real need. All these meds stress out fish. Monitor the other fish.

I also agree on the pH, that difference of .4 is absolutely insignificant. Presumably you acclimated the fish slowly, by mixing some tank water with the bag a couple times. But even if you didn't it is still not that much of a change. I know of professional breeders who never "mix water" and lose no fish doing it. I have swings of .4 every 24 hours in my planted tanks, though I admit that is slow over the day and night. But at water changes I also have a change of .3 to .4 within a few minhutes, and in 20 years I have never had issues over this.

The ammonia is more of a likely issue, corys are highly sensitive to ammonia, one reason they do not travel well when they are packed too many in a bag.

dramaqueen

I'm so sorry about your catfish. I hope the others are ok.

jlthomson33

Hi

thank you everyone for your responses and reassurance. Got home tonight and the other fish are all alive and looking well, I think (phew)!

My little 2 year old catfish is looking pink, BUT, he is always quite pink (because he eats the tetra's "tetra pro colour" food which is red, as well as his pellet food) so I'm not sure if I'm being a bit paranoid. I've posted a small pic, see what you think.

Does anyone know what type of catfish he is? He was labelled as a Brochis splendens but he is smaller than the Emerald Catfish I saw in the petshop the other day and he has never been an emerald colour!

Attached Images

catfish cropped.JPG (21.7 KB, 23 views)

Byron

From that photo I could name several possible species; one thing is certain, it is not Brochis splendens. If you check our profile of this fish (click on the shaded name) you will see how to tell Brochis easily from Corydoras; aside from this, the three Brochis species including a couple of "variants" do not have a pattern even remotely similar to the pictured fish.

I have to leave here to tend my fish, but I'll bet Coryologist will know the species offhand.