# Panda Cory gasping for air



## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

I had 4 corydoras pandas and 3 of them went to heaven in the past 2 weeks. I've had them for about 4 months.... Water parameters looked good. 20% water changes every week. Housed with probably 40-50% plants in a 20g @ around 73F. Tankmates are Otos, platies, mollies and some RCS. The body was whole..nothing missing or signs of diseases. The only thing i noticed wierd was that they kept coming up for air?!?! Normally they just dash to the surface and go right back down but for the last 2 weeks they seem to stay up for air until another fish scares it down. What is going on????? I was really worried when the first one died so i did two 20% water change in a week plus lowered the temperature by 2-3degrees to 73. Then second one died....50% water change...Please.... Any help appreciated.


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## primal (Jan 30, 2007)

Are you dechlorinating the water? Chlorine actually burns the gills of fish, and can cause them to suffocate. I wouldn't think that 20% water changes weekly, even with chlorinated water, would hurt them that much, but its certainly a start.

Also, gasping for air can also be the sign of gill flukes or other parasites.


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## IndianaSam (Mar 25, 2005)

Oops, didn't read all of your post. Never mind.


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## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

i dropped a few more seachem prime when the first one died. Can having too much fish cause this problem? I am currently overstocked because the platies keep giving birth. Will be trading them in LFS in a few days. I just put a bubbler in and it seems like the cory is doing much better for some reason. Do they need more water movement to breathe?


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Not necessarly water movement. Adding an airstone/bubbler effectively increased the amount of oxygen in the tank. The overstocked tank possibily had a high oxygen consumption rate where the supply of dissolved oxygen wasn't there. 

It's sort of being in a room with no windows or doors with lots of people. It gets hot and stuffy, and will eventually become difficult to breath in. Opening the window will bring in fresh air much like an airstone does for a fish tank.

-John N.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

Almost all of the O2/CO2 exchange takes place at the surface of the water. How well the water is circulated is the critical element, though temperature is also a factor (Cooler water can hold more dissolved O2 than warm water).
As far as overstocking, that depends on the number of times/hour the tank volume is turned over. The old inch of fish/gallon of water standard is irrelevant in most cases. I've seen tanks full of African cichlids that were impossibly crowded by that standard, yet they were thriving because the filtration kept the water circulating enough to maintain enough O2 for all of them. More frequent partial water changes are also necessary if the tank is crowded because nitrates accumulate faster.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

The darting to the surface is normal Cory behavior. They take in air in their gut as an auxillary source of oxygen. Staying at the surface is definitely abnormal behavior though.


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

oceans0516 said:


> i dropped a few more seachem prime when the first one died. Can having too much fish cause this problem? I am currently overstocked because the platies keep giving birth. Will be trading them in LFS in a few days. I just put a bubbler in and it seems like the cory is doing much better for some reason. Do they need more water movement to breathe?


Have you checked your ammonia or nitrite level? Either of these can cause fish to come to the surface gasping for air?

Symptoms of Ammonia Poisoning: 
Fish gasp for breath at the water surface
Purple or red gills
Fish is lethargic
Loss of appetite
Fish lays at the bottom of the tank
Red streaking on the fins or body

Symptoms of Nitrite Poisoning: 
Fish gasp for breath at the water surface 
Fish hang near water outlets
Fish is listless
Tan or brown gills
Rapid gill movement

Here's an article about ammonia poisioning: Fish Disease - Ammonia Poisoning

Here's an article about nitrite poisoning:
Fish Disease - Nitrite Poisoning


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## oceans0516 (Jul 23, 2006)

Temperature kept at around 72F. 

Yes i checked the water and there was no abnormal signs of ammonia or nitrite. Only panda cories were gasping for air. They seem to be eating and searching for food like they always do but would come up for air alot and stay up until a platy scares it away. All other fish were acting normal.

After testing, I followed with a water change. Then followed 2 more deaths...i tested and changed the water again...added a few more drops of dechlor than i usually do...still the same...i got scared my last cory may die so i placed it in my cherry shrimp tank and the behavior stopped in the shrimp tank. I just traded in the extra fish that was keeping my tank over stocked yesterday. Not sure if i'm ready to put the panda cory back thoe.


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