Cory catfish are peaceful and hardy fish, making them the most common bottom dwellers aquarists prefer to add to their community tank. They are easy to take care of, making them a good option for beginners.
However, it is a common query of every fishkeeper and beginner that their fish is dying after a water change. So let us discuss the reason for cory catfish died after a water change.
Performing a massive water change and the difference between the water temperature of fresh water and aquarium water is why your cory catfish die after a water change. Perform a weekly water change of 35% and treat the water from the water conditioner to prevent such issues.
This article will discuss why cory catfish die after a water change and how we can prevent such issues. Also, we will discuss how to perform a water change of our cory catfish tank. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Does water change make cory catfish pass away?
Performing a water change will not make your cory catfish pass away.
However, when you suddenly perform a major water change of 80-90% after a long time, it will make them come under stress.
Being under stress for a long time will make your cory catfish prone to various diseases and parasites, and they can even pass away.
If you have not performed a water change for months or years and suddenly you go for a major water change, it will affect your cory catfish, and they can die.
The reason behind such is your cory catfish will adapt to the water conditions throughout the time and will be familiar with that.
When you suddenly perform a massive water change, they will suffer a complete change of water chemistry and come under stress, resulting in passing away.
In addition, only the water condition is not the issue here as there will be a massive change in water parameters.
A major change in water parameters will make your cory catfish come under constant stress and become weak.
A massive change in water parameters can even result in your cory catfish passing away.
What are the reasons behind my cory catfish passing away when doing a water change?
All these are the reasons behind your cory catfish passed away after a water change:
- Performed a water change after a long time.
- Performed a massive water change.
- There is a huge difference between the tank water and added water temperature.
If you have not performed a water change of your cory catfish tank in a long time and then suddenly change the massive percentage of water, it will affect their health as they will come under a high level of stress and can even pass away.
The same goes for the water parameters. If the parameters of the water you are adding to your cory catfish tank don’t match the parameters of the aquarium water, they will come under stress.
Your cory catfish will suddenly pass away or become weak and prone to diseases and parasites.
Water change is necessary to keep the water clean, but it should be done appropriately.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Live In Brackish Water?
Is performing a water change necessary?
Performing a water change is very necessary to keep your cory catfish tank clean and protected from harmful toxins like ammonia.
Our fish tanks get dirty from the leftovers and other waste produced by fish.
Cory catfish are bottom dwellers and will feed on leftovers and other waste.
However, getting dependent on that factor and not performing a water change is not a good idea.
Your cory catfish will not be able to clean the tank from leftovers thoroughly.
Performing a water change will be required to ensure good water conditions.
Also, your fish will produce waste in the form of poop and urine, which will contaminate the water condition if we don’t perform water change adequately.
You will not be able to see the dirtiness of the water with your naked eyes.
More waste will result in the risk of an ammonia and nitrate spike.
We recommend performing a regular water change and adding a good filtration system with biofilter media to ensure good water conditions and to protect the water from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
These are some things you should consider when it comes to performing a water change:
- Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% to keep the water clean.
- Make sure that the temperature of the freshwater should match the temperature of the water in the tank.
How to perform a water change of my cory catfish tank?
Things needed while performing a water change:
- A sponge
- A gravel siphon
- Two plastic bucket
Steps to perform water change:
- Treat the water using a water conditioner before adding it to your cory catfish tank.
- Unplug the heater and aquarium light.
- Unplug the filter and clean it using tap water. Make sure not to clean the biofilter media with tap water. Instead, use aquarium water to clean the biofilter media.
- If any decor is dirty, you can take them out and clean them using boiled water.
- Now, start cleaning the tank’s walls with the help of a sponge.
- Siphon out if any solid debris is present in the gravel with the help of a gravel siphon.
- Now, suck the water out from the aquarium with the help of a gravel siphon.
- With the help of a thermometer, note the temperature of the water remaining in the aquarium.
- Refill your cory catfish aquarium with the bucket of water you have treated, matching the water temperature of the tank water.
- If the water temperature doesn’t match, then wait for some time until it reaches. You can use a heater to match the water parameter if needed.
- Reconnect the filter and the heater back to the aquarium.
- Add the decor back to the tank. Make sure to put the decor in a bucket with treated water before adding it to your cory catfish tank.
Also read: Ideal Water Temperature For Cory Catfish.
Things to take care of when performing a water change.
These are the things to take care of when performing a water change:
- Avoid cleaning the biofilter media with tap water.
- Treat the water using the water conditioner before adding it to your cory catfish tank.
- Don’t add the water too fast.
Avoid cleaning biofilter media using tap water.
You can clean the filter using tap water, but make sure not to clean the biofilter media.
Instead, use the aquarium water to clean the biofilter media.
Biofilter media contains beneficial bacteria which help you keep the water protected from harmful toxins.
Cleaning the biofilter media with tap water will eliminate all the beneficial bacteria as tap water will contain chemicals like chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals.
So, make sure to clean the biofilter media using aquarium water instead of tap water.
Treat the water before adding it to your cory catfish tank.
Tap water contains chemicals like chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals.
These chemicals are not harmful to us but can make your fish suffer from life-threatening conditions.
It is necessary to treat the water before adding it to your fish tank.
We recommend using the API water conditioner as it will help you eliminate chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, nitrite, and heavy metals from the water.
Don’t add the water too fast.
Adding water too fast to your cory catfish tank will act like an earthquake in their tank.
They will come under high stress and can even pass away.
Consider adding water slowly to your cory catfish tank when performing a water change.
Conclusion:
There can be numerous reasons behind your cory catfish dying after a water change.
The primary reason for such issues is performing a massive water change and the huge difference between fresh and aquarium water parameters.
Also, performing a water change after a long time can be the reason behind your cory catfish dying after a water change.
If you are performing a water change after months or a year, consider changing the water in a small percentage of not more than 10% in one go.
Consider performing a weekly water change of 35% and using a water conditioner to treat the water while doing water change to prevent such issues.
Reference: ResearchGate, Wikipedia