Cory catfish are the most common bottom dwellers fish aquarists love keeping in their tanks because of their peaceful and hardy nature.
When you pass by your aquarium and notice that one of your cory catfish is floating in the tank, it becomes a matter of concern, and we want to know the reason and treatment as soon as possible. So, Why is my cory catfish floating? Let us find out.
Swim bladder disorder is the reason your cory catfish is floating. Causes of swim bladder disorder are poor water condition, infection, and overfeeding. Antibiotic treatment is needed when the reason behind swim bladder disorder is infection. Ensure good water conditions to prevent such issues.
This article will discuss why cory catfish floats and how to treat such issues. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Why does my cory catfish keep floating?
Your cory catfish keep floating because of swim bladder disorder.
There can be various reasons that can cause swim bladder disorder to your cory catfish.
Poor water conditions, low water temperature, injury, overeating, and feeding floating foods are the causes behind swim bladder disorder.
Proper treatment is needed in such a case. Otherwise, your cory catfish can suffer from a critical condition and even pass away.
What causes swim bladder disease in cory catfish?
These all causes swim bladder disease in cory catfish:
- Poor water conditions
- Inadequate water temperature.
- Overfeeding
- Infection
- Congenital disability
- Injury
Poor water condition
Bad water conditions can be the root cause behind your cory catfish suffering from swim bladder disorder.
Poor water conditions will result in an ammonia spike by altering the pH level.
An ammonia spike will burn your cory catfish gills, skin, and body, making them suffer from a lot of pain and critical conditions.
Cory catfish are sensitive when it comes to water conditions and parameters.
They will become prone to various diseases and parasites when living in poor water conditions.
Inadequate water temperature
Inadequate water temperature can also be the primary reason behind swim bladder disorder.
Low water temperature slows down the digestive process, which causes the enlargement of the gastrointestinal tract, putting pressure on the swim bladder.
Such pressure can result in your cory catfish suffering from swim bladder disorder.
Overfeeding
Overfeeding your cory catfish can also make them suffer from swim bladder disorder.
Overeating can make your cory catfish constipated, and also, they can suffer from a bloated belly.
A bloated belly can disturb the swim bladder resulting in swim bladder disorder.
Feeding food that expands when wet inside your cory catfish’s body can also result in swim bladder disorder.
Food like freeze-dried or dry flake expands when it gets wet inside the fish’s body, resulting in stomach enlargement.
Infection
Parasites and bacterial infections can also be the reason behind swim bladder disorder.
Stress and poor water conditions make your cory catfish prone to various diseases and parasites.
This is why poor water conditions are known to be the root cause of swim bladder disorder.
Congenital disabilities
This is a rare case in which a cory catfish is born with a congenital disability affecting its swim bladder.
However, if your cory catfish is born with such defects, the sign will be visible at the early life stages.
Injury
A physical injury can also result in a swim bladder disorder.
Cory catfish fighting with other mates or striking with decors present in the tank can injure them, damaging the swim bladder.
Also read: Why Are My Cory Catfish Hiding?
How to treat swim bladder disorder?
For treating swim bladder disorder in your cory catfish, follow these things:
- Place the sick cory catfish in a separate tank.
- Let your cory catfish be empty stomach for 2-3 days.
- Feed peas to your cory catfish after the fast.
- Treat your cory catfish with antibiotics if the infection is the cause.
Place the sick cory catfish in a separate tank.
It would be best to separate the sick fish and place them in a separate tank where you can observe them easily.
Keep a low water level so your cory catfish can easily swim around the tank.
Maintain the water temperature between 78-82 °F.
Adding a small amount of aquarium salt will help.
Let your cory catfish have a fast.
If an enlarged intestine or stomach is the reason behind swim bladder disorder, stopping to feed your cory catfish for two to three days will help.
Fasting will help your cory catfish to digest the remaining food.
Feed peas to your cory catfish
After fasting, you can start by feeding peas to your cory catfish.
Boil the peas for some minutes, and remove the skin of the peas before feeding them.
You can continue feeding boiled peas to your cory catfish for some days, and after that, start feeding the ideal food they require to fulfill their dietary requirements.
Treat your cory catfish with antibiotics.
If the reason behind the swim bladder disorder is an infection, antibiotics are needed to treat them.
Consult your veterinarian before treating your cory catfish with antibiotics.
Is swim bladder disorder contagious?
Swim bladder disorder is not contagious.
However, we recommend separating your cory catfish suffering from swim bladder disorder and keeping them in a hospital tank so that you can observe and treat them nicely.
Make sure not to add any decors, plants, or substrate in a hospital tank, as it can make it harder for you to observe your cory catfish.
Avoid adding the water of a home aquarium to a hospital tank, as the water can also be the reason behind swim bladder disorder.
How to prevent our cory catfish from swim bladder disorder?
Ensure these things to prevent swim bladder disorder:
- Provide good water conditions to your cory catfish.
- Ensure to maintain adequate and stable water temperature.
- Feed high-quality food to your cory catfish.
- Avoid overfeeding your cory catfish.
Good water conditions
Good water conditions for your cory catfish will help prevent swim bladder disorder.
Poor water conditions make your cory catfish prone to various diseases and parasites.
Perform a weekly water change of at least 35% regularly to keep the water clean.
Add a good filtration system with biofilter media to keep the water clean and safe from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
You can consider using a Fluval high-performance aquarium filter for your tank, as it will ensure that your water is clean and protected from harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrite.
You can buy this product at amazon: Fluval High-Performance Aquarium Filter.
Keep a regular check on ammonia and nitrite levels and keep the ammonia and nitrite at 0 ppm, whereas nitrate is below 20 ppm.
We recommend using the API ammonia test kit to check the ammonia level as it shows an accurate result.
You can purchase it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
When performing a water change, make sure to dechlorinate the fresh water before adding it to your cory catfish tank by treating it with a water conditioner.
We recommend using the API water conditioner as it will help eliminate chlorine, ammonia, nitrite, and heavy metals from the water.
You can buy this product on amazon: API TAP WATER CONDITIONER.
Adequate water temperature
Low water temperature slows down digestion, resulting in the gastrointestinal tract.
Keeping a high water temperature will help digestion and prevent swim bladder disorder.
Consider adding a heater to your cory catfish fish tank to ensure stable water temperature.
We recommend using the Fluval M200 Submersible heater for your tank.
You can buy this product at amazon: Fluval M200 Submersible Heater.
The ideal water temperature of cory catfish is between 72-82 °F.
Also read: Ideal pH Level For Cory Catfish?
Feed high-quality food
Feed high-quality food to your cory catfish.
If you are feeding dry food to your cory catfish, first soak them for some minutes before feeding them.
You can consider feeding them live, frozen, and freeze-dried food two to three times a week.
You can feed them with HIKARI FREEZE-DREID BLOODWORMS, as it will provide your cory catfish with the nutrition they require.
You can buy this product at amazon: HIKARI BIO-PURE FREEZE-DRIED BLOODWORMS.
Thaw the frozen food nicely before providing it to your cory catfish.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Eat Betta Food?
Avoid overfeeding
Overfeeding can make your cory catfish suffer from critical conditions.
Constipation and bloating are common when you overfeed your cory catfish.
Avoid overfeeding your cory catfish to prevent swim bladder disorder.
To ensure that you are not overfeeding your cory catfish, provide them food in a quantity that they can finish eating in 1 to 2 minutes.
If your cory catfish is taking more time to finish their food, you are overfeeding them.
And, if they finish their food within seconds, you are underfeeding them.
Also read: How Often To Feed Cory Catfish?
Conclusion:
Your cory catfish is floating because of the swim bladder disorder.
There can be various reasons like poor water conditions, low water temperature, infection, and overfeeding behind swim bladder disorder.
Proper antibiotic treatment is needed if the infection is the reason behind the swim bladder disorder.
Consult your vet for treating your cory catfish with antibiotics.
Feed your cory catfish high-grade food, and avoid overfeeding your cory catfish.
Also, ensure good water conditions and adequate water temperature to prevent such issues.