# Stunted Cory? Or Parasites?



## ajaemily (Mar 22, 2017)

I have a pepper cory, who is missing an eye, he has been dubbed the name Eyesik (Issac). I've had him for about 6 months now and he doesn't seem to have grown at all! He's about 1inch at the moment, and at first I wasn't too worried because Cory cats grow slower than other fish but my group of adult peppered corys had laid a ton of eggs back in October and some managed to hatch and survive. Some of these fry are now larger than him! He's much darker than my other peppered corys, skinnier and his tail is angled upwards. He seems to eat like a piggy but he just isn't growing as he should. 

He is in a 29 gal planted tank with some adult and juvenile guppies, 4 adult female albino corys and 4 adult peppered corys and a bunch of juvenile peppered corys and 1 clown pleco. The juvenile corys will be going to bigger and better homes soon, as will some of the guppies.

Water parameters: 

Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 10ppm
pH - ranges between 7.5-7.8 

Is his lack of growth due to stunting, or genetics, or parasites? He acts very typical of a cory, but sometimes I'll find him floating a bit, as if his swim bladder isn't working properly.

Edit: 
First Photo - Eyesik is on the left/bottom by the log, in comparison to one of the juveniles on the right/top. 
Second Photo - Eyesik is on the right/top, while the juvenile is on the bottom. 

The albino corys are all female (as far as I can tell), and are about 2-2 1/2 inches


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## aefeather (Dec 19, 2017)

I'm no Cory expert, but could he be of the dwarf variety? He looks to be about the size of a dwarf Corydora.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I agree with aefeather: He appears to be my favorite Cory, Habrosus. They are also called "Salt and Pepper Cory" so that could be how you got him.


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## ajaemily (Mar 22, 2017)

Thanks for your inputs!

He may be a hasbrosus, although when I look closer at him his patterning isn't the same as the hasbrosus. I got him alongside another peppered cory (plateaus) who is the father of the current juveniles. I'll try to get a better photo of his patterning and shape, he doesn't sit still very often.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

My Habrosus have various patterns.


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