CPD Thin And Strange Behavior

Hi guys,
I have had this particular CPD for a few weeks now. It was always a bit thin but it seems to just be getting thinner as it grows. It's fins are also never extended, I wouldn't say they are clamped. Just not fully extended...

Also, it seems to hang out at the surface and it's gills look like they are working overtime while it sits at a strange angle (slightly tilted with its head towards the surface).

Is this a disease or something? or just genetic? Have a look at the picture:


I do have 4 other white cloud mountain minnows which do chase it sometimes bit I don't see any injuries or fin nipping although the CPD's don't come to the surface for food like the WCMM. There is one other CPD in a tank, a relatively new Juvenile which seems to be doing well. I am planning on getting more, but as most of them die when I get them I am wondering whether to not bother with this species?

Pic is very good and therefore very helpful, so well done for that. I would say that that does look like some form of disease although don't have the expertise to know what. The gill area looks inflamed and underside looks emaciated as far as the pectoral fins while the caudal fin in particular looks clamped (although I'm not familiar with CPDs). If that were my fish, I'd be inclined to try some form of treatment, but I'd wait until someone with more expertise such as Sue offers more specific advice.

Hi, thanks for the replies.

I didn't expect it to be a disease as it has been like this for a while, if not since I bought it.
The shop this one was bought from does seem to have a poor supplier as other fish I get from their are often ill or deformed. I have recently switched to a newer supplier (Maidenhead Aquatics) which seem to be a much better source of fish.

I have just tried putting a small flake of food next to the 'ill' fish (which is now floating just below the surface) and it completely ignored it... So I am unsure what is going on...

The other CPD I currently have is from the new supplier and looks much healthier and swims around a lot. I did get 3 from the new supplier but one died soon after transport (I assume from stress) And another has vanished meritoriously. Whether it died under some plants or the minnows which seem to love chasing the smaller fish about got a bit too excited I am unsure...

Looking to the future, I have been telling myself I will get a pair of Bolivian rams soon, but never felt it was the right time. Now that my tank seems to have settled I am considering getting some more fish.

I am looking at getting some more CPD from the new supplier to see if, with higher numbers, the Survival rate will increase. I am also considering some otocinclus as I now have a fairly substantial growth of algea on plant leaves and stones, would they clean it up? And finally, a pair of rams.

I am unsure which to get first and what order to put them in....

....
I am unsure which to get first and what order to put them in....

I'm becoming convinced that shoaling fish should be kept in larger shoals than the minimum recommended.

My Cardinals are in a shoal of twelve now and I've never seen a shoal looking as fine, bold in nature and bold in color.

My CPDs, in the main tank, are nicely coloured too and growing in confidence. The six in the QT tank are pale and shy but, I'm convinced, all twelve will flourish when they're in a combined shoal.

I'm rambling, so I'm not sure what my point is now though ... lol ... Perhaps I'm trying to convince you to build up your shoal of CPD's, before you add any other species, to give them more confidence. 

FWIW I'm considering getting some Otto's in future. 

Ok, so I am planning on adding more CPD's this weekend. I can buy them in 3's so should I just add three, six, nine?

Thanks.

You need to have at least six. Since you have just one and can buy them in threes, get six. Or nine 

Or twelve ... Oh no then you'll have thirteen! Get 15 then! 

Being small and torpedo shaped they add little to the bioload. 10 instead of 7 will be fine.

Good photos nice tank, I can even see your WCMMs, whenever I try to take a tank view I just get blurs where the fish are.

I have similar plants at the front of my tank and I am always removing plantlets which are attached by runners to the parent plant.  Otherwise they would take over the front of the tank and the cories would have nowhere to dig.

Anne

Have you tried live food? Daphnia might be worth trying?

Tried frozen food, still ignores it...