To people that actually know what you're talking about...?

Question

Have you ever had a fish inexplicably die on you?

My Homerwood passed on tonight, and is now swimming in the great sea. He's been somewhat...well, blah the last two weeks. He was lethargic and hanging out at the bottom of the tank, yet he still chased the silver dollars when they encroached his side of the tank. He ate - when he wanted to. He had no signs of disease (no growths, discolorations, etc.), was still brightly colored, fins weren't clamped. He just wasn't acting right.

So as a precaution we moved him into the quarantine tank three nights ago. Noticed he was swimming a little oddly at one point, and noticed he hadn't had a bowel movement. He'd already been fasting at that point, so we tried to feed him peas. He refused to eat. Thinking he was having swimbladder problems due to constipation, we added Epsom salts to help make him poop. Added one teaspoon last night, another half tonight to 10 gallons of water.

Woke up from my nap, and he had passed on.

We still have no clue what had happened. Water parameters were perfect. 0ppm ammonia and nitrite, 15ppm nitrates, pH at 7.2, and temp in first tank was at 79, in the quarantine tank was raised to 82. We did everything we could, and still he just couldn't be saved.

So - have you ever had a fish randomly die on you (and not for something that could have been prevented)?

Why yes, q6656303, I do. Thank you for asking.

HAHAHAAAHA! Tiki, you amuse me.

To you fish protesters, read up on this before you start yelling at my about my fish:

http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=96871

Answer 1

Yeah had that happen a few times or so. Just last night I lost my juli cory cat. No signs of foul play or illness, just found him on his side stiff as a board. I made my daughter bury him by a tree :) Had him for so long, couldn't flush him. I had him for a few years, so I'm guessing it may have been age.

Yours could've been old age as well, or maybe an internal parasite since he wasn't pooping?

EDIT: What is this, PETA night? Only keep animals that live in their natural state? For dogs and cats that would be outside in the "wild". Yeah, that's safe for them. Eh, go eat a hamburger and play with your pet rock...........

Answer 2

I have had this happen too. About 2 months ago, one of my 6 inch koi just up and died. Till that point, he had been fine. NO signs of disease, water quality is excellent. He was acting fine one night and dead the next day. All the others have been fine also. He wasn't old, still just a baby really, in koi years. Sometimes I wonder if fish, like all other animals, can be born with some sort of defect that is not noticable to our eyes, but is there just the same, and causes them to suddenly succumb. When all other reasons have been ruled out, that would be my guess. THIS koi did have a much more unusual coloring than any of my others, which would make me more suspicious as to something genetic.

Answer 3

I have had fish die for no clear reason. Lost a red-tail black shark last year -- like you, all externals were well within normal and optimal parameters. I asked my local fish professionals who wondered if one of the larger fish in the tank had "torpedoed" the shark. This did not seem likely to me, since most of the other fish tended to ignore him or steer clear of him.

Similarly to your experience, I also thought swim bladder issues. However, this was only a hunch.

I've always wondered why. . . and I've never known.

Answer 4

He could have been growing old. Depending on how long you had your fish, and how long his lifespan is, what you were seeing may have just been old age. For many fish, it can be 6 months to a year old before it ends up in your aquarium. For wild caught fish (elephant nose, baby whale, some tetras, etc.), they can be even older before they ever reach your aquarium, and may not have much of a lifespan left. It sounds like you were doing all you could do.

Answer 5

Sometimes that just happens, may have been an old fish. Also BECAREFUL adding salt to your tank. I did this and killled a bunch of fish. The salt will burn them and kill them. So add it, let it dissolve and then put your fish in there.

Answer 6

It happens. Maybe it was just his time. I know what it is like to lose a fish. I lost Herb to a bad bleach accident. He was my beta fish. Had him for 2 years. My condolences

Answer 7

Sorry, I have compassion for you, but I do not believe in keeping animals imprisoned. For their sake, keep only animals in your house that is living in a natural state.

Answer 8

u think impisoning fish is good for them