# Disease Or Attacked?



## Underwater City (Nov 6, 2011)

Please be patient, I'm rather new to all of this.

I have:

Three panda platys

4 Danios, (I know, I'll get one more when it's time to add again.)

4 Flying Foxes

1 Pleco

Snails that came in on plants.

I have had one platy that has been through everything with me and this tank and has survived it all. I was really liking him and he was becoming my "main fish".

Last night when I got home from work, all was well. This morning, all was well. Early afternoon I got home from another job and noticed my "main fish" was dead.

Because of mishaps with fish in the past, I was thinking, "Oh God, here we go again" but testing shows it wasn't anything with the water. And the water is really starting to clear up, too.

When I took him out, I realized he had two "blood spots" on his sides.

Is that a sign of a disease or was he attacked? I know Flying Fox can be aggressive and the platys always seemed to get along this whole time....did someone attack my poor "main fish" or is there something else going on?

Thanks.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

it could really be either, but I would choose diease before aggression. normally when aggression starts, you'll see a lot of fin nipping. have you seen any other symptoms in your other fish?
Edit: How big is the tank?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If that is what caused it, and it was some tyoe of bacterial/fungal issue....I think you would have noticed long before it was able to kill the fish.


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## Underwater City (Nov 6, 2011)

I haven't seen fin nipping amongst any of the fish. 

I just got the Flying Foxes a few days ago and now my "main fish" is dead with tiny red spots on him. That's why I asked if he was attacked because I've noticed nothing else, meaning, the water clarity is starting to happen and the tests are all what they should be.

It wasn't until a few days after I added the flying foxes that now, my "main fish", who survived everything, (even my chemical stupidity that killed my Betta), is dead.

Was asking about disease on the off chance because I know like with Ick you look for white spots. These were not white spots, these were tiny red spots like someone "bit" him. There wasn't skin chunks taken out, just those red spots that he did not have before and everyone was copacetic. Flying foxes added in, now my guy is gone.

Sigh. Are they aggressive to all fish? Will they attack Danios? I know I'm not supposed to get another Betta with Flying Foxes but what about the other fish?


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## harveya (Aug 12, 2011)

I can't really help with your original question but I try and give you a couple of things to think about.

You say the fish was all good and well then you came home and it was dead. I could be wrong but if it were aggression the fish would have spent most of it's time hiding and would be chased around the tank. I would think you would notice it......

I have never seen fish just die. From what I have seen it can take a while and you will notice behavioral things, clamped fins, not eating, lathargic behavior etc...

It could just be that his time came to an end after the troubles you had earlier. If you not acclimate a fish correctly it can take a few weeks or more to die....

Apart from your latest issue, I'm glad your tank is clearing. Do you have zero ammo? How are your nitrates?


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Of the fish you have the Foxes and the Pleco are the longest living. The Danios and Platys the shortest (<3 years). I don't think any of your fish would attack your Platy. Maybe he just went through too much truama in his short life to survive.


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## Underwater City (Nov 6, 2011)

He was eating well, this I know. Every time he saw me, he would come to the side of the tank I was on, come up to the surface for food and would eat. No issue with his appetite.

I have been working a LOT lately so I have only had the chance to view them for about 1/2 hour a day in the last week. I have not seen any massive fighting. I see fish, (mostly Danios), chasing each other but I don't see the Platys getting aggressive with each other or other fish. The pleco doesn't bother anyone. The Danios don't bother the platys or the other fish. I haven't SEEN the flying foxes attack but again, I haven't had a lot of time lately to sit and view. It's just a strange coincidence to me that I add them in, (and I know they can be aggressive with some fish..hence why I should not add a Betta if I have flying foxes), and now my "main fish" is gone.

He's been in that tank for....almost two months. He was doing well, swimming around, happily, eating, happily, greeting me, happily, nothing to even alarm me. (And believe me, every single day I count them, watch them to see if they are acting "off" and breathe a sigh of relief after my overreacting in the beginning that managed to do more harm than good.)

He was fine at 6:45am when I left, he was dead when I saw him at 1pm. At 6:45am, he was his energetic, happy self...what the heck happened in 6 hours? And what were those two red dots on him? He did NOT have those when I left the house at 6:45am.

(Oh, btw, 40 gallon.)

Edit: Readings are the same as they have been:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: under 5ppm
PH: 7.4-7.6
Temp: 74-76

I do water changes once a week. I use a water conditioner. I took out my carbon filter a few days ago on advice because I have a planted tank.


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## Underwater City (Nov 6, 2011)

Ok...update:

Everything is fine and peaceful in the tank....until, apparently, food is added to the picture.

Usually I turn on the lights, feed them some flakes or a pea or whatever and I drop in an algae wafer for the pleco and flying foxes.

I would watch for a little bit, make sure everyone ate and it wasn't too much and then I'd go on and get ready for the day.

Today, I have a few hours before work so I turned on the lights, they knew what was coming, started to swim around excitedly, I dropped in a few flakes and then an algae wafer, (these are small, small wafers), for the pleco and flying foxes. 

I have been in the habit of breaking the wafer in to two parts because the platys and danios like to go down and lick it never letting the pleco get a chance. So I started to split it hoping to distract them with one piece and the pleco would get the other. 

Well...these fish have issues. Apparently they are like dogs in that the one piece THAT fish has must be the best piece because they all have to be on ONE piece and leave the other piece ignored.

Here is what I'm noticing...

When food is not around, everyone is happy and living in a friendly community. When food is around, they all start to get aggressive. ALL of them.

First the flying foxes attack the algae wafer. Then the pleco wants to get in on the action. At first, they just kind of jostle for position. Then the pleco gets uppity and actually lunges at the flying fox. The flying fox retreat and come back. Repeat a few times if the pleco thinks they are taking away his wafer. 

The smallest flying fox nips a bit at the pleco...once...swims away...comes back, eats at wafer, swims away, comes back, swims around, swims over pleco, tries to get at wafer, pleco says, "BACK!", little fox might nip again. Or what looks like he is.

In the meantime, two flying foxes are totally sizing each other up and swimming around each other in a tight circle.

NOW, suddenly, the danios are chasing each other and the platys are acting like this, as well because everyone wants to eat that piece of wafer. Nevermind!!!! that there's another piece elsewhere!

Maybe I'm not feeding the fish enough? Everyone preaches over feeding so I do my best not to but dang! WTH is their problem?!

At this very moment, the pleco, four flying fox, a danio and one platy are all trying to eat this piece of wafer. The other platy got chased off by the first one and is hanging around at the top of the tank. Another danio is trying to eat part of the wafer and the first danio chases him off.

Ugh! This is supposed to be peaceful and I have WWF Smackdown in my tank!

I'm thinking my "main fish" was attacked, now.


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