# My fish died and I need help...



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Hello all - I am new here, and a new fish owner (2 months). Sadly we lost a fish last night, had neen looking off for a couple of days (bottom sitting, no feeding, nose to wall, then up at top of tank gasping). I had the water tested yesterday before he died and it was fine, at least by the shop's definition, and I administered 1 does of Melafix. I had performed the first water change last week so I think I must have done something awful but I can't work out what. The remaining fish isn't right either, but doing better than Goldie - dorsal fin clamped and not really eating, some bottom sitting - it was particularly upsetting to find him nestled against Goldie's little body this morning.

I feel that I should be doing something to save him - am so upset that I failed Goldie :-(. BTW they have been fed small amounts x 2 per day, and the water wuality was fine when they went in the tank - we waited a month for the cycle to sort itself out before getting the fish. 48 l tank, with filter and lights.

ANy advice glady received - the real fish expert at the shop is on holiday until next week.....thanks!


----------



## ladyonyx (Apr 20, 2009)

Can you give us a list of your water quality parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, temp., etc. Thant might help us figure this out


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks for replying - I am not sure what they are but will check - if it helps the blue one was a slightly darker shade then 0, as was nitrate and nitrite, just off the ideal colour when testing?

Fish # 2 survived the night but spent an hour or so in an ornament last night. Seems perkier than Goldie was but still not eating and fin still down.

I washed the filter IN the acquarium (we were all rookies once, right?) and took some plants out simulataneously - would that cause a big enough spike to kill them even though the quality isn't too bad? Or is anything other than perfect going to harm them? The water was v cloudy for a while there.

There was us thinking this was fun!!!


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Fish #2 has now died - corkcrewing up, floating pon back and side - but he had seemed so much better in the day! FIn no longer clamped, swimming around normally and then all of a sudden lost his balance and died quite quickly.

Am not sure I have the will to carry on - is it worth the heartbreak? *sad


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Loss of appetite and lethargic fish can be because of a bacterial infection but not all the time, but since it seems like more than one fish are dying off it really could mean its from bacteria. Add aquarium salt 1tsp/5gallon aquarium water ratio. Dissolve the salt before pouring in the tank. Raise your temperature to 80-85 degrees. In my experiences, salt and heat killed every bacteria, fungus, parasites I've had, including the all all-famous Ick.*


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks - will go and get some salt....have been talking to people today who all seem to have lost their fish appx 4 - 5 weeks after apparently happy living, plus requisite treatments and water changes. As I have been told that I should be ashamed of myself if a fish doesn't make it to 10 I am wondering what the secret it?! So, I am interested in a top 3 of Do's and Don'ts?

Also, am wondering what impact taking the carbon filter out may have - for instance, if my fish were ill due to water quality, but I am to treat them with Melafix, does the lack of carbon filter negatively impact the quality? Feels like I have to choose between water quality and treatment....

I am having the water tested (asked about fish autopsies but they thought I was weird) and will post specifics when I do.

Really appreciate the replies, thanks.


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Me again - right, we got new fish yesterday (x 2 tiny 'fancy' goldfish and x 2 shrimp) having checked that the water quality was good (Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite all reading 0.1 I think?). Sadly, one of them is looking unwell already so I wanted to check if aquarium salt and melafix are ok to use together? Am quite confident this is due to stress or a pre-existing condition as the other fish and the shrimp are having fun. Symptoms at his point are slimy patches on eyes, lowered dorsal fin and swimming in the same place in the bottom corner of the tank, though not quite at the bottom.

Am having to harden my heart to continue with this and as for the children.....


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Melafix is not used for infections that I know of. I have melafix and I only use it to heal wounds and scars. Salt and melafix can be used together. Salt and other medications can also be used together. But salt should not be used if you have Shrimps. I heard they are very sensitive to it. If you do want to use salt with shrimps. I heard 1tsp/10 gallon is tolerated. Same applies if you have live aquatic plants. 

At first I used to think carbon is a MUST to have clear water. I later learned that it was used to take out color, odor, and medications. I tried taking it out and my water is still crystal clear. From then on, I only used it only to filter out those 3 things. 

Slimy patches on eyes? are they white? White eyes can be because of ammonia or infections. What are your ammonia readings? Try a water change. And give him a bath in a seperate container. Bath consists of higher amounts of salt, maybe like 5tsp/gallon. Very salty but it kills a lot of parasites and infections. Very effective. I think you leave him in the bath for about 30 minutes. I cant remember if its a bath or a dip so you might want to research on that.*


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks Nurseplaty - blows my mind that someone is Dallas (what time is it here?!) is helping a wee fish in the UK....

Ammonia is reading as very low so don't think it is that, and did a water change on Friday but may try another today. Will give 'Silver' a bath as the shrimp are dear to my husband (they remind me of spiders so am not quite so keen but they are an entertaining pair, I'll give them that).

I also think his mouth is a little rough around the edges - hmm, as am tempted to go to the shop and buy EVERY remedy they have, what are the consequences of treating a fish for an ailment they don't have?....
KR
E


----------



## Baseballguy5 (Jan 21, 2010)

How's the pH? I lost 5 oscars due to the same thing u r describing and it was a combination of the pH being to low and some nitrates :/. Thing is I had my water tested time upon time and they said nothing was wrong.


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

I shall check it - fish number 3 now no longer with us, and a shrimp is dead. The other fish and shrimp seem ok - perky and eating but the fish has a white spot on it that looks suspicious......

Aaaargh this is driving me nuts!!


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Everyone has bad times. But you will eventually get better at it. The white spot, is it only one or many? Are the fish scratching itself on decorationd and plants?*


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks, NursePlaty! Maybe I should chamge shops - there was a dead fish in the tank that my new fish came out of, after all. It is just the one spot so far? Grain of sugar size. Eyes were a bit slimy yesterday but better today.

Quick question if anyone knows - do shrimps shed their shells? Thought I had a dead shrimp but have now seen two alive, plus what appears to be a skeleton...?

A mum in the school playground has had her fish for 10 years - kept in a tiny tiny tank (toy size almost), no filter, no treatments, tap water only. Granted the look woeful and blind but still alive. She wants them to die! Oh the contrast.....

My temperature is 23 - 24 c, btw. Am thinking of going tropical if we crack this - is it much harder? Today I will be replacing the fish that died without my daughter knowing (she is 5).


----------



## Baseballguy5 (Jan 21, 2010)

Are the spots cottony?
And definetly switch stores, my LFS was having trouble keeping a particular fish alive, so I went to petsmart (I know a HUGE sin) and my fish have lived twice as long as the others.


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Ph was off the scale! So that explains the current carnage...have dosed the tank and will keep a vigil going to see if Tonto makes it through the night. Any ideas as to what causes the ph levels to go out of whack?

I think the spot is due to the stress of the ph levels so am going to just keep an eye on that - the shop say they haven't had any outbreaks lately (the fish expert is back - have to say, and I know this is a sin, that Pets at Home have been brilliant with me. They have one particular chap at the Basingstoke store who has kept fish himself for many years (and never lost one EVER!) and who keep a very tight reign on who buys fosh and when, and how many for that matter. For instance, no replacement for Silver (daughter will have to deal with it) until ph levels back to normal.

Thanks for the input, very helpful!


----------



## Baseballguy5 (Jan 21, 2010)

In my aquarium what happened to the ph was that the tap water I filled up my aquarium was at 6 . So if you ever buy a pH test kit, ( I reccomend you do because of the pH problems you are experience) test at every water change and buy some pH regulator to dose at every water change. I heard you live in the UK, so I don't know if they carry this but neutral regulator by seachem works WONDERS! 

And btw I'm hoping for Tonto and his chances would be better if you go out and buy some pH upper


----------



## emcd (Mar 24, 2010)

Poor old Tonto...didn't make it through the night, and I think the big shrimp has gone too. Gordon, the weedy shrimp, is still alive but hiding.

Now I have a cloudy tank? I used the ph treatment - does that make water cloudy?

No fish in it - will re-cycle before getting any more....

Oh, the staff at the store say thanks for the Ph tip! Think they should have known!! ;-0


----------



## Baseballguy5 (Jan 21, 2010)

Sorry for your loss, I know it can get frustrating, I had the same thing happen with my first big tank too.

Good idea to re-cycle it. Are you cycling it chemically, or by using fish?

I'm not sure about the cloudy water, I don't have much experience in that catergory .


----------



## dawgthis (Aug 8, 2013)

I'm also fighting a battle of attrition with PH...it's my tap water 8.4....Yikes I've done daily water changes using acid buffer. After 6 days I have the PH at a good level 6.4...
Woke up today and all 6 fish were floating...4 zebra danios, one leopard danio and 1 white cloud minnow. I think I went too fast lowering the PH...Everything else water wise is nails...I have a semi blackwater tank to it very well could have been something I added from the yard or the lake. We shall see. Thanks for all the great info about PH and dying fish. Sucks but apparently there are collateral casualties when cycling a tank for the first time.

Aquari-On my friends!


----------



## starrysparkle (Aug 4, 2013)

I was reading the thread and it was quite interesting I have been having some problems with fish dying in my tank mainly my female guppies so been wondering if it is the ph level


----------

