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If you have a fish pond, fish tank or are seeking advice about keeping tropical fish, you can find advice on our Fish forum.

Original poster

shit, dead fish:(

26 replies

GlitterySkulls · 25/10/2011 14:34

just found the black moor & the fantail dead, one on the top of the filter, one stuck to the side :(

both fish were fine last night, swimming about happily. no signs of disease, tank in fine, clean condition.

the 3 zebra danios are fine Confused

i've removed the bodies (the black moor had goldy-coloured patches shining through its black) & i know i'll have to clean the tank out once dh comes home, but i'm totally Confused about this, they were fine until i found them dead!!

has anyone got any ideas what this could be?

OP posts:
EauRouge · 25/10/2011 15:21

Oh, that's a shame :( If you give me a few more details then I might be able to work it out-

What were the water parameters for ammonia, nitrIte and pH?

Did they have any marks, lumps, bumps, red patches? The gold bits shining through sounds pretty normal, black moors tend to lose their colour over time and go orange anyway. It usually starts on their stomach.

How's all the equipment looking? Electrocution can sometimes be the cause of sudden deaths although the danios would look a bit frazzled if they survived.

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 25/10/2011 15:42

i dont know about the water parameters, i don't have any wee test strips in, but the water smells fine ( no horrible ammonia stench) and looked clean until i disturbed the bodies, then it went a bit cloudy.

its hard to explain, the bodies looked sort of decomposed, almost mummified, as if they'd been there for weeks instead of a few hours Confused

we've only had the fish a few months, i didn't think they'd change colour so young. my dad used to keep coldwater fish & his longest living blackmoor we'd had for about 10 years & it was still solidly black?

the equipment seems fine, filter, air stone & light all still working.

OP posts:
EauRouge · 25/10/2011 17:17

Some of them change colour quicker than others, it's all down to breeding. Bog standard goldfish from a pet shop tend to be less refined than the ones you get direct from a breeder. I had a black moor and she changed within a year of getting her.

Decomposed- sounds like necrosis Confused but you say they were swimming fine the day before. I doubt the danios would have polished them off that quickly. Could it just have been extra mucous on the bodies?

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 25/10/2011 17:32

yes, i saw them around about midnight & they were fine - very strange indeed.

the danios were nowhere near them, thats what made me take a closer look, they were all huddled in the opposite corner of the tank. then i realised the goldfish were nowhere to be seen...then i clocked them :( they didn't look eaten, just... rotten. and sort of- dried out, if that makes any sense?

OP posts:
EauRouge · 25/10/2011 17:49

They can decompose pretty quickly, I suppose that could have happened if they'd been dead not long after you looked at midnight. That would have been 14 hours then until you found them assuming you posted right afterwards.

I'd keep an eye on the danios, if they'd had a nibble then they could have ingested whatever it is that killed the goldfish.

It's really hard to say with water test and a post mortem! So you may never figure it out. How big is the tank?

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 25/10/2011 18:23

dh just popped in briefly & said he saw both swimming about around about 11am so god knows :(

they're currently in a very small 19L tank as our other tank had a leak that no amount of aquarium seal would sort - had to chuck it :(

i've been saving up for a new big tank, & keeping my eye out for good condition 2nd hand ones, but no luck so far.

won't be getting any more until i get a bigger tank though, i know how big goldfish can get lol !!

OP posts:
EauRouge · 25/10/2011 19:18

Water params can change so quickly in a small tank so it could easily have been a pH crash or something similar. Danios are tougher than fancy goldfish so it may not have affected them as much. That would be my best guess! Sorry I can't tell you any more. Good luck finding a new tank :)

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 25/10/2011 19:40

thanks... i didn't really expect any answers, but on the other hand i was thinking "what if it's something glaringly obvious to everyone bar me & can easily be avoided in future"

i appreciate you taking the time to help out though :)

OP posts:
ButWhyIsTheGinGone · 26/10/2011 09:28

That's rubblish luch, OP - hate seeing poor dead fish. If you haven't already looked, Gumtree often has second hand tanks for really reasonable prices. I think mine came from there - a 300 litre tank for £100 or so!

ButWhyIsTheGinGone · 26/10/2011 09:28

*rubbish luck, even. :-(

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 30/10/2011 16:08

just found the biggest zebra danio dead :(

it was stuck to the side of one of the ornaments. it was kind of covered in cotton-wool like spores, & round it's gill area was all red & bloody looking :(

basically, it looked totally different from the other two fish- i guess there's more than one disease in the tank :(

OP posts:
EauRouge · 30/10/2011 16:14

Oh no :( Have a read of this, any of that ring a bell?

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 30/10/2011 16:35

some of it does, in the case of the poor wee danio.

not so much with the other two, although i did notice that it's possible (although rare) to have the infection & display no outward symptoms.

bugger!!

guess i'd best clean the tank out again, & get to the pet shop 1st thing tomorrow.

dammit.

OP posts:
Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 30/10/2011 16:36

although, again, i saw the danio swimming around at lunch time (12.30-1 pm ish)
and it was absolutely fine, no marks, no cottony- spores.

hmmm.

very weird.

OP posts:
EauRouge · 30/10/2011 19:32

Weird that it's happening so quickly. You could try an antibacterial treatment (don't bother with interpet products though, try Waterlife or Melafix) but you might need antibiotics if it's a really bad infection.

You really could do with a bigger tank ASAP, any luck on Freecycle? I found a bargain once advertised in the local post office window, loads of people are selling tanks at the moment.

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 30/10/2011 19:46

i've had an ad up on freecycle for around 3 months, no luck so far.

gumtree & ebay aren't coming up with anything either- the ones in my price range are always miles away & i don't drive (or have anyone willing to collect on my behalf) but i search daily (although now i only have two very wee lonely looking danio's left, it's not as urgent. i'm hoping santa comes up trumps :) )

OP posts:
Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 02/11/2011 18:45

a wee update- the remaining 2 danio's are quite red about the gill area, but they're both zipping about the tank (the darker one had taken to hiding in an ornament, just lying on the bottom of the tank- i had to keep checking if it was still alive) so it seems the melafix is working. fingers crossed :)

OP posts:
Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 09/11/2011 02:54

wee danio's still going strong !!!

they're currently zipping about the tank like mad things Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 12/11/2011 14:27

the danio's are still very red about the gill area, one much more so than the other- but apart from that, they seem fine.

both swimming about, eating normally, etc

does anyone have any idea on how long it's going to take for the infection to die out completely?

OP posts:
EauRouge · 12/11/2011 17:04

Depends on the infection; the melafix might not work at all, you might need antibiotics. Fingers crossed though.

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 13/11/2011 17:16

where would i get antibiotics for fish? i'm not sure my vet covers fish- well, i've never seen any there anyway .

or is that because most people see them as "disposable" :(

OP posts:
EauRouge · 13/11/2011 17:26

Metronidazole is the most commonly used one since protozoan infections are common, it's sometimes branded as Fish Zole. Some vets might prescribe it but others are reluctant to without a proper diagnosis (which is tough to do with fish). If your vet isn't sure of dosage then you can google it quite easily. The only other way I know of to get them is ebay illegal.

Yes, I think it is because they are seen as disposable :( They are mostly cheap to replace and they are not as interactive as some other pets so most people wouldn't notice if you replaced their fish. No excuse IMO though, any pet is a responsibility.

Original poster
GlitterySkulls · 13/11/2011 17:54

oh, ok, thanks for the tip warning Wink Grin

OP posts:
Grumpla · 13/11/2011 17:58

Have you done a water change since you removed the bodies? I'd do a bog water change ASAP if you can't get meds straight away.

In such a small (overstocked) tank water quality would be my first concern. Doesn't have to smell bad to be bad - a nitrite spike will kill fish pretty quick. Sad

Grumpla · 13/11/2011 17:58

BIG water change, not bog water. Obviously Angry

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