# dead fish



## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

one of my female swordtale was at the bottom of the tank then when i came from my livinging room it was dead and i just bought it 2 days ago why did it dy???


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Did you cycle this new tank before putting your fish in it?


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## wifishman (Jun 25, 2008)

way off topic but i missed ya elvis!


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## tiffsplaties88 (Jun 26, 2008)

possibly the stress from the move of buying her or is it possible that she was pregnant, had babies, and died during birth?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Its pretty common for new fish to die within the first week. There are a lot possible reasons.

Injury or stress from transport. The fish was hurt by a net, breathed its own waste too long in the bag (on the way to or from the store), or was just "scared to death"

Disease. Fish are exposed to diseases from all over in the pet store tank and when you put them in your tank, they get exposed to any disease your fish carry but are immune to. 

Ammonia/mini-cycle. New fish always add to the "bioload" of the tank and takes a few days for the filter to catch up. Esp. if you dump the water from the bag in your tank. Ammonia can spike (suddenly rise) and kill your fish. The new fish is vulnerable because it is already stressed, but the old fish can die from this too. 

Aggression. Your old fish defend their tank by attacking the newcomer.


In any event, whenever you have a fish die in your tank, do a water change to deal with the ammonia and wait 3 or 4 weeks before getting any new fish. If your fish have been exposed to a new disease, you want to give them time to show symptoms.


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

trashion said:


> Did you cycle this new tank before putting your fish in it?


what do you mean


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

tiffsplaties88 said:


> possibly the stress from the move of buying her or is it possible that she was pregnant, had babies, and died during birth?


i dont see any babys


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

you said :Aggression. Your old fish defend their tank by attacking the newcomer.

i cheaked this chart and it said those fish are community and are not aggresive fish.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Its just a possibility. Even "community fish" can be mean in a small tank. Did you see any fish picking on the newcomer?


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Cycling is when the good bacteria develop and consume your fish's waste, keeping the tank from being polluted. There's a good website here:
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

You could have taken the filter pad out of your old tank and put it in your new one, this would have helped. Unfortunately, if you didn't, your ammonia levels will rise and it's likely you will lose more fish. Do youhave a test kit? You should get one and use it.


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## tiffsplaties88 (Jun 26, 2008)

if she did happen to be pregnant its highly possible that her tank mates gobbled up her babies b/c there is not sufficient hiding space for them in ur tank from the pictures seen


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

emc7 said:


> Its just a possibility. Even "community fish" can be mean in a small tank. Did you see any fish picking on the newcomer?


yes i did!!!


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

but i dont think she was pregnat because she wasnt that fat she was like a little bit


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## sneasle (Jun 25, 2008)

It's probably a mix off all of t he above listed.

He just got this tank last week IIRC. Chances are the ammonia levels are close to their highest point right now, so I am not surprised he lost something.

New fish die off often, that is why many in the hobby keep QT tanks that are well established so ensure that a mini cycle doesn't kill them off.

I suggest you check your water. If it checks out fine, most fish stores will let you bring the fish back.

Keep a close eye on your water parameters for the next few weeks. If you do not keep a close eye on the parameters you are likely to loose more fish. 

It is also recommended to more the filter pad from the old tank to the new tank, assuming you haven't thrown it out and it is still wet. I would still throw it in even if it dried out.

*DO NOT* add any more fish until after your tank has finished cycling.


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

how long does it take for a tank to cycl


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

About 3 weeks to a month or more.


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## sneasle (Jun 25, 2008)

Blue Cray said:


> About 3 weeks to a month or more.


yup. It will vary based on the specifics of your setup.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

I've actually heard of it lasting over 4 months in certain area of canada and the USA maybe the differences in water hardness or ph?


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

ooooo okokokok


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

can it go faster


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

there's really no way to speed up a cycle, and it is a very important part of keeping fish. One thing you will learn in time is that in this hobby, patience is a virtue


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

No it cant you have to be patient unless you seed the tank. Why do you insist on double posting with out using proper spelling and grammar?


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

You can 'cheat' with some commercial bacteria like Bio-Spira. Instant cycle.

I don't think that you lose anything by skipping cycling other than aggravation. The only kid of cycle I like has two pedals and squeezy horn.


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## trashion (Aug 24, 2007)

Hahaha, COM.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

COM said:


> You can 'cheat' with some commercial bacteria like Bio-Spira. Instant cycle.
> 
> I don't think that you lose anything by skipping cycling other than aggravation. The only kid of cycle I like has two pedals and squeezy horn.


What about a motorcycle theyre even better. :wink:


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## akangelfood (Jun 26, 2008)

Blue Cray said:


> No it cant you have to be patient unless you seed the tank. Why do you insist on double posting with out using proper spelling and grammar?


It was mentioned in another thread that English is not his first language. A little slack on the grammar and spelling might be nice.


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

agreed. I understand he posts things that we dont normally see here, but he's also not as experienced at all as some of us here. We need to realize that english is not a first language, he's brand new to the hobby, and at least he's trying to understand things, whereas there are some newcomers about his age to the hobby that will go out and buy the "collest" fish they can find and stick them in the cheapest tank they can find. Ever seen a bichir, 3 jack dempseys, 2 plecos, and a pair of goldfish in a 10G tank? There's plenty of them out there. At least he's trying


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

There is no excuse for the grammar. We have all seen Elvis post with proper, well-formed sentences. He is very capable of writing quite well, and that's an accomplishment for someone who is not a native English speaker. I assure you that I can't write all too well in French or Italian.

People who write or speak with poor grammar, in my opinion, are showing disrespect for themselves and for others with whom they are attempting to communicate.


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## elvis332 (Dec 29, 2007)

ok thank you for the people that are backing me up.


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## blcknwitecuban (Apr 17, 2006)

if you have another tank or a friend with an established tank you can put the filter in your tank and it will cycle overnight.

& you dont have to post twice in a row. just click the edit button.


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## wifishman (Jun 25, 2008)

ahhhh yes this is the elvis fix ive been waiting for... all i ask for elvis is please dont go buying any new fish for atleast a month... please please please


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