# Angel Died, Trying to figure out why



## Fishiez (Mar 17, 2012)

I had a pair of zebra angels for about a month and a half, both were doing great. Saturday evening one of them started losing color but not in the way that they normally change colors, even the red in his eyes had turned white. His stomach looked a little bloated when compared to the other (but not extreme by any means), he had one pectoral fin clamped and he became extremely lethargic. He was pretty much just floating with his nose pointed up most of the time, not moving. Within a few hours, he was dead. 

I can tell my other angel is missing his partner, so I'm planning on buying another. I'm trying to figure out what may have caused the death though. Could it just have been something as simple as over eating or constipation? He did have a little bit of poo out during that time, that wasn't going anywhere. I just want to prevent this from happening again if possible.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Check the water first, bad water will kill your other angel and any fish you add. But, yes, angels and other "flat fish" can and do die from "tummy trouble". Something gets caught, rots, swells and the fish never recovers. IME a fish will often stop eating and die in a few days to a few weeks after swimming a bit funny and acting lethargic. IME overfeeding frozen bloodworms is a common trigger. 

I would do a "just in case" water change and wait a few weeks to see if any other fish develops symptoms of disease.


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## Fishiez (Mar 17, 2012)

Everything in the water is good and he was eating & acting normally that morning. I did feed them freeze dried bloodworms that day, so maybe he took on more than he could chew. :-\ Whatever it was, it hit him within a matter of hours. Everyone else in the tank, including the other angel, seem just fine.


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## yannis2307 (Apr 23, 2012)

It's very common in angels etc to die for the reason emc mentioned and that's why you need to be careful not to over feed them as they will continue eating even after they are full...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

try soaking the worms before feeding and limiting the quantity. Angels will overeat "good" food and freeze dried foods will swell when they get wet.


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