Losing Nemo
There are many and varied reasons that fish die, often from unseen ailments that can leave us a little surprised and certainly upset – especially if it was your favourite little chap.
Careful inspection of the dead fish can reveal clues as to why your tank buddy passed away:
Look for obvious physical symptoms on the dead fish which can suggest the cause, for example; ulcers or sores, fungus or bloating. If there are physical symptoms on the fish, visit our Fish Doctor and diagnose what’s wrong so you can treat the remaining fish in the aquarium as recommended.
If only one fish has died, consider the age/lifespan of the fish as, like all animals, fish will just die from old age or genetic disorders.
Some other issues that could cause unexplained fish death are:
- De-oxygenation – in this case often only the larger fish will have died because they have a higher oxygen requirement. If the fish are gasping at the surface act promptly – add aeration in the form of an air pump.
- Acute internal bacterial infection – fish die before exhibiting many external physical symptoms. Treat the aquarium with an Internal Bacterial treatment and support them through recovery by adding a dose of Aquilibrium First Aid Salt.
Most importantly…
Test your water quality and act on any unsafe results. Water quality issues are often invisible to the human eye and can have dramatic effects on the wellbeing and health of your aquarium without any obvious warning. Testing regularly can allow you to address water quality issues before it is too late.
Always remove dead fish quickly to prevent polluting the water.
