A Soon To Be Death in the Family

[The-Raven]

So as many of you know I'm cycling my tank (see sig)... anyway, lately I noticed that my older GW Killie, who had survived to tank changes (one cycled already, one that I traded in for my 29g after only a day, so there was no real cycling going on) and the current cycle, was looking rather gloomy. Normally my killies are pretty active, even thru cycling. The only one I had ever lost was when he tried to eat a ghost shrimp that was a little too big for him to handle and choked.

In any case, this guy was starting to hide behind my filter more and more often. And about 10 minutes ago I noticed the younger killie kept trying to fight him away. The older obviously trying to be a little more social, and my younger just nipping and tail-flapping him away. I came over here to make a thread asking wtf is going on... went to get a drink, and as I walked by my tank, my older killie is just swimming around on his side, upside down, whatever. Obviously nearing his end.

Could this be an ammonia poisoning incident?

As I said, I'm currently cycling, and today's reading is about 1.0-2.0 (The colors are so close I can never tell) and I'm about a week into it. The ammonia is the only thing that's above cautionary. The only other thing I test that Woudl even worry me is hardness - my tap is beyond very hard, and over time it's gotten lower, but is still more than I would like.

 

[The-Raven]

Just went to check, he's dead

 

[colegamby]

sorry man id say the ammonia has somethin to do with it

 

[FrAnK3333]

Not just that cycling a tank with fish can put quite a stress load on the fish, unless their hardy. Thats why I cycled with danios. Sorry for your loss.

 

[BettaMomma]

Sorry for your loss.
Losing fish is always hard.

 

[LifeBear]

Sounds like what happened to one of my mollies when I decided (pre Tropical Fish Forun addiction) to get as many fish as looked nice swimming around into my 20 gal long (I was a stupid stupid girl) She kind oh SLOWLY went belly-up, over a matter of hours, tipped a little more, and a little more...then was dead.

Weird thing is, I only lost the one, out of 4 mollies, 2 swordtails, 2 ottos, 1 betta, 4 neon tetras and a goldfish. (PLEASE don't say anything! I have been educated on the INCREDIBLE stupidity of this arrangement. Everybody has been either relocated or left in the 20 after others have moved out. The gold fish no longer has a heater. The neons are in softer, more acidic water. Unfortunately, the betta died while Mom was in charge when I went away for Christmas.)