Lost My First Fish

[DebraAustin]

Yesterday afternoon bought myself a panda cory, brought it home, acclimated it for 45 minutes and put it in the tank. It looked pretty stressed, but I figured by morning it would have settled down. It did settle down, it died. Didn't even make it 12 hours. I'm really sad. Bought it at the only real fish store we have in the area. Luckily my other two are doing fine. Ate a big breakfast this morning. Wish I had a quarantine tank, but I only have room for the one ten gallon, so I just have to hope it was stress that killed him and not some terrible disease. He looked normal, no spots or anything and they didn't have any floaters in any of their tanks.

Checked my stats this morning to make sure it wasn't something there. Ammonia=0, Nitrite=0, Nitrate= between 5-10, pH=7.6, temp 78. I'll never forgive myself if Beezus and Ramona catch something awful.

Debra

 

[pokagon55]

sorry to hear about your loss....I like to add stress coat to the new fish that I but from the lfs when I am in the process of accummulating them, it helps to relieve some of the stress on the fish.

 

[DebraAustin]

sorry to hear about your loss....I like to add stress coat to the new fish that I but from the lfs when I am in the process of accummulating them, it helps to relieve some of the stress on the fish.

I'll have to look into that with the replacement fish.

Debra

 

[Swart Skaap]

Sorry to hear that Debra!

You win some you lose some!

 

[timmystood]

Sorry to hear about your loss. It is a shame. Unfortunatley the catpure and journey for some fish is just too much.

 

[steelhealr]

Some people have published posts here about panda cories being somewhat difficult to keep. I have them and have not had a problem.

Unfortunately, without a quarantine tank, everytime you add a fish to your aquarium, you'll jeopardize their well-being. It's such an important step in protecting your main aquarium. SH

 

[DebraAustin]

Some people have published posts here about panda cories being somewhat difficult to keep. I have them and have not had a problem.

Unfortunately, without a quarantine tank, everytime you add a fish to your aquarium, you'll jeopardize their well-being. It's such an important step in protecting your main aquarium. SH

I know, it is a bummer to have to expose my fish to possible sickness, but until we get more settled in our new house I just don't have a place to put another tank. I do hope to get a rather large one for either the living room or the family room, then my 10 gal could be a quarantine tank.

Took the fish back and found that several other of their pandas had died, so don't feel so responsible. I chose to get a julii cory instead and he is cutting the rug in the tank and scaring my other two fish. I'm sure he'll calm down and they'll get used to each other, but at least he's not acting like he is going to die, like the other one did. Just checked on my other two and they will still come out and see me, but they are keeping a wary eye on the newcomer. Sure hope they get along.

Debra

 

[Durbkat]

sorry to hear about your loss....I like to add stress coat to the new fish that I but from the lfs when I am in the process of accummulating them, it helps to relieve some of the stress on the fish.

Stress coat only harms the fish it doesn't help it. Debra did you add water to the bag the cory was in before you put it in the tank? If not that may be been what killed it. Did you see any other dead fish in the tank when you bought it?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

ive heard that panda corys have a tendency to die for no reason, so i dont think its your fault

 

[shiftingsands]

[/quote]
Stress coat only harms the fish it doesn't help it. [/quote]

I'm confused - why do you say that Stress Coat harms fish?

 

[DebraAustin]

sorry to hear about your loss....I like to add stress coat to the new fish that I but from the lfs when I am in the process of accummulating them, it helps to relieve some of the stress on the fish.

Stress coat only harms the fish it doesn't help it. Debra did you add water to the bag the cory was in before you put it in the tank? If not that may be been what killed it. Did you see any other dead fish in the tank when you bought it?

I did not see any dead fish the day I bought mine, but yesterday when I went back there were several dead panda corys. That is why I decided on the julii. They were all still alive and active. The one I got is still swimming around like crazy. Hopefully he/she will settle down today.

I didn't add any water from my tank to the first fish, but I did this last one. I had my water tested at the fish place (they require that for replacement) and the only thing she said was the my pH was more alkaline than theirs, so she recommended adding some water in so that it wouldn't be such a shock. I did this and everything seems OK so far. If he/she makes it a week, then I'll feel like I'm out of the woods.

Why do fish swim up and down in one area over and over? It seems rather neurotic, but they eat well and don't have any disease that I can see. Are they bored? It can't be stress, because they are in the quietest corner of the house. One of my platys does this all the time and my new cory is doing the same thing.

Also why do you say stress coat is not good for the fish? I didn't use it, but mostly because I forgot.

Debra

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Debra

C. pandas are delicate corys and it's sometimes difficult to get them used to a new tank. It could just have been the shock of being moved to new water that killed it. Remember, it's recently been through the same thing when it arrived at the lfs and twice in a short time might have just been too much for it.

How many corys do you have? They are schooling fish and need to have companions to thrive.

 

[piper]

Stress coat only harms the fish it doesn't help it.

PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS


Sorry to hear that Debra, I have lost 50% of my fish this week due to ich so I know how you feel.

 

[Wanda hornsey]

I have seen before on here sombody saying that and there answer was that it coats up the other fish blah blah blah and they cant "breath" blah blah blah...everybody seemed to poohpoo the idea rather quickly and I am sure if it was actually harmfull some more of us would have found this before??? or maybe not???

anyway I will go back to work now and shut up )

Big hugs for the loss of your fish...I too lost quite a few this last week and its not at all nice

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont think the ph effects the fish that much unless there was a huge difference. how much different was it?