Red Splotches

[Amunet]

Well this isn't really an emergency since the fish is already dead, but more getting info on what went wrong.

Yesterday right before I was planning on doing a water change (juts to get uneaten food up and to get nitrate down some)... I noticed that one of the cories was swimming very slowly and was just very lethargic.
One of it's eyes looked like it was developing popeye as well.

So I took it out and put it into the Q/H tank and started treating it with Maracyn 1 & 2.

Before I went to bed, I checked on it, and I did notice that there looked like red inside of it near it's head.. like right behind the gills.
I didn't think much of it though so I went to bed.

Well this morning I found the lil fish dead with red blotches all over it's head area. Starting from where I saw it last night up to it's eyes.
It looked so bad

So obviously there was hemorrhaging, but what could've caused it?
We got these cories this weekend, and the others look totally fine. Water readings are all spot on, no ammonia, no nitrite, and nitrate was starting to get a little high (like 40).
Think it was probably sick when we got it?
Is whatever that caused this contagious to my other fish?

 

[The-Wolf]

So obviously there was hemorrhaging, but what could've caused it?
Is whatever that caused this contagious to my other fish?

most likely septicaemia.
as this is a bacterial infection the yes your other fish could succumb to it if they are already in less than 100% health.
if they are healthy then their immune system will be dealing with the bacterium.

 

[Amunet]

Bleh... Guess I'll just have to keep a very close watch on my other fish to make sure they don't get sick too.

 

[Lynda B]

You should return that one to the store where you purchased it. It's always good for them to know that they probably have a disease in one of their tanks. Or worse, that their supplier is providing them with diseased fish. I'm sorry for your loss. It's always hard, no matter how long you've had them.