Help!my Dads Been On Holiday & All The Fish Have Died!

[icanonlymanagegoldfish]

Hi,
I really hope somebody can help. My niece has been looking after my dad's tank of fish. I really know virtually nothing about tropical fish so please bare with me
My parents have been away for 2 weeks (on their way home now!) and she's just been round to feed them and all are dead.
Now, obviously there is nothing I can do about it as what's done is done BUT....My niece is only 14 and is panicking about what my dad is going to say.

She fed them as she was instructed(I believe her) and she said when she went in today they were all clustered on and around the filter. I would guess that there are around 20 fish, I know there is (was) an angel(they'd had it years ) loaches, a sucky thing, black widow...just some of the names I remember. She also said it really stunk and the water was dirty/cloudy.
I'm guessing a filter problem?

Anyway, the reason i'm posting is my dad is not known for his calmness or rationality so i'd really like some info(ammo!) to fire at him when he inevitably blames my poor niece. Obviously if you say it is her fault then my plans will change!!

Any words of wisdom and tips on how to deal with a father whose fish have all died would be great!
Thanks
Susan
ps I've only got an hour before they're back!!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Ouch!!!... In a bit of a spot here...... Personally I would say it's your Dad's fault cause you do not trust this task to any amateur on instruction and make some alternative plan when you're going away. There are holiday blocks and all sorts of automatic feeders that he could have implemented rather than shift the responsibility onto a 14 year old with no experience. It's only fair if he accepts the blame.

 

[rabbut]

Would usualy say watertest to confirm filter malfunction, but with 20 bodies, with or without a working filter, everything you can test for will be off the chart.... There isn't realy alot to go on without seeing the tank for myself. Is the filter still outputing as much current as it used to?

IME, 90% of issues like this are related to overfeeding, the other 9% to a very fast moving disease. About 1% can be accounted for by equipment failure. Examination of the corpses and filter will tell an experinenced keeper all they need to know.

How was your Niece asked to feed? About your only ammo here will be the age old "unclear instructions left" routien, if disease and failed equipment aren't available

Tricky situation...

Best of luck with keeping things "calm"
Rabbut

 

[icanonlymanagegoldfish]

I think, and i'm not sure, she was basically told to feed every other day (with maybe a couple of days going 2 nights).
I know he did a water change and before they left. Apparently on Tuesday they were all fine-well, as fine as fish look to a 14 yr old, ie they were all there! Would overfeeding really kill them all?

It is a real shame as I know at least one fish has been in there for 3-4 years...I think the pass the blame back to him is a fab idea.

Also, I've told him about feeder things-even I with my limited knowledge and my Orb with 2 goldfish have used them successfully....anyway...thanks for the advice.
If you don't mind, when the fish have been looked at i'll pop back on for some opinions on what it is.

Thanks

 

[Davo86]

if she was feeding every other day then presumably they have all died in the time since she last went? did all the fish look ok when she went in last?

if they were all ok i would be looking at an electrical failure of somekind and you may want to check the following

check plugs hadn't been turned off
check the filter is running,
check the heater is working, i.e. check temperature of water
any chance of powercut?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Hopefully you've removed the bodies, otherwise it'll be a stinky mess when they arrive back and also check the top of the gravel for cotton like balls which would be a sign of the overfeeding that might've taken place and remove this with a 90% water change (not forgetting to switch the heater off first) to ensure crystal clear water. As a last resort, use the last of your, and your niece's pocket money to replace whatever fish you can recall to soften the blow as much as possible if there is still enough time left.....

 

[Soaup]

Wow yeah definately a good call on the cotton balls, the food will sit on the bottom and rot if this happends. Were there any signs of disease on the fish? Red or white spots, cotton patches over fins tails gills mouth or eyes?? Anything!? What size tank does your father have? Also check the temp, one time we had a spike in temp in my community tank, the water got up to 103 F sadly most of the fish were dead but some managed to survive, the ones that didnt looked almost completely cooked! Goodluck! Let your father know how much you love him!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

You owe us some feedback of how it went..... Obviously, he was not impressed, but, overall, how did he take it??

 

[Soaup]

You owe us some feedback of how it went..... Obviously, he was not impressed, but, overall, how did he take it??

Anxiously awaiting!

 

[jaycat]

Any news??

 

[dpcamp]

I say get some fishing string and tie them to the decorations so they float and look alive still..

weekend at bernies style!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I'd say his dad did not take it too calmly, he has not been back online since that time to give us feedback on what happened??... Think he's grounded for the rest of his life and not allowed to touch the TV or pc.....

 

[Soaup]

I'd say his dad did not take it too calmly, he has not been back online since that time to give us feedback on what happened??... Think he's grounded for the rest of his life and not allowed to touch the TV or pc.....

I would say so.... Just leaving us hanging. So rude!

 

[Sterbai]

I think they've ended up inside the fish tank, I do feel for that niece!

It reminds me of my Grandma continuing feeding my fish for two weeks when from what she told me they were dead in the first week, she just thought they were sleeping at the surface. She wasn’t very good with animals bless her soul, apparently the same thing happened to my cousin and her rabbits, one died outstretched in the hut and she wondered why it wouldn’t take the food after many attempts of putting the owl in front of it. The other rabbit must have been traumatised!