Shutting The Stable Door After The Horse Has Bolted....

[karensainsbury]

Hello everybody,

I've just found your site. There's not really anything you can do to help, I'm just traumatised and need a sympathetic ear!

We've had our tank for 8 years and all was well until I bought 2 fish & a plant from a local garden centre 2 weeks ago. A few days later 4 of the fish showed signs of white spot so I treated the water twice. As they were no better I did a partial water change last night & retreated the water but in the last two days we have lost 3 neon tetras, a tiger barb and, worst of all, Leopard, our leopard catfish, who was the first fish we ever bought 8 years ago when my children were 5 and 3.

How am I going to break it to them when they come home from school? Am I mad feeling really upset? And how are we going to bury him in the pet cemetery section of our garden when we have 4 inches of snow on the ground?

Yours mournfully

Karen

 

[WILDER]

Sorry for your losses. R.I.P.

How many gallons or litres was the tank.
What were your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
What med did you use.
Did you use the full dose.
Did you increase aeration and raise temp.
Did you remove black carbon from filter.

 

[VaegaVic]

Hello everybody,

I've just found your site. There's not really anything you can do to help, I'm just traumatised and need a sympathetic ear!

We've had our tank for 8 years and all was well until I bought 2 fish & a plant from a local garden centre 2 weeks ago. A few days later 4 of the fish showed signs of white spot so I treated the water twice. As they were no better I did a partial water change last night & retreated the water but in the last two days we have lost 3 neon tetras, a tiger barb and, worst of all, Leopard, our leopard catfish, who was the first fish we ever bought 8 years ago when my children were 5 and 3.

How am I going to break it to them when they come home from school? Am I mad feeling really upset? And how are we going to bury him in the pet cemetery section of our garden when we have 4 inches of snow on the ground?

Yours mournfully

Karen

Welcome to the forum, I just wish it was under better circumstances.
Sorry to hear of your loss and no you're not mad, fish are pets just like a dog is and you miss them just as much when they're gone.
Best thing with your kids is to tell them the truth, they should be old enough by now to learn about life and death, in the long run it will do them better.

 

[WILDER]

Put the fish in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer, till you can bury them in the garden.

 

[ChrisCook]

Sad loss, especially a fish you've had so long.
One option for the burial of your fish would be to temporarily put him in the freezer until the ground thaws out.

 

[karensainsbury]

Thank you for all your kind words. The freezer is probably a good option.

I didn't think we had any carbon in the tank until after an emergency dash to the local acquatic centre last night whcih had me rooting down behind the back panel of the tank where I found one net back full of pieces of black charcoaly stuff & one of ceramic hoola hoops which I removed just in case.

I don't know about stats & things - we've never had any problems before.

Ironically, the 2 new fish are alive & well!

 

[Kitty_Nin]

The charcoal took out all your medicine, unfortunately. Sorry for your loss. However, put those 'hola hoops' back in ASAP!! They are holding a lot of your beneficial bacteria, which cleans the ammonia and other harmful stuff out of your tank.

 

[karensainsbury]

The charcoal took out all your medicine, unfortunately. Sorry for your loss. However, put those 'hola hoops' back in ASAP!! They are holding a lot of your beneficial bacteria, which cleans the ammonia and other harmful stuff out of your tank.

Oh thanks I didn't realise that. I'll put them back in quick!

By the way, Leopard is now in the freezer awaiting burial in the family plot with the guinea pigs, mice & the robin we tried to revive after the cat had it. We usually try to sing an appropriate hymn - any suggestions?

 

[Kitty_Nin]

Keep a close eye on your stats the next few days, in case some of your beneficial bacterias died from being taken out.

I can't find a hymn for you, but perhaps try the rainbow bridge site.

 

[WILDER]

Even if a tank has been set up for years, its till wise to test your water now and them.
I would take a sample of your water to the lfs and ask them to write the readings down for you, if you don't have liquid test kits.