Sudden Death

[connorlindeman]

This morning one of my male guppies was stuck to the filter dead. It appears that the other fish have been eating him because his fins were gone. Last night it looked fine.

Levels
Ammonia 0
PH 7.2
Nitrate had a sudden spike. I'm going to do a 50% water change. Nitrate at 50ppm
Nitrite also had a reading even though the tank has been at 0 nitrite for about 1 1/2 months.

No recent additions besides a pothos cutting.

No signs of white spot or fin rot or anything like that.

All the other fish are acting normal.

Any ideas what the problem could be?

 

[GaryE]

Fish, like people, can suddenly die with no warning. You have to assume that's the situation unless you see an indication otherwise.

 

[connorlindeman]

Fish, like people, can suddenly die with no warning. You have to assume that's the situation unless you see an indication otherwise.

Thats true. I just got this fish a month ago though!

 

[GaryE]

If they have big banner fins, that's a result of intensive inbreeding. His chances of hidden health problems are high. Wild type fish are far stronger, in general.

If you got him a month ago, six weeks ago he was probably in Thailand or Singapore, in a supercrowded tank possibly filled with antibiotic soup to push his growth. He then got jammed into a crowded bag, sent on a long flight, emptied into an importers' tank, resold and sent (maybe another flight) to a local distributor, dumped into another tank, netted and taken home by you.
Stressful?
Most fish we lose go in the first 6 weeks, and we dutifully decide it's the result of the cycle.

 

[connorlindeman]

If they have big banner fins, that's a result of intensive inbreeding. His chances of hidden health problems are high. Wild type fish are far stronger, in general.

If you got him a month ago, six weeks ago he was probably in Thailand or Singapore, in a supercrowded tank possibly filled with antibiotic soup to push his growth. He then got jammed into a crowded bag, sent on a long flight, emptied into an importers' tank, resold and sent (maybe another flight) to a local distributor, dumped into another tank, netted and taken home by you.
Stressful?
Most fish we lose go in the first 6 weeks, and we dutifully decide it's the result of the cycle.

yeah thats true.

 

[GaryE]

All you can do is watch the tank closely. If a pattern emerges, you deal with it. If it's a one off sad event, it is what it is.

 

[connorlindeman]

All you can do is watch the tank closely. If a pattern emerges, you deal with it. If it's a one off sad event, it is what it is.

Yeah. Thanks for your help!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

What other fish do you have in the tank and what is the GH?

 

[Essjay]

It won't have caused your guppy's death but I see your nitrate is very high - we should keep it below 20 ppm for the long term health of the fish. How much nitrate is in your tap water? Some places do have high tap nitrate, but if yours is low the nitrate is being made in the tank.

 

[connorlindeman]

What other fish do you have in the tank and what is the GH?

Now is have:
4 corys
3 red eye tetras
4 guppies
6 neons
5 cherry barbs

my water is moderately hard. 100ppm