# What do you do to the tank when a fish dies?



## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Say you wake up and find a fish has died in your community tank.....what do you do?


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

I feel like this is a trick question..?  it seems too simple.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Austin said:


> I feel like this is a trick question..?  it seems too simple.


I know it does..... but it's no trick 


I just visually inspect the tank and move on. breaking the tank down and starting over just because a fish died seems like a MONUMENTAL waste of time and energy, not to mention the fact that it puts all the other fish at risk. But perhaps such practices are more common than I had thought.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

It depends on why it died.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Romad said:


> It depends on why it died.


You don't know - you wake up and a fish is floating with no apparent signs of disease.


I think it's pretty rare that we know why a fish died. Unless there are obvious markers, there's just no way to know.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

This does seem way too simple:hmm:. If I knew the fish was alive and well (from what I could tell the day before) toss it then make sure that's the only dead one and everyone else is acting normal. Then off to work lol. 
Or..if it's my african tank- look for bite marks and look for the guiltiest looking fish give angry stare then go to work.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Unless it was some obvious and hideous disease (rare I know), I just carry on. 

I would be a bit more observant with the rest of the tank for a while as a precaution but that's about it.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

jaysee said:


> breaking the tank down and starting over just because a fish died seems like a MONUMENTAL waste of time and energy, not to mention the fact that it puts all the other fish at risk. But perhaps such practices are more common than I had thought.


oops.. missed that part... Who the heck does that???


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

I inspect the body and exam the rest of the fish in the tank, to make sure none of the others are acting/look off. Then test parameters and then do a 50-75% water change just to be safe.


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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

i pick the fish out while eating a slice of pie and watch my other fish to make sure they arent all hopped up on drugs like their buddy was.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

rexpepper651 said:


> i pick the fish out while eating a slice of pie and watch my other fish to make sure they arent all hopped up on drugs like their buddy was.


Nice.. 
Jaysee jinxed one of my tanks with this thread. after responding I glance at my tank and my albino redfin zebra was dead. Freakked out tore it down and bleached everything..even bleached the remaining fish
Ok well no, not technically..but I did use bleach to clean my kids bathroom later:lol:
Grabbed the fish tossed it everyone seemed happy to be rid of him in the tank so...um yea. thats what I did(didn't have pie on hand, rexpepper..darn). Oh lets not forget called the fish store to see if any new F1s were in stock.


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## Austin (Feb 1, 2010)

LOL! 

 Sorry to hear that. Weird coincidence.... 

Strange that anyone would tear down there tank amd clean it just because one fish died. Like everyone else I'd just be observant. Also test my water and do a water change maybe. Fish die for no reason sometimes (or so it seems.. maybe I kill them and don't realize!.). I think I'd try to avoid tearing it down at all costs either way just because the sheer amount of work....


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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

Agent13 said:


> Nice..
> Jaysee jinxed one of my tanks with this thread. after responding I glance at my tank and my albino redfin zebra was dead. Freakked out tore it down and bleached everything..even bleached the remaining fish
> Ok well no, not technically..but I did use bleach to clean my kids bathroom later:lol:
> Grabbed the fish tossed it everyone seemed happy to be rid of him in the tank so...um yea. thats what I did(didn't have pie on hand, rexpepper..darn). Oh lets not forget called the fish store to see if any new F1s were in stock.



man thats really messed up! you def need some pie now after that!;-)


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## Tracy Bird (Sep 20, 2011)

jentralala said:


> I inspect the body and exam the rest of the fish in the tank, to make sure none of the others are acting/look off. Then test parameters and then do a 50-75% water change just to be safe.


Yeap, this is what I do as well... but I keep the water change in the 30-50% range.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

rexpepper651 said:


> man thats really messed up! you def need some pie now after that!;-)


I settled for wine this evening... poured a little out for my homie.. JK!! wouldn't abuse alcohol like that. I sipped some for my little albino. OK thats a lie. I just drank some wine. ;-)
Didn't change water because I tested it 2 days ago and was straight 0-0-0.


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

I remove the dead fish, check it and than observe the tank for the next few days to make sure everyone is acting normal.

As Romad said the only time I would even consider tearing down a tank is if either some really bad disease got into the tank, or some how some type of chemical got in there. Knocking on wood now, don't need to jinx myself and have something happen to all the angel babies that I just placed into my tank.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

Don't forget the mystical Disease Away Dance. If you don't do it EXACTLY RIGHT as you're bleaching the tank with a 94% bleach solution, all the mycobacteria will come back and eat your fish alive. mycobacteria are ACTUALLY the vashta nerada and they will eat your fish alive and then you'll have ghost fish living in your computer forever


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

I would say it depends on the experience the fish keeper has. That is why we have this forum so questions can be answered for the beginners as well as the more advanced fish keepers. I only have one fish a Betta who lives in a 5 gallon cycled tank and I have been very lucky he has always been healthy and I am so thankful for this forum and those who helped teach me how to cycle a tank and also the proper care he needs and if he were to get sick and die this would be the first place I would come to for help in deciding how I should treat his tank if I were going to use it again for another Betta to live in. Good poll Jaysee thanks I will add my vote to it.


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## flight50 (Sep 30, 2008)

Agent13 said:


> Nice..
> Freakked out tore it down and bleached everything..even bleached the remaining fish
> Ok well no, not technically..but I did use bleach to clean my kids bathroom later:lol:


LMAO, that was pretty funny. Good one.

I say a couple of bad words, remove the fish, look for others and move on. Most of the time I just figure it was just time to go to fish heaven. Now if there are several dead or back to back days that I have lost fish, I will then look into the matter a bit deeper. Starting with parameter testing and back tracking was done/added last.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

To be completely honest, sometimes I don't even remove the dead fish. Small dead fish are consumed by snails pretty quickly.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

jaysee said:


> To be completely honest, sometimes I don't even remove the dead fish. Small dead fish are consumed by snails pretty quickly.


Lazy


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Snails need to eat too ;-)


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I remove the dead fish, usually with a swear word or two, especially if it was a favorite, check the others then go about my day. If I'm not feeling lazy I may do a water change.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## rsskylight04 (Nov 9, 2013)

This is a great poll because many people that I know would drain the tank and sanatize ( if they didn't talk to me first) which would be a huge waste of time and totaly counterproductive. I remove the dead fish, inspect the other fish, change 25% water and add 2x prime just to be sure. I haven't had a fish die for a couple years and last time I did have deaths I knew why- the heater became unplugged overnight.

Draining/ sanatizing the tank would stress the other fish, destroy beneficial bacteria colonies, disrupt water quality...no need to go on.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

:hmm:i hook them out as quick as possible if i can coz they really pong !!! 
like nasty pong ! and if it's been in there a while they squidge when you
go to pick them up and all the squishy insides comes out and that pongs
even worse .


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

willow said:


> :hmm:i hook them out as quick as possible if i can coz they really pong !!!
> like nasty pong ! and if it's been in there a while they squidge when you
> go to pick them up and all the squishy insides comes out and that pongs
> even worse .


I wouldn't even dream of bare hands pick up. Ewwwww..... It's the net or nothing for me.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

take the fish out, if no bite marks i do a water change and add some melafix and carry on.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Romad said:


> I wouldn't even dream of bare hands pick up. Ewwwww..... It's the net or nothing for me.



Then I will not tell you how I handled the last dead fish in my house hahaa
Shhh Jaysee ! Don't tell her lol


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

She made her 5 year old daughter bob for it like an apple!!


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

omg!lol. you are mental.


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