I started the hobby over a year ago with a beautiful Red Cap Oranda. Since then he has moved to his own 26g with a Pearlscale. The Pearlscale had been with him for 7 months up until today. I loved these two.. tank is cycled and water parameters have been fine. However..
I was on a tense phone call while siphoning their tank on Saturday night (NEVER leave the tank unattended while filling or siphoning like I did) and unlike the usual 50% I remove; about 90% of the water had been gone by the time I go back. Cursing to myself I quickly filled it back up with water of the same temperature. I also added a "no algae" product to their tank for the first time seeing how the product had been fine in my tropical tanks.
By Sunday I started to see white, milky plasma-like substances attach to the fish, the fake plants, and the filter intake. The Pearlscale was gasping at tyhe surface and breathing heavily. The Red Cap was fine. By this morning the Pearlscale was at the bottom and swimming erratically while the Red Cap was fine. I just got home from work and just as I suspected my beautiful Pearlscale is gone, with mouth wide open and dark, inflamed gills. My Red Cap is fine.
Some of you know I just lost my budgie and I am freaking out. The water parameters are fine and I added an anti-fungal med. I'm about to add salt for the Red Cap (who is sadly by his friend's body as the were always together). Tell me what I did wrong and what I may have done to cause her death. Bacterial infection out of my hands? Too much of a water change? Anti-algae product possible toxin? Please help guys, thanks.

I was on a tense phone call while siphoning their tank on Saturday night (NEVER leave the tank unattended while filling or siphoning like I did) and unlike the usual 50% I remove; about 90% of the water had been gone by the time I go back. Cursing to myself I quickly filled it back up with water of the same temperature. I also added a "no algae" product to their tank for the first time seeing how the product had been fine in my tropical tanks.
By Sunday I started to see white, milky plasma-like substances attach to the fish, the fake plants, and the filter intake. The Pearlscale was gasping at tyhe surface and breathing heavily. The Red Cap was fine. By this morning the Pearlscale was at the bottom and swimming erratically while the Red Cap was fine. I just got home from work and just as I suspected my beautiful Pearlscale is gone, with mouth wide open and dark, inflamed gills. My Red Cap is fine.
Some of you know I just lost my budgie and I am freaking out. The water parameters are fine and I added an anti-fungal med. I'm about to add salt for the Red Cap (who is sadly by his friend's body as the were always together). Tell me what I did wrong and what I may have done to cause her death. Bacterial infection out of my hands? Too much of a water change? Anti-algae product possible toxin? Please help guys, thanks.
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