Dead Kuhli - Cause?

[BioHazard]

I recently got 7 kuhlis in the mail. They were shipped Monday and arrived Thursday. Everything has seemed fine, but I found one dead this morning. When I was putting them into the tank, one did manage to flip onto the floor, but he was quickly put into the tank. Another one may have gotten pressed a bit by the net against a wall as I was trying to net him from a bucket to the tank. All kuhlis were acclimated by adding a 1/2 cup of water to the bag every 1/2 hour.
I tested the water - 0 ammo, 0 nitrites, 5ppm nitrates.
I looked at the body of the kuhli, and did not see any obvious signs of trauma. The skin was smooth, even and moist, no white areas or growths.
The body seemed a little red around the gills and on the neck under the gills, but that could be due to thin skin or pooling blood.
I tried to get a picture to show the redness, but I don't know how well it conveys it.

To me, it seems like the most likely cause is shipping trauma or bucket-to-tank trauma. I just want other opinions to be sure it is not a disease or water issue.

 

[BioHazard]

Anyone? Opinions? Hmmm?

 

[mel_20_20]

I couldn't say for sure from his appearance, but when I clicked on the pic and enlarged it I noticed on the right side of the picture that there are some tiny spots that look like petichial hemorrhage. The spots on his side and there are some on his belly.

It may be that the spots are not petichiae; maybe what I'm seeing is just some kind of debris from the tank or spots that normally occur on Khulis, but if he was the one that was pressed against the tank by the net then that may be the cause.

Maybe a loach expert will come along with another suggestion, but that's all I can think might be the case, from his appearnce that is.

 

[BioHazard]

I couldn't say for sure from his appearance, but when I clicked on the pic and enlarged it I noticed on the right side of the picture that there are some tiny spots that look like petichial hemorrhage. The spots on his side and there are some on his belly.

It may be that the spots are not petichiae; maybe what I'm seeing is just some kind of debris from the tank or spots that normally occur on Khulis, but if he was the one that was pressed against the tank by the net then that may be the cause.

Maybe a loach expert will come along with another suggestion, but that's all I can think might be the case, from his appearnce that is.

That's just a little bit of dirt that was in the cup I put him in.

 

[pinkertd]

It could just be shipping trauma, or be the one who took the fall to the floor. They are tiny creatures and that could have been enough to do it. I wouldn't worry about it. I am sorry for your loss.