One of my Platys died, for no reason?

[Elaysa]

Hi all.

I just got a fish tank a little over 6 weeks ago, did a fishless cycle with ammonia and 10 days ago I added:

5 cories
4 platys (1 boy, 3 girls)
2 South American Dwarf Bumblebee catfish

This is a 20g high tank with some live plants, a Marineland Penguin 150 and a Fluval heater, temp is set to 75.

Everything has been going great, I'm overly cautious and have been testing the water every day still, never was anything off.

I just found one of my Platy girls laying on the bottom, dead. She was alive 4 hours ago when I got home and took a nap. She had no prior signs of illness or anything, no spots, dots, rotted fins, nothing. The only, absolute only thing I noticed that she was being bullied by the boy and another of the girls a lot, and when I first got her, her fins were kinda tucked in, but she opened up in the last few days and swam around. Never missed a meal either.

My water parameters, taken right after I fished her out are:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 10ppm
ph: 7.6 (has been stable since I got the tank)
kh/gh are at uh, 4 drops and 7 drops (api test)

All the tests are taken with the API liquid kits. I use Prime for a conditioner when I do water changes.

None of the other fish seem ill, they're all happy and about, I even lifted up the driftwood to check on the bumblebees since they only come out at dark. They're alive and well.

Food: they get some flakes, and I have sinking shrimp pellets and algae wafers for the bottom feeders as well, which all of the Platys seem to like as well.

So, do fish just sometimes die for no visible reason? Here's a picture of her if you care to see a dead fish: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36072045@N08/5283727745/in/set-72157625529535867/
The other side was just as pristine. No bloating, no weird eyes, nothing. Unless I'm missing something obvious?

I'll probably wait over the Holidays before I get another girl to replace her. Will the LFS look at me funny if I tell them one of their fish died on me for no reason?

I just feel like I failed, and I really really tried my best, doing a good substantial water change every 5/6 days and a small 10% wc during the week, I check on the tank every day and it brings me great joy, to think that I did something wrong and it killed my fish...

Any input is appreciated!

Edit: there should be a guestpass for the pic, it should work now.

 

[Lillyan]

It's a private page, can't see the picture.
Platy are usually over bred and like to randomly die depending on where you got it. If everyone else is fine, it might of just been a freak 1 time thing.
They are cheap fish, so people don't care how they make them, as long as they can make a ton of them for nearly no money.

You don't have to give a reason. Also, if you can, bring in the dead fish and ask for an exchange. Petco asks for a water sample, thought sometimes you can get away with none. I used to give them fresh tap water, since they have sickly fish they sell to suspecting people.

 

[Elaysa]

Thanks for the reply, I fixed the picture link.

I guess everybody has their first dead fish at some point... I just wish she would have lived a little longer or at least given me a clue as to what was going on. If all the other fish are fine for the next few days, it should be safe to assume that it really was a 1 time thing, I hope.

 

[Lillyan]

This photo is private.

Oops! You don't have permission to view this photo.


Try changing the settings for the picture or post where it is not restricted.

 

[Elaysa]

Yikes, silly picture. It should be public now, I even logged out of flickr to check. I included the pic below.

I am by now convinced that she got bullied to death, so to say. As soon as she was dead my male platy started harrassing one of the remaining girls, to the point where she would either hang out with the cories, or hide in a plant 24/7. As soon as she came out, he'd chase her through the whole tank nipping at her constantly.

I went to the LFS and asked what they would do, and they said to either add 1 more girl and see if that will change him, or if he's just a bully, to return him.

I admit that I returned the bully and got another, much smaller boy and one more girl, so now I have 1 boy and 3 girls. All the other fish are happy as clams, healthy and there are no spots/no weird behaviour on anyone.

My deceased girl:


deadPlaty_s by Elaykins, on Flickr

 

[Jannika]

Sounds like you did everything right. Just like a bully to pick on the weaker one, glad you returned him.