Total loss, every fish, I have no idea what happened

[mcveyla]

I'm sorry to have to post this, but I have just had the worst aquarium disaster of my life. It's a 100% total loss. I have no idea what happened. All levels were steady and normal, nothing ever changed. It was a 3 year mature community that had not had a single fish loss in over one year. But two days ago I came home from work and the water was cloudy. Today I came home from work and every single fish is swimming upside down or dead. I have 1 molly and 1 corydora left unaffected. I think it's only a matter of time before they have the same thing happen to them. The pleco seemed unaffected but is now doing the same thing as well.

What the (*&^ just happened. :cry::shakehead:

How should I put the dying ones out of their misery?

 

[montanafish gal]

I'm so sorry for your terrible loss! I have no idea what could have happened; I'm pretty new to the hobby. As far as the ones still alive, if you feel they are suffering, I'm pretty sure there is a thread on how to euthenize fish. If you do a search you can probably find it. Again, so sorry.

 

[rinmouse]

That's terrible! What an awful thing to come home to. I know some people have experienced dramatic losses like this due to things like heater malfunction and contaminants getting into the tank(insecticides and things like this). If you had a rotting body in there undetected, it could have caused an ammonia spike... but it seems rather dramatic.

 

[froglover007]

That is really strange. It sounds kind of like a severe ammonia problem to me but it would have to be intense to cause that much damage. How big is your tank? Is it overstocked? There is a small chance that something took out the bacteria and if it was overstocked the ammonia would have exploded. You should run a test on the water, do a major water change (75%) and dose it with cycle. If it was poisoned the water change should help a bit but if the poison is really potent it won't kmake a difference.

 

[LeahK]

How horrible! Probably everyone's worst nightmare. I'm so sorry for you.
As for euthanasia, I use the the clove oil and vodka method. You place the fish in a container of tank water. Then fill a vial with tank water (like a water testing tube) and add one or two drops of clove oil. Shake it up very well until it emulsifies, and add it slowly, in increments, to the container with the fish. Add a little, then wait 5 minutes or so, then add a little more, until it's all added. At that point the fish should be asleep. You can then either mix up a stronger clove oil emulsion, which is fatal, or add some vodka to the container. When you add the fatal clove oil dose or vodka, the fish shouldn't be conscious of anything, so the process is pretty peaceful.

 

[Reframer]

Don't jump to a euth yet. Just give them very clean water and they might pull through. What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? How often and how much do you do water changes? What else do you dose the tank with?
Cloudy water can be a nitrite spike.

 

[mcveyla]

Levels are normal, it's really weird. Ammonia was a little high, but not out of the ordinary high. I put them in a hospital tank with some melafix. I have one corycat, and 2 mollies still alive, but that's it. They aren't acting too good, but don't seem to be having any of the effects the other fish that died.

EDIT: It's a 30 gallon tank, and wasn't overstocked. If there were too many mollies I would give them away.

 

[froglover007]

That is wierd. Maybe it was poisoned. Change a ton of water and see how it goes.
p.s. Malefix usually doesn't work for treating fish

 

[The Zigman]

Levels are normal, it's really weird. Ammonia was a little high, but not out of the ordinary high. I put them in a hospital tank with some melafix. I have one corycat, and 2 mollies still alive, but that's it. They aren't acting too good, but don't seem to be having any of the effects the other fish that died.

EDIT: It's a 30 gallon tank, and wasn't overstocked. If there were too many mollies I would give them away.

what do you mean ammonia is a little high? but not abnormally high?
Ammonia should be ZERO... It may be high now due to the deaths..

 

[msjinkzd]

what was your normal maintenance routine?