Ember tetras death

[Fin35]

Ok, so I’ve had 10 Ember tetras in a 10 gallon with my Betta for about 3.5 months just fine. I changed the water a little over a week ago and before that I didn’t do it for two weeks because I was in the hospital with appendix surgery but changed it as soon as I can after. I also just put a new bubble filter in but left part of the filter media and the lava rocks in, would my tank recycle? Anyway, one of my poor tetras was dead today and the embers were eating him, didn’t seem like the Betta was. I don’t know if he was sick, they are really fast for the Betta, or if the Betta caught him off guard when he was sleeping. Last week I did notice on of the tetras at the top of the water more, so I got a bubble filter for better filtration and more oxygen in the water, but I hadn’t seen him at the top since? Anyway, I know I’ll never know but do you think it’s more likely he got sick or that the Betta caught him off guard?

 

[SaraB]

Was there someone taking care of the fish while you were in the hospital? It may have been a nitrates, ammonia or nitrite spike.
Have you been able to test the water lately?

 

[HannahJo]

If you left your old filter media and rocks alone (did not rinse them) then your BB should still be there- so I would think your tank would stay cycled. But definitely need to check water parameters to know for sure.
As far as your dead guy- sorry to hear- it's hard to say since you've been away from your tank. I would think if your tank was cycled, it would be okay to go for 2 weeks with no water change (obviously NOT ideal). I wouldn't think that would kill anybody- unless like SaraB said, an ammonia spike happened.
I'm assuming somebody was feeding your fish while you were away? I know it takes awhile for them to "starve to death" but 2 weeks might be enough to really put some stress on. No food + stressed/hungry betta could have caused him to go after the little guys. Bettas are unpredictable so I would not be surprised if he was the culprit.

 

[Fin35]

Hey, so to clarify I was in the hospital for 5 days and my husband fed them twice. I didn’t change the water for two week because it was the hospital week and a week after to heal. I’ve been back from the hospital for two weeks and just changed the water last week when the fish showed up dead today, they didn’t die when I didn’t change the water for two weeks. Only change was the filter. I kept some of the filter media, but threw the main filter away as it was falling apart after 8 months, but kept the rocks without washing and the sponge I had at bottom of filter. I’m really wondering if maybe the Betta killed him by catching him off guard in his sleep.m, but the Betta didn’t eat him the embers were eating him, I’m sure the Betta could of eaten him and I would if not found the body. Everyone else is fine, snails are all good. I did a 85% water change just to be safe and I ordered more test strips. I also fed the mystery snail cauliflower and it made the water cloudy, now all should be good as I did a deep clean.

 

[Telesman]

Ember tetra death

Hi,sorry to hear about your lost fish and the fact you had to be in hospital.
It sounds to me like it was not the enforced 2 week water change or the Betta that has caused the death.You say that you had to change the filter sponge ,and although you say that you kept some of the original sponge this was bound to have an adverse effect on the benificial bacteria in the tank and it would probably of been best to add a bacteria enhancer to the filter to help.
I see that you have ordered some test strips so you can test the water ,so would be interesting to see what the result is,and I hope it has cycled now.
I hope that you have not lost any more fish and everything is back to normal now and you have recovered after your op.

 

[Fin35]

I’m guessing you are correct because when I did my weekly water change I lost a nerite snail, the body was just gone from the shell, I’m assuming my mystery snails ate it and that’s what kept the tank from becoming toxic and killing more fish, at least I hope because I searched high and low and couldn’t find the body, unless I just sucked it up during my cleaning, she was a small snail. I’ll grt some good bacteria, I’m shocked bec I kept all the lava rocks in my filter and also the sponge on the bottom, the only thing I didn’t kept was the filter that was falling apart, I thought I had enough good bacteria!

 

[Brookster123]

A snail die off can wreck a tank all by itself.

 

[Fin35]

It was just one pet snail, thankfully nobody died, it was a nerite in a10 gallon. The body must have been eaten by the mystery’s snails which kept the poisons down.

 

[Telesman]

Sounds like you should be ok now but I would add some bacteria boost as soon as you can if you have not done already.
All the best.

 

[Fin35]

Yes! Two deaths to learn that, the only reason I didn’t was because I thought for sure I had enough good bacteria with the sand, rocks, filter media, coconut cave plus plants, but clearly not. I was always worried about what would happen if a snail died, my mystery snails would be easy to tell as they are constantly out in the open on the move. My nerite snails are more shy and hide in the coconut cave a lot, I always have to check they are attached every water change, I think the mystery’s saved me there by eating it. I did find a clear see through hard shell that looked like it could have been the Skelton to the snail body, it was empty. Does anyone know snail anatomy? My only concern is that I missed it or that it got buried under the sand and gonna make my fish sick! but I guess I’ll just need to keep checking ammonia. Mystery’s do eat dead things right?

 

[Telesman]

Hi,
Reckon that you should be ok now,hope so.
I do not know much about snails but I think that Mystery Snails are Herbivores,and so will only eat algae and plant material etc and not dead animal matter.I have amano shrimps in my tanks which do eat algae and dead plant material but also can eat dead fish etc.
Sorry I can't help you about the remains of the snail that you found but I am sure someone on here may be able to help?

 

[earhtmother]

The Embers probably ate the snail