Why do all the bad things seem to happen when your away?

[bloodlucky]

I was wondering why all the bad things seem to happen JUST as your away from your fish (even for a few hours) so when you get back your left with an unpleasant surprise! I've seen tons of posts about how people were away for even less than an hour and when they get back their fish are all dead or their ammonia spiked for an unknown reason, etc.

My dad recalls back when I was too little to remember, just around the time when we just started the 72 gallon, we went outside to see the fireworks for maybe 2 hours (it was July 4) and when we got back, all our fish were swimming upside down.

It's just weird. I know fish can die when left alone for multiple days, but a few hours without doing anything harmful? It's like the lord is playing tricks on us.

 

[tamtam]

I think it's mostly an issue with a tank that isn't well established or some "event" that maybe people just aren't aware of.

I've can't say I've have a random thing happen that can't be explained by some event. Adding new fish, someone over fed the fish, a tank going through a cycle of experiencing a mini cycle.

 

[bud29]

During a very bad mini cycle, there was a stretch of 3 days where I woke up every morning to at least 1 dead fish.

 

[bloodlucky]

During a very bad mini cycle, there was a stretch of 3 days where I woke up every morning to at least 1 dead fish.

Same as me

 

[jcolon]

Last summer ... Was gone on family vacation... Come back to find one of my favorite green TB's with a fungus patch on it's body. Didn't make it
Just got back last week from this summer's family vacation to find I'm short one Black Ruby Barb ... The shrimp must've had a field day with it's carcass. Not unexpected ... I suspected it and I was looking to put it down when I got back.

 

[jlk]

It happens. I had a new fish in qt for all of August. I left for two nights last week and I came home to find her dead. My husband failed to mention she wasn't acting normal. Although she likely would have died anyway, I feel if I had been home, I could have atleast tried to save her. Bothers me....

 

[bloodlucky]

It happens. I had a new fish in qt for all of August. I left for two nights last week and I came home to find her dead. My husband failed to mention she wasn't acting normal. Although she likely would have died anyway, I feel if I had been home, I could have atleast tried to save her. Bothers me....

Quite so I bet

 

[Brox]

Probably because you spend more time away from your tanks than looking at them