panda death?

[blazeyreef]

I came home from soccer practice today to find one of my precious panda corries dead . I have none idea as to why it would die all of a sudden? They have appeared to be thriving in the 5gall nano planted (3x panda's, 1x pygmy that came for free and 3x oto, as well as about 7 ghost shrimp) with it being planted. I do drop algae wafers in their occasionally in case they don't get enough food, but I do also feed flakes, frozen mysis, brine shrimp (for snack), and occasionally a little bit of emerald mithix or something like that, its different kinds of frozen algeas, it comes in the SW combined pack. I just did a PWC yesterday, and I had JUST dosed with flourish and flourish Iron when I noticed him (he was in the plants) and so I don't know if that would affect the test parameters but the ammonia was at .25, don't know why but it was at 0 last week, and nitrate was 0, I have to go get a new nitrite pack and I will test that when I get it as well. any reasons as to why a sudden death?

 

[Zagz]

His death may have increased your ammonia. Sorry for your loss, how old was he? Some deaths are just unexplained.

 

[blazeyreef]

I have only had him for 2, maybe 3 weeks max. he (she?) was full sized when I bought him so he could have been older? I am looking into the increase of ammonia. I do a 20% PWC every week and I have an ok filter. The temp. is lower than I would like but im buying an new heater and a new, good (aquaclear) filter when I get my paycheck hopefully this week (I hope)

*EDIT*

I was just in their to check on the fishies and my other 2 pandas are dead and the others are looking lathargic, so now I am checking equipment (should have done that in the first place) and found that the heater has gone wacko and the water was .100 f 8O 8O 8O so I just did a 50% PWC and added "chilled" water, and took out the heater, I WILL be buying a new one tomorow. oh I am SO MAD

 

[Zagz]

OH no!! I am so sorry. I can completely and totally relate. I had a heater malfunction and kill a tank of fry.

 

[black hills tj]

100* F...wow...you're lucky they all didn't drop right away. Sorry about the loss...good luck at keeping the rest of them

 

[blazeyreef]

thanks, I am going to try and get to petsmart to get a new heater. the water is at about 78 as that is room temp. (I turned off the AC and ceiling fan in that room so it would get to chilled...only problem is thats my bedroom lol) anyways, I have not lost another fishie. I am hopeing they all make it. the pygmy is looking a little stressed but I think he will pull through! (partly because of the big change in temp. and because he is the only fish in the tank. some of the ghost shrimp are bigger than him as well so I think he is scared, I will deff. get him some buddies ASAP)