Today I am a fish killer

[Johny]

What a sad day. I killed our 6 glowlight tetras. We are setting up a ten gallon for my wife. We used them to do a fish in cycle (and completed it around the beginning of the month). The tank has been stable all month. As my wife is deciding what fish she wants in the tank (the tetras came from my 20 gal community tank) we noticed that the heater was not working well and kept the tank cooler than we wanted (despite being adjustable). Last night we picked up a new one; it is a cheap one (top fin) cause our budget is tight. Its adjustable, but the nob doesn't tell you what temp you are setting, there is a thermometer built into the side.

This morning I did some re-scaping of the tank (moved plants and rocks around, nothing new added) and added the new heater. I set the temp nob some where in the middle intending to watch the tank thermometer and slowly raise the tank to a proper temp. I forgot to watch the tank thermometer. We went to church. Three hours later when we got home I looked at the tank and noticed all of them dead.

I immediately checked my water parameters. All stable (API Master freshwater liquid test kit) as they have been since we finished the cycle around the beginning of the month. Then it dawned on me that I had raised the temp nearly 10 degrees and probably rather quickly.

I guess there could be something else, but given occam's razor, the simplest and most logical explanation is the heater.

Blah. Saddest part is that three of them were the first fish we ever owned. We started with an established tank we bought used from local classifieds and three of those tetras came with the tank. Not our first loss, but the first ones from negligence (outside of ignorance).

 

[BHead707]

sorry to hear that

 

[steez]

Aw man, that really sucks. Sorry


At least you can look forward to getting some new fish?

 

[maxwellag]

I have that same heater and I despise it!!

 

[Johny]

sorry to hear that

Aw man, that really sucks. Sorry


At least you can look forward to getting some new fish?

Thanks for the condolences. It does suck. As for the new fish...Well that kind of makes it worse. I have been teasing my wife since we got the tank and moved the tetras over that she HAD to keep them (they were so hard to catch and move). I joked about how I was going to get new fish and she had to plan her stocking list around the tetras. Then I go and kill them. I certainly didn't do it on purpose, but its kind of like wishing something bad on someone and then it happens. Doesn't leave you with a good feeling (at least I hope it doesn't). I may get some new ones. I need to decided what I am going to do with the guppies I have. They keep breeding, and I am not sure I like them enough to have more. But if I am going to replace the tetras AND keep the guppies, then I may soon have an overrun tank.

I have that same heater and I despise it!!

Why do you despise it?

 

[Flossie]

Awww that's sad.... I'm sorry. It could happen to anyone tho and I HATE the heaters that don't have the degrees on them I've got some like that and I'm still scared to adjust them much

Oh and I once killed a neon with my net.( I think I smashed it or gave it a heart attack lol) I was mad that I couldn't catch them and was a little rough. I felt bad (

 

[absolutangel04]

Thats aweful. I am really sorry.

 

[UDan]

Very sad to hear, especially since they were the originals

 

[mdawg75]

Very sad indeed and I can have some empathy there, I had a beautiful Blue Peacock Cichlid that somehow as I was rescaping my 75g tank got caught between a rock and a plastic deco. I must have knocked over the Decoration and smashed him. Horrid feeling either way. You have gained knowledge and shared it to caution anyone else, so move forward . Sorry to hear.

 

[Impulse09]

Sorry for ur loss

 

[skiweeangel]

So sorry to hear that. There are so many little things to keep track of when you go keep these little guys its hard to remember it all. Please do t feel too bad, we know you didn't mean to.

 

[BillD]

I find it hard to believe that raising the temp over a 3 hour period would have killed them. to me that is still a gradual temp change. Still, it seems there isn't any other explanation. As far as heaters that don't have the temps on them (most of mine), they are probably better than those with temps that aren't accurate. As well f the heater was able to raise the temp 10 degrees in 3 hours, I believe it is too powerful for that tank. If it failed in the on position, which seems to be the norm, it would cook any fish you had in the tank. I didn't notice the tank size, but in normal room temps, a 50W heater is good for 20 gallons.

 

[Johny]

Well I don't know how long it actually took the temp to raise, the three hours is just the time frame between the last time I saw them alive and when I saw them dead. I agree as well that over three hours doesn't sound like it would be the a quick enough change, but everything else is status quo as far as I can tell. I really hope its not a faulty heater, but it is staying at a constant temp of 82. If you have any other ideas as to what it would be or anything else I should check I would be more than happy to look into it. I don't want to have any new fish we put in there die.

As for moving on...I had a dream last night that I killed all our fish in one way or another, except the guppies. Somehow the guppies all survived the things that killed all the others. I woke up a bit annoying knowing that it was all just a dream. I think I can move on though.

Thank you again everyone for the support.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Oh I'm sorry. Once I killed three glofish because I didn't know about tank cycling. It sucks to see them go belly-up, doesn't it?

 

[AlTheBruinsFan]

I killed a couple of my Platys by changing my filter cartridge, basically causing a mini cycle.

There is a lot of information on the interwebs about keeping fish. But sometimes making mistakes is the best teacher you can have.(although it does kinda suck for the fish)

 

[Bettafanatic]

I killed a couple of my Platys by changing my filter cartridge, basically causing a mini cycle.

There is a lot of information on the interwebs about keeping fish. But sometimes making mistakes is the best teacher you can have.(although it does kinda suck for the fish)

I agree completely. I learned a lot when my fish died. I learned about cycling, the importance of water temperature, and that fish diseases can happen.