Yesterday my GSP named Nelix passed away. It was very sudden and I'm at a loss as to what happened. Here is his story, maybe you can help me find out what happend.
I first got him in April. I had seen some puffers at the LFS and fell in love. I went home and did some research and prepared for my new fishy. I only had a 10 gallon tank on hand, but I planned on moving him into a 55 gallon as soon as money permitted.
In July I finally had enough money to start getting some gear together. My sister had an old 30 gallon tank that I could start off with, and as soon as my father finished building me my custom stand, my GF was going to buy me a 55 gallon tank for my birthday (the end of august). I would then cycle that tank using ammonia and move everything over, established filter and everything.
Everything was going according to plan. The 30 gallon is now completely decorated and has just finished cycling. He was supposed to be moved over to his new home tomorrow, but he never made it.
His water conditions in the 10 gallon were immaculate. (I had just tested last week and tested again yesterday. No change.)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: Trace (a large thriving java fern sucks em up)
SG: 1.008 (He was in 1.004 at the LFS and i only just completed raising him to 1.008 over the months since I got him)
pH: 8.3 and steady
I did a 10% water change with aged water every other day or so. The filter on the 10 gallon was a whisper rated to 15 gallons.
The only other occupant in the tank was a large female Amano shrimp and a Java fern. There were caves and rocks to hide in and the whisper created a current he liked to swim in.
His diet consisted of frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, live snails, and small pieces of freeze dried jumbo shrimp as a treat. He ate vigourously, had brilliant colour, and would always swim at the front of the tank when i came by to watch.
But then a couple days ago he started to act strange. He would hide more often than usual and wouldn't swim madly at the front of the tank begging for food like normal. But he would still eat, and his colour was still good. So I thought he might just be moody.
Then the day before yesterday he would just lay on a java fern leaf all darkened. He would brighten up when i approached, but he wouldn't swim madly begging for food. When he did swim around it was kind of listlessly and aimlessly. Not like the patrol he usually does. That night I offered him a few snails, but he ignored them. The next morning the snails were gone and there were shell remains, so I know he ate them.
Then yesterday before i left for work he was laying on the same java fern leaf breathing very hard and looking very dark. He didn't brighten up when I came by and didn't move. When I got home from work he was dead.
I was devestated. The day before the big move and the star of the show passes on.I tested the water again yesterday and there is no change from a week ago. His poop was never stringy and he never had a caved in belly, even before he died. There were no changes to his water except partial changes.
What should have I done? I was worried as soon as he started acting strange, but didn't see any tell tale signs. It was only yesterday that his colour didn't return when I approached and he ate up until the end.
Thanks for your time if you read this, and thanks for any answers you can provide. I'll answer any questions I didn't answer in my post.
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 