Rip My Favorite Fishie :(

[Laxison]

OK so when I first read all of the sob stories about someone's favorite fish dying, I was like, "Well, that's sad, but they'll get over it." Well, fate has come to me and I've lost my favorite fish I found him last night floating upside-down in the tank barely grasping to life and staring at me (BOY! was that a creepy stare from him!). I quickly got him into a quarantine tank (a make-shift one - the water change bucket with an airstone) and tried to nurse him to health. But when I came back from work and the gym today I took one look and knew that he just wasn't going to make it.
So, from the information from my fellow "I've-Lost-My-Favorite-Fish" people, I took a small container of water, poured some choice alcohol in there (and the good stuff, too...only the best for my little guy) and put my buddy in the lethal mixture and tucked him in the back of the freezer for his slow parting from this earth. Yeah, if I did it wrong, please don't tell me; I'm too sad and would feel worse if I made it worse for him!
Yeah, so A** H**e is gone (my name for him because he'd nip at me all of the time and would chase all of the other fish) and I am so sad. I'll miss that guy. He was in the first batch of cichlids that I got nearly two years ago when I first started keeping cichlids. Yes, I know, he didn't make it all that long, but he was a fighter and made it through my trials and errors with cichlid keeping! So pardon the post but out of anyone I know who'd understand, I knew that you guys would be good with hearing the news about my fish's death. I'm going to stop rambling now since, well, I've written enough and, ehh, as grim as it is...I have to check on the little guy in the freezer! Ick, gross. Ehh way to start a week, huh!?

 

[JustRon]

That is too bad, but it happens to all of us. It is nice to hear about the memories and naming, so he must have been fun to share time with.

 

[Steve]

Sorry to hear about that. It definitely bites, and I think most of us reading your post know how you feel.
Steve

 

[myselfdotcom]

Sorry for your loss mate. Do you know what the cause of it? Maybe you should look into it...might be a sign of sickness in main tank?

 

[Laxison]

Thanks for the well-wishes, guys!
As far as there being sickness for the whole tank, I can't tell. Why? Well, call it bad timing, but I'm on vacation for 2 weeks and can't monitor my tank! I was able to keep an eye on it up until I left and everyone seems to be doing well in the tank. I have a new alpha male that "broke out of its shell" and is taking over as the "big guy" in the tank and is now the new "bully" since the one that just died was the bully before.
It's neat to see the tankmates re-establishing themselves; finding new homes, moving up in the "chain of command" within the tank and so on.
Back to the probable cause of death for my fish, I really think it was bloat. Not to dive too far into it, but I never over-fed the fish but I cut back some more on what I fed them and even the amount. Just enough to be safe!

 

[myselfdotcom]

Thanks for the well-wishes, guys!
As far as there being sickness for the whole tank, I can't tell. Why? Well, call it bad timing, but I'm on vacation for 2 weeks and can't monitor my tank! I was able to keep an eye on it up until I left and everyone seems to be doing well in the tank. I have a new alpha male that "broke out of its shell" and is taking over as the "big guy" in the tank and is now the new "bully" since the one that just died was the bully before.
It's neat to see the tankmates re-establishing themselves; finding new homes, moving up in the "chain of command" within the tank and so on.
Back to the probable cause of death for my fish, I really think it was bloat. Not to dive too far into it, but I never over-fed the fish but I cut back some more on what I fed them and even the amount. Just enough to be safe!
[/b]

if is really bloat, since the fish died in your tank i think to be safe to treat the whole tank..