I bought four Bala Sharks today, all looked very healthy. About an hour after I put them in the tank I went to the restroom and when I came back, one of the Balas was lying on the bottom of the tank dead. The tank is a 10 gallon, I was planning to put them in my 40B growout with my oscars, but the oscars did not like them. They tank parameters are normal, and the only tank mates are mollies. What could have happened? The only thing I can come up with is stress.
Cause Of Death?
- Thread starter Wolfe
- Start date
So you came home with four bala and dropped them into the 40 where the oscars picked on them, scooped them up for the second time that day to put them in a 10? Sounds like shock/stress to me.
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Usually drip acclamation, but I couldn’t find the drip kit so they were floated in the bag for half an hour before release.
They never actually made it into the 40B, the oscars were bothering them through the bag, so they were moved in the bag to the 10 gallon.
It could well be stress, but I'm thinking if all 4 were in the same bag from when they were purchased until they were released into the tank, it was probably a combination of stress and/or ammonia poisoning. Especially if they were all in the same bag for a couple of hours. Ammonia could of built up quickly and a fish already under stress will succumb to the toxin easier. So, it may of been already on its way out before you released it into the tank.
This is why I insist on separate bags for each individual fish (if I didn't bring a 5 gallon bucket along with me)
This is why I insist on separate bags for each individual fish (if I didn't bring a 5 gallon bucket along with me)
They were only in the bag for an hour at the most, but this seems like the most likely cause.
On another note, it seems as though a second one is going to die, looks like I’m going to petsmart tomorrow for a refund.
Something to consider is that the weekend maybe the restocking time for petsmart. I'm not sure of that, I can usually tell by the high demand fish like clown loaches are in stock. If they were fresh arrivals it usually only takes a bit of stress to hurt then.
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What was the difference in the pH between the water in the bag and the water in the tank? You said you floated them for a half hour and released them with no acclamation to your tank water. I'll bet if you check the two there was a significant difference, if you get the numbers you'll get your answer.
There were very few fish at the store; my guess would be that when I go tomorrow that the store will be restocked then.
