Red tail died - cause ?

[Sleepdoc]

My 10 year old red tail died a few years ago. He/She was an incredible fish. I took a few years off, and am just now getting back into the hobby.

It lived in my outdoor, dug out, doughnut shaped, “natural” filtered pond. S. Fla. No liner, basically ground water level, filled daily in winter ( lower groundwater) by a deep well. 10k gal/hr pump through 2 bead filters, aerator, waterfall.

I found it floating one day.
I assume it ate something that obstructed it’s digestive system and bloated up.

 

[kno4te]

Could be what ur guessing. That belly is protruding a bit. Sorry for the loss.

 

[islandguy11]

My 10 year old red tail died a few years ago. He/She was an incredible fish. I took a few years off, and am just now getting back into the hobby.

It lived in my outdoor, dug out, doughnut shaped, “natural” filtered pond. S. Fla. No liner, basically ground water level, filled daily in winter ( lower groundwater) by a deep well. 10k gal/hr pump through 2 bead filters, aerator, waterfall.

I found it floating one day.
I assume it ate something that obstructed it’s digestive system and bloated up.

Sorry to see, proper monster fish that.

 

[kingthedog]

 

[squint]

If it was floating it may have been dead for awhile and the bloat is just gas from decomposition.

 

[Sleepdoc]

If it was floating it may have been dead for awhile and the bloat is just gas from decomposition.

Yeah, I was thinking that as well. I should have opened the fish up and done an pseudo autopsy. By the time I found him/her, he/she was so smelly I couldn't bring myself to do it.