What's the most common cause of fish death?

[GentleGiantsCichlidKeeper]

Recently I had some fish die of Ick. Let them R.I.P. That experience got me thinking, what are the most common causes of fish keeper's fish dying around the hobby? What's your main reason for the death of your fish?

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

fish keeper mistake

 

[twentyleagues]

fish keeper mistake

I agree.
All the reasons listed can be directly linked to us making that first mistake. Wether it be incompatibility, not properly qt'ing, bad chemistry, bad husbandry, lack of knowledge.....it just goes on and on.

 

[GentleGiantsCichlidKeeper]

I agree.
All the reasons listed can be directly linked to us making that first mistake. Wether it be incompatibility, not properly qt'ing, bad chemistry, bad husbandry, lack of knowledge.....it just goes on and on.

Yes, i've had quite my mistakes with my fish? Would you say most of your mistakes were during the start of your experience in the hobby or towards the end?

 

[esoxlucius]

Some problems can be related to things out of our control, such as having crap tap water to start with, tanks busting seams, heater failures or power outages. And then others are pretty much down to the hobbyist, but i'd say, on balance, that it's the hobbyist that causes more fish deaths than anything else, obviously not on purpose. We're in a very complex hobby and there are lots of things that can, and do, go wrong.

 

[jjohnwm]

All the reasons listed can be directly linked to us making that first mistake. Wether it be incompatibility, not properly qt'ing, bad chemistry, bad husbandry, lack of knowledge.....it just goes on and on.

Absolutely correct. It becomes tiresome to hear aquarists commenting that their fish died "for no reason", or soothing each other's consciences by stating that nobody is to blame, that such things "just happen".

Nothing happens "for no reason"...everything has a cause, including fish deaths. Our fish don't just naturally and magically manifest themselves in our living rooms; they get there because we bring them there. We are totally responsible for everything that happens to them...good or bad. If a small airplane crashes through your roof and lands on your fish tank...those fish died because you put them there.

Hopefully, unexplained deaths become less and less common as your experience in the hobby increases, but the only way they stop completely is if you get out of the hobby altogether and get rid of your fish.

 

[tlindsey]

For me personally was lack of knowledge and resources so sadly I killed a few fish under my care.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

For me personally was lack of knowledge and resources so sadly I killed a few fish under my care.

Wish I could say it was just a few, many mistakes along the years.

 

[GentleGiantsCichlidKeeper]

Wish I could say it was just a few, many mistakes along the years.

Me as well, lol!

 

[fishhead0103666]

If it isn’t human error, disease, or aggression, and possibly a few other things, I’d say over feeding is a big issue. At least for public aquariums at least.