eepruls

My 20 gallon tank finished cycling last week and so I decided to get 6 Bloodfins two days ago. This morning one of them was dead. It was one of two that kind of keep to themselves and didn't swim very much with the others. Four of the other ones are very lively and look strong. Was this just a weak fish or is this a sign of something I'm doing wrong? I've never had a schooling fish before so I'm not sure. I know Bloodfins are fairly hardy so I'm worried I'm doing something wrong. I've been giving them Omega One Color Flakes which are supposed to be really good because they contain fresh seafood. I double checked and ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm and nitrate is 5ppm.

Should Bloodfins be together all the time or is it okay for one of them to be up near the surface while the other four school? Right now I've got four swimming everywhere and look good and one who's sitting up at the top left corner.

Shawnie

im sorry for your loss from what you describe, it sounds like it might have been a pH shock or something to that effect...whenever we buy new fish, and although ph isnt usually an issue as long as its stable, its good to check the bagged water they came from to the ph levels of your tank to see if there is a huge difference...of course thats too late now but in the future, ive found that it helps a ton with proper acclimation and how long you should take to do so....

I think the food is perfect..omega one is a great fish flake

the other one could have the same effect but both also could have just been weak from the start...fish that school usually wont school with weaker buddies as its a setup usually for other predators....good luck with the rest of them!

eaglescout316

For now just keep an eye out. Out of curiosity, how are the fins' color doing? I've lost two bloodfins, the one that died shortly after introduction did not have any color left in its fins, and another randomly jumped. I have a theory that fin color may at least help indicate overall health of that particular fish.

eepruls

Thanks for responding! I got another Bloodfin (they replaced it) so I'm back up to six. The new one is very lively and joined the other four. These five stick together and are active. They go after the food as it falls; they rarely go right to the surface to feed so I make sure it falls. The sixth one (the same one as before) is still alive but hangs out alone most of the time at the mid to top area of the tank. It just sits there in the current. If you go to tank, it'll swim in a circle and then end up back in the same spot. It does go with the group occasionally and move around the tank but generally it stays alone. I haven't seen it eat much. The other fish dart around grabbing food while this one doesn't. It seems totally uninterested in grabbing some even when it's nearby.

The colour on all of them is really good. All have red on their fins. The only difference I see in this lonely fish is that it seems more rounded and fat (whereas the others seem 'sleeker'). The belly is much more white. I'll have to get a photo.

eepruls

He's dead, Jim.

I woke up this morning and noticed 5 fish feeding like crazy. I kept counting 5. I looked everywhere and after 10 minutes, I saw a little red sticking out from the middle of a plant. He was dead, head first inside the plant. Why do they always die in the hardest place to see them? Anyways, I'm gonna take him back and hopefully get another tonight.

Lucy

I'm really sorry you lost the little guy.

eepruls

Thanks Lucy. My dad called it the first time he saw him. He was like, "I think you're going to find him dead one of these mornings." He didn't look good from the start. The other five are great though. I love them!