missjerm

I just discovered my little guppy, Holden Caufield, dead in my tank tonight when I went to feed the fish. I noticed him in the same place about an hour ago when I started my dishes and when I got done, about 30 min. later, he was still in the same place. I thought it was strange but thought maybe he was just sleeping already but when I got to feeding them, I noticed his eye looked a little funny and there was this fuzzy looking stuff around him. He'd been laying on one of the plants but when I got my net to see if he'd move, he floated right to the top and all the fuzzy stuff started floating around him into the water. I got him out and started looking at him and I noticed that there are a couple of brown spots on his tail and underneath him close to his head, looks to be a red spot. Now, I've been checking on my fish several times a day as I've got some mollie fry (see recent post "I got baby fish" under Breeding) but I know Holden was fine all day today because I would've noticed if he'd been sitting on that same plant all day. And although, I don't know for sure, but I don't think he would have gotten fish fungus in one day and me not notice it. I have been very careful with my water and everything since my other guppy Mr. Darcy, died of dropsy. And I can't believe if Holden did have fungus, he would have died within a day of it showing up on his body but, there again, I have been watching them all very closely since the arrival of the fry and I would have noticed the fungus if it had been there.

I am wondering if the other new fish killed him! There are two mollies and a platy and they are bigger than Holden but I haven't seen them nipping at him or anything. They are all supposed to be non-agressive, tropical community right Friendly fish Does anyone have any experiences like this, tropical fish killing another tropical fish??

It's just so odd. I have had him almost a year and even through all the problems I had with my other guppy, Mr. Darcy, Holden never got sick or anything. I just know that somehow these other fish had something to do with his death!!! It might seem silly to some but I get very attached to my pets and I consider these fish my pets. I am very upset right now....

Sam Livingston

Sorry to hear about your loss. I do not know much about the diseases just yet, but it's highly unlikely the other tropical fish killed him. I have never seen platys or mollies attack anything unless they had too many males of same species together; especially since you said you never saw them bothering the guppy; so I would rule that out as an option.

Tazmiche

It is not silly to become attatched to them and to grieve when they are gone. We share a home,interact with them, chat to them, care for and feed them and they depend on us. Read some of the posts in the Betta fish section and you will see that you are among like minded people!!

I am a guppy owner too and sadly lost many. I had 3 in a community tank with 'peaceful' fish. All was fine at first but one morning i came down to find one dead fins shredded, one dying on a plant, also shredded and the third hiding in a cave. I managed to save him ( if you look at my signiture below that one was Billy) so i'd say YES even fish that live together can kill each other.

Was Holden fully grown when you bought him? It may have been old age! I had a stunning yellow one that 'just died' but when i thought about it he had always been the biggest of the new bunch, so i guessed old age.

I agree that the fungus wouldn't appear so quickly and kill at once. I'd say keep up watching and good luck.

Lets us know how things are ( and set up a male only guppy tank, they are sooooo funny together, you will love it)

missjerm

I got Holden in Sept. of last year. He wasn't particulary big I don't think but he was smaller than the 3 new ones. I have no idea if he was fully grown or not or may have been old, I'm just not sure. He was alone for several weeks after Mr. Darcy died cuz I was waiting to get my water and everything back to par. He seemed so lonely and he seemed happy after I got the new ones. It's just too weird. I did notice some brown spots on his fin and that red spot underneath his belly. That's why I thought maybe the other ones had something to do with it. But who knows!!! I guess I can't really worry about it much now. I have my mollie fry to be concerned about. Thanks!

COBettaCouple

we're sorry that you lost Holden. It could have been ulcers, but i'm not sure. we lost one of ours this week too and understand they're as easy to miss & mourn as any other pet.