Why would all your fish die in the last two days?

Answer 1

There may be bacterial growth not compatible with the type of fish you have. Make sure your tank stays relatively clean. Try using an algae eater to clean up the mess.

Make sure you feed your fish. Do not overfeed them, and do not underfeed them.

Make sure there is adequate oxygen supply with an air pump.

Don't use house cleaners or other harmful substances in or around the fish tank.

Make sure you use the right kind of water compatible for your fish. If it is a Saltwater Fish, use saltwater. If it is regular water fish, make sure the water you are using isn't full of iron or other metals commonly found in well water as well as chlorine and other chemicals found in tap water. Try filtered or bottled water, or use a special balancer you can find at any fish/pet store that will create the best habitat for your kind of fish.

Make sure each of the fish are compatible with one another. Some fish will kill or eat other breeds of fish as part of their nature.

Answer 2

Put simply: People who don't do their research and fail to look after them properly. Asking the person at the pet shop is not research. Remember that they are trying to sell fish to make money and that if your fish die, it's beneficial for them because you'll come back and buy more. The main reason fish die is because people do not cycle their tanks. Checking the pH does not ensure good water quality, and letting the tank run for a week before adding fish does not make it 'mature'. Fish waste is ammonia, a highly toxic substance. Unless you change all the water, every day, you cannot eliminate it. The only way to deal with it is to cycle your tank. There are bacteria that remove ammonia and turn it into less toxic substances. They live in your filter and can be put there by adding filter media from a mature tank, or supplements from a bottle. After adding this you must stock your tank very slowly. Otherwise, fishless cycle. See the topic in New To The Hobby here: www.fishforums.net They also die because of disease. Most fish diseases are caused by stress, and the most common stressor is ammonia - see above. They also get diseases because they are overcrowded, kept too cool or too warm, or because their tank is not kept clean enough. Common diseases include whitespot, columnaris, fungus and velvet. Most can be cured, but throwing medications into a tank at random does not help. You need to isolate the sick fish and treat it/them in a hospital tank as many medications kill your filter. They will die if put in a tank with other fish that they are not compatible with them. Read as - they become lunch because you put a predator with prey, such as angelfish with neon tetras or other small fish. They will die because of parasites or fish TB. Both are disasters and are largely caused by the mass production of fish for the aquarium trade, a cruel practice that all aquarists must unwillingly support to get their stock. Fish with parasites become emaciated even though they are well fed. They may become listless or colourless. Redness, swelling or even protruding worms around the anus are indicators, as is long, stringy, white strands of poo, or pooing mucus. Parasites can be cured by putting pyrantel, praziquantel or trichlorforon in the tank - you can get those from your fish shop. Fish TB is incurable. The fish become extremely skinny, lethargic, lose colour, refuse to eat and do not respond to any treatment. It is possible to prolong the life of these fish by treating the secondary infections (fish TB is similar to AIDS in that it weakens the immune system) but in my opinion it is kinder to euthanise them as soon as you know they have TB. The severe damage to their internal organs makes their lives a misery. They also die because their owners are too kind. Overfeeding and associated problems, such as obesity, messy tanks and algae blooms, is one of the leading causes of fish deaths. You should only feed once or twice a day and the fish should be able to eat everything you offer them in a few minutes. If they are not losing weight you are feeding enough.

Answer 3

This sounds like either a serious disease outbreak, or an un-cycled tank. Basically, fish produce ammonia. This is a highly toxic chemical that is also formed by rotting organic waste, such as small bits of live plants or fish poo. Changing the water alone is not enough to remove all of the ammonia. We need bacteria to do that. These bacteria are called nitrifyers and they live in the filter. They 'eat' the ammonia and turn it into substances that aren't toxic to fish. If they aren't there, the ammonia will build up in a tank and will kill fish very quickly. Likely signs of ammonia poisoning include gasping at the surface, stillness or lethargy, refusal to eat and clamped fins. Ammonia stresses fish and may therefore make them more likely to get diseases, and many fish poisoned with ammonia die of disease. How to stop it happening again? Cycle your tank. The best way to do it is 'fishless cycling'. This is where you add ammonia to the tank from a bottle to allow the nitrifyers to establish before you put fish in. The method is long and complicated and explained on the 'New To The Hobby' board here: www.fishforums.net The other way to cycle a tank is to add a filter supplement (bacteria in a bottle) and then stock very slowly, adding one or two fish a week until the tank is fully stocked. You should never overcrowd a tank. If your fish died of a disease and not because of ammonia poisoning, there was probably very little or nothing that you could have done. These things sometimes happen. I lost four of my bettas last week to a disease and I'm having to bleach most of my equipment and isolate some of my fish to try and stop the spread.

Answer 4

The biological clock of creatures, such as fish, typically do not span for very long as their bodies just aren't designed to last that long. Like us, their bodies become weaker and less capable and their brains become more frail with time. In other cases, it's because they are under threat of predators and their life expectancies just aren't that high to begin with.

Did you know that there was a koi that lived for over 200 years?

Answer 5

Because the conditions in your aquarium are bad. Either give up trying to keep fish as pets or go and get some expert advice on how to do it properly.

Answer 6

because you were taking care of it