Just Call Me the Fish Killer

[FuzzyDragon09]

I just lost my best friend, my Red-Tailed Shark, D`Artagnan! I'm just stunned. He was perfectly fine a few days ago. I even took a short video of him. He was eating and acting his usual self then about 2 days ago he was acting funny. He would go inside his new cave and sit between the floors like he was scratching his butt on the side. Then I noticed his poop was a little whiter than usual and a bit stringy. I suspected that he had IPs and so began treating his tank with Jungle Parasite Clear. Yesterday I did a water change and sucked up some white strings so I knew I was on the right track. I could tell though that he was having a hard time. I thought maybe he had a really bad case of them and was in a little pain during the treatment. I was worried but thought it would be okay in a few days. Then I wake up today and find him dead! :(

I can't believe it. I've lost 5 fish from disease (3 were already sick when I bought them) in a matter of 6 months. The last two (Elmo my Betta and D`Artagnan my Red-Tailed Shark) I lost on Friday the 13th exactly a month apart from each other.

Maybe I'm not meant to have more than one fish at a time. Or maybe I'm just not meant to have fish period. The longest I have kept a fish alive is a year and a half and that was Luke my first fish. Every other fish lasted 6 months or less. I think the only reason Beauty my Betta is still alive is because he used to be my sister's and so he's not really my fish. I'm cursed! I gib up! I'll just bleach the 10 gallon and finish bleaching the 5 gallon that I was going to set up for another Betta and stick them in the closet. I don't know what else to do. Once I've finished mourning, I'll be too scared to try again. Anyways, here's a video of D`Artagnan that I took a few days ago. My poor cutie. <sniff>

[fishboyt]

Don't give up on the hobby! I don't have the best "Luck" with fish either. My betta fry are dieing from what I think is a parasite, so don't think you're the only one on here who has fish die. Just keep trying!

[Nickintex]

It happens. Sometimes fish seem to die with no warning or sign of illness. Don't surrender!

[Kiovo]

yeah, we've all had fish died. I've lost count! All you can do is try to figure out what went wrong.

[FuzzyDragon09]

I'm on the fence. I really don't want to give up but I worry about killing any new fish. I get so emotionally attached to them. It's hard to see them die. They become my friends. And with their funny little personalities it hard not to love them.

All you can do is try to figure out what went wrong.

I gave him a full dose of Parasite Clear. I've been looking online and I think (don't know how accurate the information is) that I should have given him a half dose. So either he died from a medication overdose or the parasites got to him before the medication could work.

:? I was planning to give D`Artagnan some low light plants (I currently have plastic) that I thought he would love. I guess I can get another Betta for the empty 5 gallon but I wouldn't know what to do with the 10. What could I put in the 10 gallon tank that's interesting, not too expensive, and won't grow out of it?

[fishboyt]

Tetras.

[Kiovo]

The first fish I had got sick after two months and he was sick for 3 weeks before he died. I tried everything and I think sometimes that leads to over medication. And then we've had numerous trophs die due to bloat.

[eklikewhoa]

Aren't red tail sharks scaleless?

[FuzzyDragon09]

Aren't red tail sharks scaleless?

Yes I think so. I can't find any good information about whether they are scaleless or not on the internet. I was just looking on the internet this morning to figure out why he died and now I think I should have done a half dose. Why do they call them scaleless anyway? Surely all fish have scales??

[eklikewhoa]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.... being that they are scaleless the strenght of the dosage could have done it in.

[FuzzyDragon09]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.... being that they are scaleless the strenght of the dosage could have done it in.

:idea: Someone should create a list of scaleless/sensitive fish that need half (partial) doses of medications. I still haven't found a reputable source that says anything about giving Red-Tailed Sharks meds and the dosage. If only I had known...:aua: