Fish swimming crazy then dead

FAHADREEF · Dec 4, 2021

Hello reefers
i got a new shipment of fish from outside my country and what gotten my curious was one of the copperband butterfly, i got it yesterday and it was in the bag for over 22 hours so a aclimation whould actually kill it since the amonina and etc it so i just floated the bag for 30 mins then added it stright away along with only 6 fish in the 70 gallon with it, it made it through the night and this morning i found him swimming crazy like side to side and trying to jump out of the tank and like back flipping and front flipping and then i closed the lights and came to check on it after 15 mins and found it dead one of the wrost things to see ever i am just very very curious on what caused it i actually fed it the on the day of arrival and it ate, i am pretty sure somone probably had the same thing and has got a answer for me please i want to know what could have caused it.

Tamberav · Dec 4, 2021

Sounds like he was in shock and in his death throws. Doubt anyone could say exact cause without an autopsy or such. I am sure there was some pH shock when moved from the bag to a tank but 22 hours isn’t that long.

Did you test the salinity if the bag water? You would want to match the tank to the bag since you can not do a slow acclimation or put the fish in new water that matches and drip from there.

ZoWhat · Dec 4, 2021

Research keywords "fish swim bladder"

I believe that was your cause of death

FAHADREEF · Dec 4, 2021

Tamberav said:
Sounds like he was in shock and in his death throws. Doubt anyone could say exact cause without an autopsy or such. I am sure there was some pH shock when moved from the bag to a tank but 22 hours isn’t that long.

Did you test the salinity if the bag water? You would want to match the tank to the bag since you can not do a slow acclimation or put the fish in new water that matches and drip from there.

the guy i am buying the fish from said the salinity is 1.021 and my tank was the same maybe 1.020 but nothing less or more he was swimming normaly when i first put him and eating fine and nothing was happening the next day he was not showing that much and hiding the i found him upside down when i put my hand to move him he went crazy and started dancing and after 15 mins he died, also they were probably more then 22 hours tbh and the bag was filled with there air and when the new air hits then its somthing about when opening a bag with fish in it for over 24 hours new air will burn there gilles and kill them and what makes me sure was my freind was helping me unpack when i first got them he opened a clownfish bag and put him in a bucket the fish was absolutely noraml as soon as he put in the bucket he wrnt crazy and after 3 minutes he died so i couldn't drip aclimate ofc