MY FISH DIED

Question
I HAD 2 CREAMCICLE MOLLYS FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND I WAS CLEANING THE TANK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WHEN ALL WAS DONE, ONW WAS ACTING REALLY WEIRD.  IT WOULD SWIM REAL FAST AND THEN STICK ITS HEAD OUT OF THE WATER AND THEN FLOAT TO THE BOTTOM ON ITS SIDE.  AFTER A WHILE IT WOULD SHAKE REALLY WEIRD AND THEN IT JUST DIED.  I WAS WONDERING IF I MIGHT HAVE STRESSED IT OUT.

Answer
Hi Laura;

Poor little guy. It sounds like shock. Sometimes it just happens even when we take precautions, but there is usually an obvious reason. The main causes of shock after water changes are the new water temperature being too different from the old water, too much water changed at one time and tap water toxins. If this is a new tank and it was the first water change you made, that could be the problem too. All tanks need a 25% water change every week, not more than that at one time. If you wait too long between changes, the water chemistry has changed as the fish live in it and fish go into shock when you put in new water because they aren't used to it.

Let me know more details such as; tank size, how much water was changed, water conditioner, etc., and we can go from there so it doesn't happen again. I hope your other fish is okay...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins