Dead Royal Gramma

Salty! · Jul 3, 2017

Hi all,

I just wanted some input from you all. I've had my RG for 2 weeks and today I found him dead in the tank. [emoji20]

55g, 80f, pH 8.2, SG 1.025
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
5.0 ppm nitrates
10.1 dKH
400 ppm Ca
1300 ppm Mg
0.03 PO4

I have 2 false percula clowns, 2 bangai cardinals, green chromis, and a fox face

Emerald crab, 4 hermits, 3 sexy shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimps, fire shrimp, nerite, cerith, and nassarius snails

I attached pics below, he seemed fine yesterday (eating and swimming around) what do you guys think happened? Like does it look like it was a disease or fowl play? On his underside by his fins, it looks grayish.

reeferfoxx · Jul 3, 2017

Was he swimming funny prior?

Salty! · Jul 3, 2017

reeferfoxx said:
Was he swimming funny prior?

He was swimming great yesterday. Actually was quite feisty with the cardinals. He ate and was actually out and about and not hiding in his usual cave. Not sure how he was swimming today this morning though because I was not home. I found him dead when I got back home a few hours ago.

alanbetiger · Jul 3, 2017

Are all the fins intact? Hard to tell about dorsal, pectoral fins

4FordFamily · Jul 3, 2017

Any other symptoms?

Hiding more, hiding from light, swimming in to high water flow, scratching, flashing, breathing heavily, "dusty appearance", spots?

Any of these symptoms with your existing fish? The foxface would be the best teller, IMO

Humblefish · Jul 3, 2017

How big are the hermits?

Salty! · Jul 3, 2017

All the fins look intact. The ventral fins do have like a grayish look to them though.

All other fish seem great, swimming around and they ate as well. None are hiding, have white spots or look like they are breathing fast or heavily. They are not swimming against the powerhead current either. Foxface is not flashing. It's just so puzzling. Does the grayness by the fins look normal?

Salty! · Jul 3, 2017

Humblefish said:
How big are the hermits?

They are probably like 1"-1.5" (with their shell on)

Salty! · Jul 3, 2017

I did glue my rocks together yesterday with bsi gel, do you guys think that may have anything to do with the death?

melypr1985 · Jul 3, 2017

This may have been an internal thing. I see the grey blob on his belly there. If I were to venture a guess, it would be something ruptured inside him and that is the result.

Ubergroover · Jul 3, 2017

melypr1985 said:
This may have been an internal thing. I see the grey blob on his belly there. If I were to venture a guess, it would be something ruptured inside him and that is the result.

wow great pick up...I had to look twice.

aykwm · Jul 3, 2017

Sometimes fish just die in a mysterious way, maybe due to the way they are caught (cyanide) or stress in transport , etc...
Did you quarantine the fish?

For now to be on the safe side and ensure it wasnt a parasite id suggest observing other fish for possible symptoms, maybe do a FW dip to check for flukes as sometimes it might kill fish without visible symptoms.

But @melypr1985 theory makes the most sense so far.

Humblefish · Jul 3, 2017

melypr1985 said:
This may have been an internal thing. I see the grey blob on his belly there. If I were to venture a guess, it would be something ruptured inside him and that is the result.

Great catch, Meredith. I'm just seeing it now.