# My Severum Just Died!!



## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

When I went to bed last night she was fine! Active, healthy appetite! Turned the lights on this morning and she's sitting on the floor of the aquarium, has turned splotchy white. Big change since she is normally VERY dark! Barely any gill movement at all, then she's thrash a bit and then be still. Now...she's just dead!! Waht just happened!?! All my other fish are fine. Tested the water it's perfect, 0 ppm on Nitrites, Notrates and Ammonia. The pH is 8.0. This is the first time anything has happened like this....please tell me what just happened to my favorite fish!!!


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I'm questioning your test kits. You shouldn't have a zero nitrate reading unless it's a brand new tank or heavily planted.

What is your usual tank maintenance routine?

How long has the tank been set up?

What size tank is this? What are the tank mates? Are they mature fish?

Have you added new fish recently?

Lost any fish recently?

With sudden deaths like that, aggression and water quality are the first things you want to look at. Let's get the answers to the above questions and take it from there.

Kim


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

no the test kit is fine..i just misread it...  it's 5ppm....still really low.

i do a water change every few weeks...religiously.

the tank has been set up for over two years....she was one of the first fish to be added. there is one other severum, a frontosa, two zebra obliqidens(sp?), one jacobreifergi male (sp?), a sunshine peacock male, a few females...that i want to get rid of, two others I can't rember the names of and two plecos. all ahve been in there since the start of the tank...relatively.

have not added or lost any fish recently....

there is no real aggression in the tank....she was the biggest of them anyways.

talked to the lady that helps run my LFS and she said it could have been an internal parasite that the fish had had since I got her, and just now killed her. i dunno...i just know it sucks!

all the other fish are acting, eating like normal...but then so was she just last night.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I'm still concerned about your test kits, even more so after you said you do water changes "every few weeks" and still have such a minor nitrate reading. Are you using the strip kind, or liquid reagent? How old are they?

That's a pretty volatile stock list. Not only do these fish have different water and dietary needs, but you do not always witness stress/aggression. That's not to say that they don't have bloat...High stress tanks are very prone to bloat. Size doesn't really matter when it comes to stress levels.

Bloat will not take a fish down overnight. You would have witnessed signs of problems before the death...

I'm still thinking aggression is involved. Things can change overnight, especially with a stock list like this.

What size tank is this?

Kim


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

the test kit is not old.... it's the liquid kind..not the strips.

my fish work fine together. never seen anything other than chasing away from territory.

it's a 55 gallon


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## kewlkatdady (May 15, 2007)

i'd have to agree with cichlidaholic...
My nitrAtes never get below 40 in my OVERSTOCKED 125...

If you are getting reading of 5 ppm, then I'd take you water to get tested at a LFS.

As far as what happens with the fish...

Is the temp ok?

Has the ph always been at 8? I know more about africans, and I think the severum is CA or SA... that ph may be a little high for it... unless the ph has always been that high.

were there any signs of the fish being beat up?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Just judging by the stock list and tank maintenance, it's hard to get past those two possibilities.

Overnight deaths don't usually occur without warning, unless aggression is involved.

As fish mature, things change, and you can't watch the tank 24 hours a day.

Should you see any more signs of problems or symptoms of illness, post back...But I still believe it may be related to your stock, and I would also get a second opinion on my water parameters.

Kim


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