# Dead fish behind 3D background!?!?! URGENT!



## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

June 18th I finally got around to installing my 3D background. It was awesome. Over the course of the week, I noticed two fish missing. I searched for them and I mean SEARCHED.I literally used my hand as a bulldozer through all of the sand and came up with no body, debris or skeleton.

I then began thinking maybe it got stuck between my background on install..?! So I pushed on two panels, which appeared to wiggle a bit. Upon opening the backside of my glass lid, I immediately got a fish smell which I never experienced before. Just a couple of days I did a chemical test and all was ok. Tonight, my nitrates are through the roof (80ppm+) and my ammonia is nearing 0.25. I'm in the process of doing a HUGE water change.

Here's the main question...do I remove the background to see if there are dead fish back there and remove what is left of them? Or at this point (10 days) do you think if they are back there, they are decayed to the point that I will not find much of anything and should leave the background alone?

I have about 1/4 of the water drained and don't know if I should pull of the background. Any thoughts?


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

i would pull the background out and drain the water until the fish barely have room to swim


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jd lover said:


> i would pull the background out and drain the water until the fish barely have room to swim


This is what I would do as well.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Yeah... I took off the first two panels and sure enough, one dead fish behind each panel . RIP my adult lemon jake and my 3" hybrid...

Did exactly as stated above and will check parameters tomorrow. Thank you the help!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jnick said:


> Yeah... I took off the first two panels and sure enough, one dead fish behind each panel . RIP my adult lemon jake and my 3" hybrid...
> 
> Did exactly as stated above and will check parameters tomorrow. Thank you the help!


How did they get back there? Did you trap them or did they find a way to sneak through.

Also...you should do what I do...take a fish inventory when you turn on the lights in the morning and when you turn them off. That way you can make sure everybody is accounted for and healthy. I have a checklist I go through each morning and night that consists of fish inventory, temp, filters are working, lights are not burning out and leaks around my canisters.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

I have definitely learned a very LARGE lesson and am actually in the process of making a checklist.

My best guess is during install, they got trapped behind as once installed there was no way to get behind it. At the same time as installation, I added sand to the tank so the entire thing was a cloudy mess. I'm still shocked and pissed at myself for not realizing they were missing sooner, or doing a roll call as soon as the clarity started to improve.

As of now, half of the background is off, rinsed, washed with vinegar (the back side) and rinsed again. I left it out of the tank overnight to dry and will reinstall it this weekend.

The interesting part is there were three of us installing this background and not one realized it :/. If there is ever a point where someone doubts themselves in this hobby, this is definitely one of those times...


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

When installing a 3d back ground its best to do it with the tank completely empty of fish and water.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

I purposely bought this background as it allows you to install it in an established tank. Granted it did, and the loss of the fish is in no way the fault of the background. This one all falls on me :/


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Don't be too hard on yourself, jnick ... we all make mistakes. And you clearly learned from this one. It sucks that you lost some fish, though.


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## Shahlvah (Dec 28, 2011)

I am so sorry for your loss.
We all learn from our mistakes. raise up your head and keep going, don't do it again...for the sake of your fish. :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

I reinstalled the two panels last night with the utmost care. A roll call confirmed everyone is A OK. Lesson learned!


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