BJ is DEAD!!

[raisingtwo2006]

I don't even know what happened!! He was just fine, been eating, swimming and even starting to come take food from my hand...

THEN, I added the Powder Blue.. and he wouldn't even come out of his spot..

He stayed hidden all day yesterday, and wouldn't eat or anything. This morning, I woke up and he was stuck to the skimmer intake thingy. :sad: What could have possibly happened to him??

This really sucks- I loved that little fish:sad:

Dennis says we can get another one doh: ) But still...

 

[derek_s]

Sure he wasn't faking it? Maybe he felt like he had been replaced by the powder, and died of depression.

But really, sometimes it seems like fish just die for no reason.

 

[red tailed trigger]

From one that has had a very rough week (six fish dead) I feel your pain.

 

[reefknight]

I haven't kept many fish lately, so someone feel free to step in. When I used to keep fish (angels, tangs, triggers, butterflies, etc.) the Powder Blues and Browns were always somewhat aggressive to my recall. Foxfaces are always shy IMO and experience. Was the foxface the largest until the PB was added? If so it could be what threw him into the downward spiral. Although as others have stated, somwtimes it just happens. Either way it still sucks, sorry for the loss Kimberly.

 

[raisingtwo2006]

Thanks guys! Sorry you lost so much too Trigger.. I can't imagine losing that many..

Yeah, He was dead, of that I'm sure

But He wasn't really the biggest.. All of the fish are pretty close to the same size.. I didn't see anyone in the tank pick on him- Ever!! The Powder Blue never even came close to him... that I know of.

 

[tim8111]

If his fins were not nipped he more than likely was not being harassed. Foxfaces are the hardiest fishes, they have been known to survive tank crashes that killed every thing else in the tank.

If he was caught with cyanide, it is possible that the fish just dies out of the blue. That is the tricky thing with cyanide, it is like mustard gas for humans. Once the gills are burned they will never fully recover and the fish will waste away or the strain of trying to breath will cause organ failure.

Just a thought on the description of what happened. I am sorry for your loss, I feel the same way about every fish I lose in my store. (which sucks when you buy 150+ fish at a time).

Tim

 

[jtshack]

Oh Kim! I'm so sorry! You were so excited when you got him too! *hug* :sad:

 

[FutureInterest]

Sorry to hear that Kim. My condolences :sad:. I'll put a nice frag pack together for you next time we meet up!

 

[raisingtwo2006]

Thanks guys, And thanks Jin, that's so nice!!

As for BJ-
There were no nipped fins or 'bite' marks anywhere on him.. So I don't think he was being picked on.

Why would anyone use that on a fish!!??

 

[gwhiz]

tim8111;181258 wrote: If he was caught with cyanide, it is possible that the fish just dies out of the blue. Tim

RaisingTwo2006;181718 wrote: Why would anyone use that on a fish!!??

Knocks 'em out and make's them easy to harvest. But, not only does it cause a high mortality among the caught fish, but it kills anything around them--corals, inverts, etc.

 

[raisingtwo2006]

My goodness! That is terrible!! And that's legal??

 

[tim8111]

RaisingTwo2006;181722 wrote: My goodness! That is terrible!! And that's legal??

There are movements to stop the use of cyanide and it is becoming less frequently used.

There is a nonprofit called MAC (Marine Aquarium Council) that provides oversight of the chain from collecter to retailer, but it costs money to do this and therefore the MAC Certified animal costs more. To be MAC Certified there has to be less than .1% dead loss down the chain.

I have purchased MAC Certified animals and no one really wanted to pay the premium for them. I lost money on them in the past. Until the end consumer is willing to pay more for captive breed or MAC Certified(or some equivalent), there will always be cyanide in use.

I only purchase from people that don't use cyanide and if I suspect they are, I find another collector. That is the most efficent way in my opinion in the current market to curb the use of this nasty poison.

Tim

 

[reefknight]

Certain countries have allowed it, but I think the for the most part it isn't used as much as it was in the early to mid-nineties. Some of the other guys might know which countries (if any) still allow this type of harvest.

My mother-in-law is from the Philipines and has traveled back a few times since she moved away. Everytime she goes back she tells how disappointed she has become over what is left of their reef system and how the fish just aren't the same as they were fifety years ago. Upon return of her last visit, she stated that she would not go back. The country now is not the one she left. Cyanide was commonly used to harvest fish there, whether it was for the ornamental trade or daily fish monger according to her. Either way its a sad state of affairs.

 

[reefknight]

Tim, you're just too quick this morning!

 

[tim8111]

reefknight;181729 wrote: Tim, you're just too quick this morning!

Yep. It is usually the other way around.