How frequently do you have fish die from your aquariums?

[RyanS]

I lose about 1-3 a month from random illness and getting attacked by other fish who are supposed to be compatible (Opaline Gourami killing a larger Pink Gourami? How does that happen). Is this normal?

I have 2 30 gallon tanks, one with about 10 tetra and danio and the other with 4 gourami, a small chinese algae eater, and a smaller banded leporinus, and a pleco that just disappeared.
Probably more like 2-4 fish a month, really.
Kittenslayer how is that possible? Goldfish are cold water fishes and loaches are tropicals. They wouldnt last in the same tank for a day together.

[Marine]

It isn't normal to loose that many. It may just be stress or poor water quality. I normally loose a few neon tetras when I first introduce a school, but if they last a week, they hardly ever die. I havn't had a fish die in months.

[vanessa522]

I lose about 4 a year, but that's because I raise baby guppies so there are alway the ones that were born weak.

My first sets of fish died they would last like one week!! It was very frustrating. You might be buying sick fish, I've tried petsmart, Wal-mart, Speck's pet supplies, and Meijer. Of all these stores the best have been Speck's and Wal-mart.

I'm going to put some links w/ pictures of common diseases that my fish have had (this way you can identify what your fish have and treat it):
Disease #1, ich.. it's the white spots they are parasites:
http://www.betafacts.com/images/ichsmall.jpg

Disease #2 fin and tail rot:
http://www.discount-pond-supplies.co.uk/Tail_rot.pic.jpg

Disease #3 shimmy, I couldn't find any pictures of this particular disease, but it's when a fish stays in one place but is moving it's body back and forth as if it's swimming really fast.

Disease #4 Popeye:
http://www.flippersandfins.net/Images/popeye1.JPG



Make sure to take out the carbon portion of your filter or the medicine will be uneffective. If you are a beginner it probably would have been better not to get so many at one time and just get them little by little so you could make sure they were all healthy. I hope this helps.

[kittenslayer]

Never.

I've had the same ten gallon tank with 2 goldfish and 2 kuhli loaches for about 10 years now.

EDIT: It certainly is possible, as its been done and very succesfully in my tank. May not be the reccomended thing to do but its worked out pretty well. The "room temp" our tank stays at is about 78 degrees with no heater.

[t3h guppy beeder]

depending on the tank size then usually 1 a year per tank but ive had mine going for years

[Jackp1ne]

I lose a fish ever now and then,like about 1 every 2-3 months but I have 10 tanks and alot of fish.It's not normal to lose as many as you are,so something is wrong with your water or the types of fish you are mixing.

[kika]

I am not sure about the fish attacking each other. The illness can be avoided by buying salt from the pet store and following the directions on the box.

[FishRfine]

so far not a single loss. my fish cant really fight, as hes the only one in the tank. did try to jump out once though. the trick is to do lots of partial waterchanges, and select tankmates carefully.

and you need to get rid of the chinese algae eater. they get to be a foot, stop eating algae, and become extremely agressive. the pleco was most likely your algae eaters first victim. (by the way, plecos also get to be a foot, actually more)