auntiejude
New member
My wildtype female, Pepper, died today :angel: and I'm not quite sure why.
She had been refusing to eat for a few days about 2 weeks ago, and we put it down to a missed water change leading to nitrates of about 80. We did a big water change, but Pepper's gills appeared to be shrinking and she was losing her slime coat - it was almost like a snake shedding. We concluded (after some research) it was due to the high nitrates, and she would get better with improved water quality.
She was still looking rough after another 2 days so we isolated her, she was still refusing to eat, we tried tea baths but no improvements. We tried methylene blue as well.
Long story short, we got her to eat twice in 2 weeks - some blood worms and a waxworm, we even tried scallop slivers but she wouldn't take it. She continued to shed - it was definitley slime coat as I examined it under a magnifying glass. She was getting thin, but not alarmingly so, and we had just taken the decision today to fridge her after offering food later.
But she died
. RIP Pepper.
And I really don't know why. Her tank mates are fine - plump, happy, always hungry.
The only thing I can think of that might have contributed was the fact that she bred 3 times over the winter and it may have run her down. She was the smallest of my 3 girls, but 8" and over 12 months old.
If you have any insights into what may have caused her death please let me know.
She had been refusing to eat for a few days about 2 weeks ago, and we put it down to a missed water change leading to nitrates of about 80. We did a big water change, but Pepper's gills appeared to be shrinking and she was losing her slime coat - it was almost like a snake shedding. We concluded (after some research) it was due to the high nitrates, and she would get better with improved water quality.
She was still looking rough after another 2 days so we isolated her, she was still refusing to eat, we tried tea baths but no improvements. We tried methylene blue as well.
Long story short, we got her to eat twice in 2 weeks - some blood worms and a waxworm, we even tried scallop slivers but she wouldn't take it. She continued to shed - it was definitley slime coat as I examined it under a magnifying glass. She was getting thin, but not alarmingly so, and we had just taken the decision today to fridge her after offering food later.
But she died
. RIP Pepper.And I really don't know why. Her tank mates are fine - plump, happy, always hungry.
The only thing I can think of that might have contributed was the fact that she bred 3 times over the winter and it may have run her down. She was the smallest of my 3 girls, but 8" and over 12 months old.
If you have any insights into what may have caused her death please let me know.
