Mandarin died on a full stomach

[blackcloudmedia]

So I was so exited when I bought my mandarin sunday. I have plenty of copepods in my tanks so I eagerly bought a mandarin. Well I was looking in my tank yesterday and he was lying upside down with his lips barely puckering. He was relaxed (not riggamortis) and I tried to pull him back and forth slowly to get his gills working. But it was like his entire nervous system just shut down. Im guessing he was a cyanide catch as nothing is wrong with my tank and I dont exactly have neurosystem attacking creatures in my tank. Im so mad because this is my first casualty ever, save for a flame scallop when I first got into the hobby.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if they use cyanide to catch these slow fish.

Maybe they do, or it is something else. Sorry to hear what happened.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a mandarin for about a year and a half, and one day he just dropped dead with a nice fat belly too. Full on rigor mortis when found, and fat as can be. I have no idea why he died.

In fact, he was temporarily living in my four foot long refugium while I moved the main tank, so I know he didn't starve.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if they use cyanide to catch these slow fish.

It happens, yeah. The preferred way to catch them is (and I'm not joking) to use a little harpoon on a string, spear them right through the dorsal fin.

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Yea Im pretty upset becuase one I loved his colors, two Ive never lost a fish before and I have ten, and three I have no indication of what caused it.

 

[Chubosco]

Once had a new seahorse (only one I ever owned) die just like it. It turned out he died of a massive infection. Only owned him a day. One pod eating machine.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if they use cyanide to catch these slow fish.

It happens, yeah. The preferred way to catch them is (and I'm not joking) to use a little harpoon on a string, spear them right through the dorsal fin.

Link? I'd like to see someone spear fish a manderin.

 

[Anonymous]

He may have just succumbed to the rigors of collection, shipping, and the stress of being yanked out of the ocean (via whatever method). Some fish don't make it despite our best efforts.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry! Those are one of my fav fish, I adore the coloration.