Mystery death?

[bagsmom]

I awoke to see one of my fish not quite dead yet. She was looking weird yesterday, kind of hiding up in the plants. This morning, she is over between some rocks, on her side and the body looks like it wants to curve sideways (not quite like a letter C, but that is the kind of curve.)

I don't think she is going to make it. I had noticed some spawning behavior - lots of chasing and bubbles in the pond.

I am wondering if she just got chased and stressed past the point of recovery.

All the other fish are great. I don't have a heavy fish load. I will do a water test later on. It is chilly out right now! Mainly I am wondering if the body curving is any sort of red flag? And if it is possible for a female fish to die from being chased like that.

Thanks, gang!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I'm sorry. I'm not sure, but I've seen some pretty brutal spawning behavior, which I assume could lead to physical injury if a fish got bashed up against something just the wrong way.

 

[bagsmom]

Well, I went out to do a water test she is hanging in there. Still looking tired. Not with a curved body now. I wonder if that was from trying to get out of the shallow area she was in -- kind of like muscle spasms from struggling?

FYI - pH is 7.5. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0. Phosphate is .25 which is kind of normal for this time of year. I have some debris to get out of the pond from frozen plant parts and leaves and whatnot.

Here are some pictures. I know a picture doesn't tell diddly squat without a water test - but since the numbers are good, I think all seems well with the pond itself. I am guessing poor Pig is just stressed. We will see if she makes it.

 

[bagsmom]

Here are the photos. The first picture with the fish shows how clear it is all the way to the bottom - just over 3 feet!

 

[mrsclem]

I had a koi get chased by several males a couple of years ago. I was sure she was going to die but she did recover.

 

[Mmathis]

IDK, but I had a fish last week that was like this — looked perfectly healthy. I started to euthanize it, but just couldn’t do it so put it back in the water. Haven’t seen it since, either dead or alive. It never occurred to me that it could have been due to spawning, but the fish really did simply look exhausted.

My take on the “C” shape is that it’s due to gravity — the center part of the fish is buoyant, and the relaxed front end and bottom end will droop downward. If the fish dies in that position, rigor makes it stay in this shape.

 

[bagsmom]

She is holding steady. Swimming slowly and occasionally getting pulled close to the skimmer. But she manages to slowly swim away. I also wonder if she was chased and got stuck up in a spot that she couldn't get out of. And being half out of the water like she was took a toll.

 

[Tula]

She is holding steady. Swimming slowly and occasionally getting pulled close to the skimmer. But she manages to slowly swim away. I also wonder if she was chased and got stuck up in a spot that she couldn't get out of. And being half out of the water like she was took a toll.

Do you have a skimmer guard? You can cut a piece of PVC pipe and wedge it across the opening tightly....to prevent her being sucked in.....she might not have the strength to swim out.

 

[bagsmom]

Tula - you were right. She ended up stuck in the skimmer. The poor thing didn't make it. Oh well, I guess it is part of how nature seems to control the population in my pond!

 

[Tula]

So sorry