My fish just died. I don't know what to do, I'm really sad.
I had just cleaned his tank. The water was a little warmer than normal, but it wasn't anywhere near hot. And I used the water purifier. He was swimming around okay and really enthusiastically, and then I fed him. I only have him 3 or 4 pellets, because that's what he normally ate and he was fine, but then after he took a bite he just started flopping near the top sideways. I thought it was the water so I took him out and put him in the thing he came in but he just died.

It wasn't the water because I had him in plain tap water before I put him back in his tank and he was just fine, and he was just fine until he took a bite of food.

I think that maybe 2 of the pellets stuck together when he took a bite and he choked on it. Is this possible?
Can fish choke on their food?
I didn't over feed him.. .

If fish can't choke, could it be swim bladder?
He started struggling really badyl at the top of the water before he died, and then he suddenly sunk and stopped moving. I just want to know what I did wrong so that if I ever do get another fish, I can make sure not to let it happen again. I'm really sad, because I loved my fish a lot. :(

I would really appreciate a response.
How quickly can swim bladder kill a fish if that was the case?

Kind of fish? Goldfish? Tropical fish? Doubt it's a saltwater tank.

Primary idea at this point is shock.
Would you happen to know the temperatue of the different waters?

It was a Betta fish.
The water temperatures didn't feel very different.
After that happened, I tried taking out some of the warmer water and adding slightly colder water to balabce the temperatures, but it was too late. :(

He didn't start flopping weird until after I fed him.

I still think shock. Too much too soon.

First, possible temperature shock. Warmer water has less dissolved oxygen. So,between 72 and 80 deg F, if my memory serves correct. Now he went from probably three different temperatures quickly. From the frying an into the fire so to speak. Not good. The temperature of the water should be nearly the same and checked with a thermometer.

When you pick fish up from the pet store and you introduce them to your tank, you should leave them in the bag floating in the water for about 20 minutes before releasing the fish into the tank.

Pureists might release fish into a holding tank first, particularly to assess for disease.

I think that may be strike 1.

I assume that you check the PH of the water and adjust. The PH could change based on season. Make sure the PH adjusting chemicals are well mixed. There may have been a PH shock too.

Ammonia levels and other waste issues again change the water chemistry a bit.

Then there is dissolved oxygen Don'tknow if you had the filter on even for 10 minutes or so or what sized pan you transferred the fish too or even what the pan or bucket was used for prior or if it was rinsed out. I always used a plastic dish pan, say 6" tall and 12" x 20" when I did a major tank clean.

Now regularly as water evaporates, you should be adjusting the PH a little at a time if it changes appreciable over time. Adding the right amount of chemicals slowly over days. You don't want sticker shock.

Now when it comes to tank maintenance, it would be best to use the de-chlorinator, adjust the PH on some water and if possible let the new water stand overnight.

However, you shouldn't be just adding water. You need to remove about 1/3 of it, probably monthly. The amount depends on the size of the tank and the number of fish and the # recommended for that size tank. This is diluting the waste products.

When I had my 10 gallon tank, I had both an under gravel and pump type external filter and I had an aerator in the tank with a lid to stop evaporation and, of course, a wide spectrum fluorescent light.

Mind you, this was a VERY LONG time ago.

So, you may have had a fish that was having a difficult time breathing (watch gills) because the temperature was hotter. The water chemistry was different than what he was in moments ago. The oxygen content may have been lower just something out of the tap. The PH was who knows where and when and you fed a hyper ventilating fish. Not good at all.

I don't think it was a good idea to feed him in the new tank right away. At the very least, I would have done the float the fish in an open bag for 20 minutes in the new tank before release.

Every once in a while, I would have to do a major clean because I never owned a vacuum. I probably did that about once per year.

There has to be better resources than my memory on the net.

That makes me sad. I had him for nearly a year. :(

Don't feel bad ohso, fish are very, very sensitive, especially bettas. It sounds like you did everything you could.

I would say it was the temperature difference unfortunately.
I remember back when my parents used to breed fish (They bred Discus) and they had a 4 foot tank... they used to have to get the thermometer out and test every single bucket of water that went back in.

Even with my goldfish I have now I can't leave the light on that's over their tank for more than about an hour or they start behaving strangely due to the light heating up the water slightly

Well, at least I know to be more careful. I think in a couple of weeks I might get another one, but it still makes me sad that he had to die. He was awesome.

Well the same thing happen to my fish in the pond it happen just after I fed the all and when I can back one of 13 died, I do have all different sizes and types of goldfish like fantails, blackmoors and comets it was one of my small fantails that died. I do mix different size pellets together to get evan feed to all and I have watch them normaly to see if the small ones would eat the bigger pellets but they didn't seem but I think its posibles that they can CHOKE ON FOOD

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Thank you.

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