[Patriot]

I have couple of fish that decided to die on me behind some plants and driftwood that I can't get to? Should I let the bacteria break them down for the plants to absorb or find away to remove them? Also what can I add to the tank as a clean up crew to eat them. I don't know if they will spoil the water even with filtration.

 

[roadmaster]

Would alway's remove dead fish which can cause water quality issues.
Move the wood and use you hand net etc.

 

[Wwh2694]

Get a SS 24" long forcep at ebay i use it alot to plant stuff.

 

[PinoyBoy]

Forceps/tweezers/thongs are the best way I can think of, aslong as it's not snagged onto something. I remember reading something on MFK how one of the user had to 'spear' the fish's corpse with a modified wire hanger because his tweezers wasn't good enough.

 

[JasonG75]

If they are small fish, I leave em. Helps with the natural breakdown of organics into my tank.
Plus having two canisters rated at 100 gal each in a 75gal tank, I am not worried with "Water Quality issues"

 

[mistergreen]

If you have snails and scavenger fish, they'd eat the dead fish.

 

[xxxSHyXAxxx]

shrimp too

 

[sick lid]

Use a piece of hose to siphon it out. Even if its too big to siphon through the hose, usually the siphon is strong enough to hold it onto the end of the hose so that you can get it to the surface. As far as leaving them in, depends on how big they are compared to the size of your tank. Couple of neons in a 55 are only going to feed your plants and other fish. I'd be pulling a couple of congo tetras out of the same size tank, for sure.

 

[monk E]

I'd reach it out... nothing is unreachable, just move things around...

Even if you over filter your tank that ammonia spike is still going to happen as the fish breaks down... a dead person will break down eventually but we don't leave them lying on the street right?

 

[mindnova]

Go to an auto parts store and ask for 24" CLAW PICKUP TOOL. Just rinse it well before using it. I even use it for placing items in the tank or feeding. Just be careful feeding some of the more aggressive animals with it.

I'm disappointed I did not even notice the earthquake. Was mowing grass.

 

[chiefroastbeef]

Shrimp is amazing for eating dead livestock. Unless the dead fish floats to the top, I do not bother taking it out. The shrimp devour it in a couple hours.

But if you have no scavenger livestock, I'd go through the trouble to take it out, better be safe then be sorry. Especially if the dead fish is diseased.

 

[fresh.salty]

Make sure it's ripe before you pick it. ukesmiley:

It guess that most of the fish I have die are never seen/found.

 

[Tsartetra]

If I don't find the dead fish within the first 24 hours of it dying, my loaches have usually got it picked clean pretty soon after that. I have 2 skunks, 2 zebras and a kobotai in my 44g. My skunks can be a little annoying, but the zebras and kobotai are fantastic.

 

[JRMott]

You never know why it died, so do you really want your other fish eating a possibly diseased fish? Bad enough they were in the tank together.

Just take it out, using one of the methods other's have suggested.

 

[garfieldnfish]

If you can't get to the fish, daily water changes will do it.