An Idiot Killed My Fish!

[Kittiee Katt]

Hi all, this is mainly a thread for me to rant about the idiot that killed one of my loaches and my betta. And the pathetic, drunken excuse he gave for why he done it. But there is a question if anyone can help with that it would be great.

TL;DR? Basically I went out for a night because my house mate had a party for his brothers 25th birthday, a couple of the guests thought my betta "wanted a drink" so one of them tipped a large can of premixed alcohol into the tank on my betta, who is now dead along with one of my loaches.

Well, as stated my housemate was having a party for his brothers birthday (his brother has a two y/o and a pregnant wife, didn't want to party at home) which was fine, I don't get along with a few of the guests plus I'm not much of a drinker so I told my housemate to lock my cats in the master bedroom with the pen open (away from the party) for the night and went out.

At some point during the night some of the guests decided my betta "wanted a drink" and one of them apparently started pouring premixed bourbon on to my betta. My housemate seen him pouring the last of the can in the tank and asked what the hell he was doing to which the guy responded "the fish wanted for a drink, sharing is caring" (idiot, absolute ******* idiot) so my housemate asked him to leave. What my housemate didn't think to do was a water change (fair enough, he's never kept fish) and by the time I got home this morning all the fish in that tank were acting a little funny (except the cae for some reason) my betta was barely breathing on the bottom of the tank and my chocolate kuhli loach was stuck to the filter intake, dead.

I've spoken to few of the people that were here when it happened now and have a pretty good idea of what went down, and let me say that I'm not a happy chappy!

When I got home and seen Miles and the loach I woke my housemate to ask what happened, when he told me I hit the roof. I instantly done a 75% wc and put Miles (betta) in a breeder net to keep him closer to the surface and make it easier for him to get air. 20 minutes later I done another 75% change with the plan to do another 75% an hour after that (I don't know how much % would be needed to completely remove bourbon and cola but I done 300%+ in total over a few hours and everyone is fine now) however about half hour after the second 75% change Miles was gone.

I have a few questions I keep asking myself about the scenario, who the hell tips a can of alcohol worth about $10 into a fish tank?! And who just gives someone else's pet alcohol?!

For now the guys involved are not welcome back, once I've calmed down about the situation maybe they can come back, but as it sits I want to kill them all. I don't have children so my pets (fish and cats) are my babies, the way my mind sees the situation atm is this guy basically just went into my child's room and gave my baby a can of bourbon which ultimately killed him. I know its different but my brain doesn't see it that way right now.

Also, a question, how likely is it that the bourbon affected my cycle? I've tested the water (once at about 11:30am an hour after the final water change as is standard procedure in my house, and once at about 9pm, its 12:10am now) and everything was fine. It It was an oversized can of Woodstock (500ish ml) in a 250ltr tank if that helps. Tank is currently stocked with 3 synodontis nigriventris (sp?), one stunted 3ish" cae and two kuhli loaches. I'm just wondering what to expect.

Thanks in advance and sorry about the long, ranting post..

 

[kno4te]

Sorry to hear this happened. Probably got diluted out with the water so the “cycle” is safe. If it was going to do anything then would have by now to the other fish. Since this occurred the day before. Water changes helped.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Sorry to hear this happened. Probably got diluted out with the water so the “cycle” is safe. If it was going to do anything then would have by now to the other fish. Since this occurred the day before. Water changes helped.

The main reason I'm a little worried is where the alcohol entered the tank. From what I can gather most of it went in about 1' away from the canister intake and the canister is "supposed" to move almost 10x the tanks volume so I wasn't sure how much of it would of gotten in the canister. I probably should of added that to the original post, sorry I'm a little frizzled right now.

 

[skjl47]

a party for his brothers birthday (his brother has a two y/o and a pregnant wife, didn't want to party at home) which was fine,

hello; Recall the rule #1: No good deed goes unpunished.

housemate was having a party

Hello; Is this the same housemate you stayed with at Christmas so he would not be alone?
Refer to rule #1 time delay. I get that he is also not the cause, only that the rule got two of you in one party.

I don't get along with a few of the guests.

Hello; I as going to assume they do not like you much either. This makes me think the act was not a drunken mistake, but a way to get at you. (Rule #2 do not lead with your chin.)
Don't give people you do not like access to your place. I bet you have good reason for not liking them.

I'm not much of a drinker

Hello; I am not a drinker either. One beer is my limit at any one day. A case of beer lasts me a year or so. My rules #'s 3 &4 have been to not supply other folks with booze or smokes. I think a rule #5 may be never give drunks a place to party.

hello; I have had my fish wiped out by students in the past. I was in a bind having taken a teaching job 460 miles away in North Carolina. I did not have big setups so was able to take two tanks and set them up in the science lab where I taught. Some students put stuff in the tanks and killed off all my fish including a kuhli I had had for over 8 years. A nice big female.
At least you know who did the deed as I did not and, with luck, can seek a terrible vengeance on them at some point.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[BIG-G]

If this had happened to me I would also be adding to this story about how I got arrested for assault!
sorry for your lost fish.
But now you know not to trust your roommate to handle parties at your place.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Really sorry to hear this, some people just don't know how to act especially when they have had a couple drinks. I am glad that your other fish are not dead, and I would say your cycle is probably safe unless your water clouds up and your other fish start acting funny.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Sorry to hear that. This is one of the reasons I have trust issues- I never know who I can trust with what. Not even my friends. I mean in your case you weren't friendly with the people at all, but sometimes even 'friends' can be untrustworthy. On my birthday awhile back I was showing my friends my gecko. (who himself is pretty good with handling, but I'm still gentle with him of course.) I was letting a friend of mine (who now I'm kind of on the edge of whether I should be friendly at all with) handle the gecko. I said 'gently scoop under his belly to pick him up or let him walk from me to you.'
to which the guy grabs the gecko, of course freaking the gecko out, making him try to run, then the guy grabs him by the tail (luckily it didn't drop) so of course I took my gecko back and scolded the guy.
To be in more relation to your story- one new years eve a few years back, I had my betta tank in the kitchen on the counter. All the people there on that day I knew and were either family or family friends- trustworthy. Of course it's new years so the people who could were drinking. My uncle got drunk, and was sitting next to the betta tank. (slightly younger me hadn't really seen anyone that drunk before so I couldn't tell if he was drunk or not) I asked him if he'd seen the fish yet. (I wanted to show off my new little red and white halfmoon, but he liked to hide a lot.) My uncle replies with something along the lines of 'no not yet. what do you think would happen if I poured my beer in? would the fish get drunk?'
course he still had enough sense not to, and my little betta lived awhile after that, unfortunately though he died christmas eve this year... (a bad thing to wake up to that day.)

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

Sorry to here this happened. Though alcohol kills bacteria, the concentration in your tank would be no where near high enough to mess up your cycle, so no worries about that.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

hello; Recall the rule #1: No good deed goes unpunished.


Hello; Is this the same housemate you stayed with at Christmas so he would not be alone?
Refer to rule #1 time delay. I get that he is also not the cause, only that the rule got two of you in one party.

Yeah same housemate, he's a good guy and feels terrible about what happened even though it wasn't his fault. I'm not mad with him, but damn am I pissed with the guys involved.

Hello; I as going to assume they do not like you much either. This makes me think the act was not a drunken mistake, but a way to get at you. (Rule #2 do not lead with your chin.)
Don't give people you do not like access to your place. I bet you have good reason for not liking them.

Surprisingly the guy that done it wasn't one of the people I don't get along with, I didn't really have an opinion of him to be honest... I do now though and its not a good one.

I had hoped that people would have enough respect for my mate and his brother not to be d*ck wads, bad mistake on my part I guess.

hello; I have had my fish wiped out by students in the past. I was in a bind having taken a teaching job 460 miles away in North Carolina. I did not have big setups so was able to take two tanks and set them up in the science lab where I taught. Some students put stuff in the tanks and killed off all my fish including a kuhli I had had for over 8 years. A nice big female.
At least you know who did the deed as I did not and, with luck, can seek a terrible vengeance on them at some point.

Sorry for your loss.

Wow that sucks. I would of given the entire class detention until someone confessed had I been in your shoes..

Although I doubt I'll be getting a vengeance on them. Unless they leave me unsupervised with a bottle of red cordial and their five year old...

If this had happened to me I would also be adding to this story about how I got arrested for assault!
sorry for your lost fish.
But now you know not to trust your roommate to handle parties at your place.

Yup. No more parties at my house unless they're tea parties...

I feel like it could of been worse though, the guy could of carried on and gotten violent when asked to leave but he didn't so I guess that's a bonus.

Really sorry to hear this, some people just don't know how to act especially when they have had a couple drinks. I am glad that your other fish are not dead, and I would say your cycle is probably safe unless your water clouds up and your other fish start acting funny.

Everyone's fine for now. I'm devastated though. I don't know why people have to be idiots when they drink. Why everyone can't just dance, sing and have fun is beyond me..

my little betta lived awhile after that, unfortunately though he died christmas eve this year... (a bad thing to wake up to that day.)

Sorry for your loss. That sounds like a horrible Christmas.

Sorry to here this happened. Though alcohol kills bacteria, the concentration in your tank would be no where near high enough to mess up your cycle, so no worries about that.

Sweet. I tested the water at 10:45 this morning and again at 9:00ish pm and nothing's out of the ordinary. Everyone's acting normally so fingers crossed it stays that way..

 

[johnny potatoes]

Instant ***hole,
Just add alcohol.