Holy @&&^&*... sucks to see Mike, sorry for your lost.
No matter how well you care for your fish. Water could be pristine, chemistry on point, Murphy's Law always comes into effect. Believe it or not I enjoy the hobby much more now not having to worry about taking care of fish.
If at anytime I wish to see something nice I'll just go over a buddy's place and appreciate their collection. Not only do we loose the monetary value when stuff like this happens, but it's not like you can just walk into a LFS and re-stock?
It sucks to see a great mfker who sells basically his whole collection and this happens to the rest. I'm sorry it had to end like this micheal I wish you the best while your not keeping them. Did you check the heater? Maybe it cracked or something? Idk man but good luck. Or maybe one died and the nitrate/ammonia spike killed the rest? Idk man but good luck while your away
I didnt read all the pages but I dont think it was bacteria or anything like that. For all of them to die so fast, Im wondering if something was on top and fell in. Was there any bubbles on the top of your water (maybe some soap got in with the W-C)?