Female discus suddenly dies while raising fry.

[fishbubbles]

I had a pair of Mosaic turquoise's that have bred and raised fry for me many times. They are in their own breeding tank and receive 100% water changes every day using an automatic system. They currently have around 40 fry on their backs that are around a month old and have been eating bbs and beef heart without fuss.
This morning I fed them as usual and both the fry and parents ate like normal, I left the house for about an hour and when I came back the female was dead on the bottom of the tank. There are no visible injuries, her eyes and coloration are bright, and her gills looked healthy as well. All tank parameters are perfect and neither the male nor the fry show any signs of distress.

Has anyone ever experienced this before or have any ideal on what might have happened? It's a bummer because this was a great breeding pair and she had good shape and color, plus was always good at raising her own fry.

[Altum Nut]

Sorry to hear Kevin...the mysterious unexpected loss or losses leaves us wondering and keeps us wondering what/where we went wrong. I would think in most cases quick deaths may be related to poisoning like household cleanser sprays that made it into the tank but in your case fry with the weaker defense system would have all diminished before the adult.
Throwing this out there and never heard of any cases but would instant organ failure have been the cause? Can our prized Discus die of a heart attack?
I too experienced similar losses in the past which always seems to be the best and largest of the bunch.

...Ralph

[fishbubbles]

Sorry to hear Kevin...the mysterious unexpected loss or losses leaves us wondering and keeps us wondering what/where we went wrong. I would think in most cases quick deaths may be related to poisoning like household cleanser sprays that made it into the tank but in your case fry with the weaker defense system would have all diminished before the adult.
Throwing this out there and never heard of any cases but would instant organ failure have been the cause? Can our prized Discus die of a heart attack?
I too experienced similar losses in the past which always seems to be the best and largest of the bunch.

...Ralph

That's what's throwing me as well. The fry should have acted as "canaries in the gold mine" if there were any disease/water issues. Very strange that it happened so quickly. I don't think it dashed into the tank because she was typically pretty calm and the room that tank is in was secluded from any distractions.

[Jimmy Discus]

I have one experience with breeding pair that the female got too stressed from the juveniles attaching and feeding on her. I could see she shake when she was in pain. One day she slammed to the glass and die ...

[Willie]

I've had one where the female died just as the spawn hatched out. Hard to imagine how the fish could be doing so poorly and still spawn, but I guess it happens.

Willie

[fishbubbles]

Definitely a bummer, I have a female giant flora that spawns with a snow white in my display tank. I may put her in with the male once I remove his fry. I have yet to lose a single fry since they hatched and everyone is still doing well. Seems like it was just an unfortunate, isolated incident.