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I got a vulture cat a couple months ago that had grown from 6" to 9" in that short time. The other day it had a barbel get caught in a circulation pump that it liked to sit in front of. It got damaged pretty badly. I have had many cats damage and even lose some whiskers over the years with no ill effects. This guy got lethargic and finally died after only a few days.I have read that new imports were somewhat delicate, but would that be the likely reason that this otherwise fat and healthy guy died?
Thanks
Rodger

It does not sound as the barbell injury was the cause. Surely, something else was. What are the water parameters and how are they measured and is there adequate aeration?

I was very suspect, but it is quite a coincidence. Ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrate 20, Ph 8.2. API test kit that is less than a year old. We are lucky to have low nitrates out of the tap, usually under 10. Chlorine, not chloramines from the city. straight sodium thiosulfate for dechlor. Water is fed from a moving bed sump of 100 liters of K1 with about 10 feet of air stones for moving the media so it enters the tank very oxygenated. 2 1600 GPH JBJ circulation pumps low in tank and an Eheim 2262 with a spray bar at the surface. All of the other fish have been in the aquarium for at least 6 months. He was still plump from eating good when he died this morning. It is a fairly heavily stocked 240. Weekly 50% water changes, overly filtered. This was my first experience with a vulture and I plan on trying again. Very active and a voracious eater until the injury. I inspected the corpse and there were no other issues besides the barbels, at least externally.

Sounds like a well run tank. I see no red flags. "Plump" makes me wonder if he had a digestive issue but most usually that does not kill fast and is preceded by a substantial period of poor / no appetite.

I struggle to imagine he could have been suffocated by a tank mate without external markings.

An extremely efficient parasite or virus / bacteria could have entered the bloodstream through the broken barbell but that's shooting in the dark... besides, I have yet to encounter such a case where this would be offered as a likely / plausible explanation. Even brain-eating amoeba does not kill that fast IIRC, not to mention brain worms... blood clot? Is it even know to occur in fish?

Bad food does not kill so fast either. Usually.

Rodger wrote:...This guy got lethargic and finally died after only a few days. I have read that new imports were somewhat delicate, but would that be the likely reason that this otherwise fat and healthy guy died?

Sounds highly unlikely it could have been stress since the fish was behaving and eating so well. Having suffered too much stress, fish either die quickly or waste away miserably.

Something else happened. I have kept a couple of vultures and I've read about other keepers' experiences. Vultures are usually quite hardy. I don't recall any specific or particular problem associated with their health being reported. Neither do I recall that they do not ship well.

You are an experienced fish keeper. Any other thoughts?

Does any one else see anything?