Bad day to be a fish of mine... :(

[koaladarshana]

I lost two cardinals and one galaxy rasbora today. They looked a little bloated and pale. Please see my profile for my stocking list. My params are as follows: Nitrate <10, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, ph 7.2-7.4

I was in a bit of a rush when I noticed them dead... I work at a daycare next door to my house and I had to get back to work so I didn't have time to take pictures. Any thoughts?

P.S. I don't overfeed them so I'm not sure why they were bloated... :(

[Allesgut]

The only assumption coming is water change. When did you make last water change?

[koaladarshana]

Yesterday. I change 50% of the water every fourth day.

[Dennis Bissett]

Assuming appearance noted when they were dead, all fish i have lost have lost colour, ie pale. you are confident they're not overfed, try a search in this and diseases forums for bloated, see if any circumstances match. Look for something that changed recently in your tank - new additions, water from a different source, chemicals in the room - cleaning, painting, etc.

[Cermet]

So sorry for the losses; bloat can be caused by bacteria in the gut but since you change water so often, be surprised if tank parameters were the issue. However, how often do you vacuum? That could allow waste food to spoil and many fish will eat that ...also, is your tap ok? No ammonia/nitrites/nitrates in it?

[ddavis1979]

50% every 4 days is a lot of water changing. Does anyone here think that the water changes could be part of the problem? Are there chemicals in the tap water causing issues? Have you dechlorinated? Is the temperature of the water you are adding within 2 degrees of the tank temperature?

I find that even though routine water changes are very good for fish, that large volume water changes tend to stress my fish out. Especially if the method I am using to change the water is extreme. This could be a long shot, but its worth considering.