Feel so stupid

[MamaKat]

I noticed yesterday morning that Dorian was gone- this was at 5am. Couldn't find his/her body anywhere so I assumed my cats got to him. Fast forward to today. Noticed my son hit the switch to the power strip which shut off the light and filter. Turned it on which is when I noticed an odd ball shaped thing at the bottom of the tank. Turned out it was Dori. :( (S)he had gotten sucked up by the filter pre or post-mortem. This upsets me for a variety of reasons. 1) I failed to notice the reduce flow of the filter; however, I just got the tank and such so it wasn't something that went one way a long time then changed. 2)I don't know if it really is or not, but I swear the water isn't as clear. If it really isn't, what should I do? I have to return his body for a replacement.

[PucknLoki]

oh that sucks so badly =( *hugs* you poor thing. I guess if its still within the time limit you can return his body and get a new one? And clean your tank hardcore, just in case.

[MamaKat]

I had three days from the day I got him/her which was Tuesday so today or tomorrow I have to get another.

[vilmarisv]

If you purchased from Petco they won't even ask you what happened, at least you're not required to give them a reason as long as you bring the dead fish.
A curious employee might ask but they will still exchange your fish without an explanation.
If you're keeping it a few days in the water it will STINK! They really don't care but you can put it in a plastic baggie and into the fridge so it doesn't decompose further. Still you need to take a sample of the water.
Good luck with the next, you'll need to cover the intake of your filter with a hose or some mesh material.

[MamaKat]

It was Earl May. The guy I talked to was an idiot to say to least. He was hardly any help and it was hard enough holding a conversation with the guy. I wish we had a closer petco then 1 hour away. I got the fish exchanged out- new one is named Roger. I did a 20% water change with water conditioner. I was kind of pressed for time since I hadn't had time to read up on everything I should know. I also bought a new thermometer and its mounted inside the tank. Was still unable to get a heater. I'm going to have to order from the petco website. Earl May does carry the Master Kit for checking water levels. Just need some funds. They had some heaters but one was really expensive with the adjustable dial and seemed to be a bit more than I really needed.