I was getting ready to harvest my tilapia who had all grown to a good 2 pounds each... only to come home today and find them almost all dead
i had been out of town for 3 days (left two days ago, got back tonight). When I left, everything was running as always but when I got back the pump was dead and the fish were all dead with an exception to couple still breathing. The water was completely brown and rather smelly. A friend of mine came this morning to feed the animals while I was gone and apparently the pump was running, the fish happily swimming and the water crystal clear. Within the few hours between that and me coming back something had happened to cause the fish to suddenly die. Now here comes the suspicious part, right when I get home I see the neighbors kids standing next to the tank doing something and then run off 
Ive had the pump get unplugged before and not run for a good 12 hours and the fish were still fine with just slightly murky water. I really doubt that the fish would all die and the water be completely brown only because the pump was off for a few hours. These kids sure arent little angels, I've had trouble with them throwing stones into the tank and chasing chickens around (although they have learned their lesson to stay away from the geese who don't take well to strangers). it looks like something was added to the water seeing how completely brown it is, you can't even see an inch through it. My four goldfish seem to look like they will make it but not the tilapia. the few tilapia left are flashing and not moving much. I moved them into a clean tank with plenty of dissolved oxygen but they are just lagging around. it sure is frustrating to be so close to finally cooking these fish only to end up pulling them all dead out of the water
Is there anything I could add to the water to help to tilapia? The pump isn't clogged or anything but when I pulled it out of the water it was pretty warm to the touch. When I unplugged it there was a slight spark. Any thoughs on what could have chased it to burn out? This pump sure isn't old, just a few months.
Im real stumped on what happened to the poor fish
one minute everythings fine the next their dead. it just seems like to much of a coincidence that the pump happens to fail and suddenly the water is all brown and the kids are standing there
in the past 24 hours they've gone from hardly moving back to swimming around the tank. So I still have 8 of the 20 tilapia which is a whole lot better than none at all.
Pricks, when my system is going, and I am sure they will resurface again when it is back up and running.
to bad parenting
