Seasonal disaster

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:19 pm

Looking back at my records I see I had a disaster last year right at this time. It can't be a coincidence. Last year I blamed the water conditioner (Seachem Prime). Now I know that it was at least partly to blame.

This time of year the water company changes their chemicals. In my upstairs tanks I've been using seachem Prime, downstair I've been using Amquel+. Up to now I'd noticed no difference.

After the Sunday water change I noticed that many of my snails in the upstairs tanks went to the top and stayed there. Yesterday I found a dead amano. Today I find 8 dead and all of my green shrimp gone too (Caridina cf. babaulti). The cherries don't seem to be affected nor are the crays. This wiped out a large portion of my Amanos last year too. I had no issues at all in the tanks I'd used Amquel+ in. Last year after that I switched to Amquel+, but just recently had started using it upstairs.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:29 pm

Interesting, so you are hypothesizing that Amquel+ is better than Seachem Prime when there are chemical changes in the water company? If you are right this is invaluable information. Thanks for sharing you findings and sorry about your losses

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:02 am

Not science, but an observation. I've never had issues using Amquel+ and now what appears to be water related issues from the same water source, same day at the same time of year, with the same animals as last year affected. I'm going to try & reach the water company and see what they changed.

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:07 am

badflash
The information that you provided will be good for Forum members to write down for furture reference.
I am lucky that my water company still uses Chlorine. That is why I use a filtering system instead of Chemicals.

The loss of your Caridina cf. babaulti is not just a loss to yourself, but , a loss to the Hobbby.
Since they are so hard to find and so slow growing. It will be very hard to replace.

Sorry for your losses
John

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:10 am

I'll get more green shrimp. You just need to be patient.

zapisto · Post by **zapisto** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:27 am

badflash,
will really appreciate you continu your investigation on that.

i am using RO , but i was planning to move (at least at the office) to tap (for conveniency).
i am in canada, and the wether here push the city to make change to the water conditionning.

Sorry for your loss.
founding this shrimp is so hard , we are all waiting on some peoples like mustafa or you propagate them a bit.

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:15 am

Have you called the local water authority? IME, they can be quite helpful (if you talk to the right person). They should be able to tell you exactly what changes are made.

Also, IME, water authorities play a bit fast and loose with testing. If you do get a printout, the results usually show only a "typical" result. More times than I can count, I've had to explain to a customer that just because the nitrate coming out of the tap is reading high and the water authority's people say it's low, doesn't mean it wasn't high at the the time the water was tested.

If they make a seasonal change, it's quite possible that as something new is added to the water supply, the levels of said substance might be a lot higher ar first - a "hiccup" in the works.

Are there any inexpensive "canary" species of crustacean one could use to test batches of water in areas/times where the water supply is suspect?

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:59 am

Wow, sorry for your loss

I agree with Newjohn. I hope you can find more Green shrimp.

-John

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:58 am

Sorry about your shrimp badflash.

frugalfish · Post by **frugalfish** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:54 pm

Ouch! This hobby can really test ones patience when such things happen. Nothing is really worse than thinking you are doing a routine maintenance for the health of your animals and have a terrible result like that. I suppose all we can do is learn from it and curse outload.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:32 pm

I didn't lose all my amanos, but I did lose all the males, so I now have about 10 widows needing husbands. Fortunately they are easy to find here in the Hudson Valley.

The greens will have to wait until mid-winter when the next Herp show is in Westchester.

I tried to get through to the town today, but no joy. I'll keep trying.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:44 am

Whooo Haaa! I didn't have to wait for my green shrimp. I just scored 10 babaulti, so now I'm fixed.

Maekellen · Post by **Maekellen** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:03 pm

badflash wrote:Whooo Haaa! I didn't have to wait for my green shrimp. I just scored 10 babaulti, so now I'm fixed.

-emphasis added

Wait, so do we congratulate you for getting the shrimp sooner than expected or offer condolences on the operation and our best wishes for a quick recovery?

Just kidding, sorry couldn't resist, congrats on getting your shrimp sooner than you expected.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:06 pm

Congrats badflash, you are back in green shrimp business

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:17 pm

Maekellen wrote:
badflash wrote:Whooo Haaa! I didn't have to wait for my green shrimp. I just scored 10 babaulti, so now I'm fixed.
-emphasis added

Wait, so do we congratulate you for getting the shrimp sooner than expected or offer condolences on the operation and our best wishes for a quick recovery?

Just kidding, sorry couldn't resist, congrats on getting your shrimp sooner than you expected.

I recovered from that operation a LONG time ago. Probably toomuch information...