Got home last night from a trip to find Tank number 2 worse than ever.
The water is not getting better, is getting cloudier. In fact, you can only see the front of the tank - you can't even see the back of it! There were 7 dead shrimpies that I could find.
The macroalgae is not surviving either. I HAD to do Something!
I installed small air stone on low just to provide some oxygen.
Shoot me dead, but I filled my sponge filter with Purigen, blocking the ends with their micro mesh.... Purigen is NOT a chemical of any kind. Here is the description:
Purigen® is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen® controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Purigen® darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with bleach. Purigen® is designed for both marine and freshwater use.
Purigen® is the highest capacity organic filtration resin on the market. No other products can compare to its ability to clear haziness and polish water to unparalleled clarity. Unlike other products on the market which are simple ion-exchange resins, Purigen® is specifically designed to be an organic scavenging resin. When ion-exchange resins are filled to capacity by metals and other contaminants, Purigen® has barely begun to reach its potential. Purigen® generally ignores simple elemental compounds, having an extreme affinity for nitrogenous organics. The primary source of nitrogenous compounds in an aquarium is waste. Fish, corals, even plants produce nitrogenous waste. Purigen® removes that waste faster and more completely than anything else on the market.
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... rigen.html
The reason for me to do this? Removing the organic matter = starving the bacteria to death. That's the plan right now.
I installed the "modified" filter last night, and the water already seems clearer today. At least I can see the back of the tank, which I couldn't last night.
I will not leave it indefinitely, as shrimp does need bacteria, and Purigen prevents algae growth - as soon as the water is clear I will remove it.
Meanwhile I ordered more Chaetamorpha and snails. For now I will put them on my healthy tank (tank #1), which is doing amazing, until this tank recovers. When it does, I will transfer them over.
I took a picture of the tank yesterday, and will be taking daily pictures until the tank clears up. I sure hope it does quickly.
If I find any more dead shrimpies, I am transferring them all to the other tank.
