A horrible holiday disaster

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:54 pm

I had explained in the Shrimp Forum about a disaster that wiped out all of my green shrimp and most of my RCS and Amanos. I had assumed that the problems was that Prime could not handle the new chemicals my town was using and Amquel+ could.

Tonight I was doing a water change on my downstairs tanks where I keep all the crays, as well as a load of cherries & my new greens. There was another difference in how I normally do water changes upstair vs. down. Upstairs I put 2.5 ml of Amquel+ in a 5 gallon bucket, then fill it and add this to the tank I have previously drained. Downstairs I put the water in a 30 gallon rubber garbage can with a sump pump in it that recirculates the water until I can fill buckets. Doesn't seem like a big difference right?.... Wrong!

I changed all but 2 10 gallon tanks downstairs tonight using my upstairs method to save some time. While the 300 gallon "pond" was draining I lugged buckets downstairs. Immediately after the water changes all of my shrimp and crays were in distress. Many were killed outright. I scooped as many as I could and put them in the 2 tanks I did not change. I can't describe the agony the crays and shrimp are in- the ones that are still alive. Close to 50 juvies crays are dead, hundreds of RCS dead. The ones that are alive are ripping each other apart. It is like I poured chlorox in the tank. I'm devastated.

This was not an isolated thing on a sigle tank. This isn't a thoughless accident. I was using 5 gallon buckets, and I changed a 40 gallon tank, and 6 10 gallon tanks, all with similar results before I noticed. This was my normal 50% weekly water change.

We are traveling on holiday tomorrow and so I'm up against some time pressure. I have more tanks that must have water changes before I leave, so I decided to risk my "mutt" tank with the wild/cherry hybrids. I added the water to the 30 gallon can, added the Amquel+ & let it recirc for 10 minutes like I normally do. I did the water change. The shrimp could care less. No stress at all.

My conclusion is that what ever they are putting in my water takes time to react with the water condtioner. I'm still playing phone tag with these guys to find out what they are using. Anyone that is putting conditioner in the tank, then adding water, watch out! From here on out it is add the conditioner to the water & let it circulate for at least 10 minutes. This was my most expensive lesson yet.

If someone has another theory, I'm game, but I'm thinking it is something new in the water. Cheap for them, costly to me.

milalic · Post by **milalic** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:00 pm

I think is time for you to get an RO unit if you do now have one. Maybe one with DI so you can have more control with your water and what it has.

It is sad when things like this happen. Hope some of them make it alive and you are able to build your stock back.

-pedro

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:10 pm

I have a 30 GPD R/O unit, but never needed to use it except for my acid loving animals. I think letting the chemical react is the less troublesome way.

YuccaPatrol · Post by **YuccaPatrol** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:14 pm

Oh badflash! I am so sorry to hear about this. I hope you are able to salvage as many tanks as possible.

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:16 pm

Man that is horrible!!!

TKD

PS Take them to court for the financial/emotional costs...

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:58 pm

TKD wrote:Man that is horrible!!!

TKD

PS Take them to court for the financial/emotional costs...

I might have to join one of those wacco environmental groups. Maybe the ICF (Invert Captivity Front). Lawyers are a lot worse. They take your money, then eat your crawfish. I'll find out what chemical they are using & adjust. The town says they won't kill people, they don't say anyting about inverts. I'm sure they were just trying to save the tax payer some money. They never thought about the law of unintended consequences.

Recirced for 10 minutes and no issues with the upstairs tanks.

This sucks. One of my females had a load live babies all over her tail. I'm not holding out much hope.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:09 pm

It does suck

Sorry to hear about this disaster.

Are you going to do your instant cycling technique to get the effected tanks up and going again, or are they alright after the water reacted to the water conditioner?

michiganmale248 · Post by **michiganmale248** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:21 pm

Sorry to hear about that man.

FISH WORLD ERIE · Post by **FISH WORLD ERIE** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:30 pm

Sorry to hear about your loss. Alot of municipalities are using ammonia in the water system. They will not always tell you this when you call. They are very tight lipped. They may tell you off the record if you ask. Some use it in the form of chloramine and others flush their systems with ammonia once a month. Hope you have luck getting some answers. I have heard of quite a few people losing alot of fish in the same exact way you described. If they are flushing their systems with ammonia you only need to find out when they do it and not do water changes during that time. I hope they give you some anwers. Also try testing your water with an ammonia test. Good Luck

Jason

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:56 am

Just curious - how long do you let your tap run before you start filling buckets?

FISH WORLD ERIE · Post by **FISH WORLD ERIE** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:55 am

Lampeye are you thinking copper? I would not think it would be that. He had no prior problems with water changes untill recently.

ToddnBecka · Post by **ToddnBecka** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:27 pm

OUCH

Good luck tracking down the problem, I certainly hope it doesn't happen again. A single tank is bad enough...

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:26 pm

It looks like I have enough survivors to get going again. I need to inventory and see how many females I have left. Recircing the water for 10 minutes seems to do the trick. Amonia could be one of the issues, I'll be looking into that.

It wasn't failure to flush the lines. I always do that. The problem also continued through about 40 gallons of water, but that was a good idea. For sure it is some chemical that does not instantly react and needs time.

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:31 pm

Yikes! I'm sorry to hear that

You've definitely had a rough couple of months. I know how it feels, to have that many things go wrong. Not any fun at all...

-John

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:54 am

Please let us know how it goes. I hope you will get back to what you had

.