ferret
Aquarium Advice Addict
Its been a long time since I posted in this forum. I just really haven't had anything to say and have been too busy in real life to help others here on a regular basis. Its been over 8 months since I last lost a fish (Well, one was lost, but it was due to aggression, not disease or anything).
So, many of you might have heard of that little icestorm that hit the south? It took out our power several times Saturday night, and once on Sunday. Each time I'd check the tanks quickly just to make sure everything looked good, heaters were working, pumps were pumping, etc.
Because of heating issues in our apartment, we were sleeping out in the den/living area instead of our bedroom, because of the gas powered fireplace. My 90 gallon planted tank that has survived for so long (Though never really much of a plant tank, more of an algae ranch that requires constant cleaning because I can't find a good algae eater around here) is in my bedroom though.
To cut to the story, I always checked to make sure I could hear the pump going, etc. Its the only tank I have a cannister filter on so since I was really trying to sleep I just ducked in and listened for it, cause the lights were out. I heard it running and heard some water stirring (It was a tad low), so went to bed.
Well. I got busy and kind of ignored that tank for the next two days beyond feeding. Tuesday I get a call from the wife that something ain't right with the air in the bedroom. I get home, smells a bit odd, but I have to do some other stuff before I can look at it.
Finally get around to looking at it... And discover that the filter never fully recovered. It was running and had water in it, but wasn't creating any flow, and without the filtering the power head had eventually clogged.
I lost all 5 clown loaches, 4 green tiger barbs, my last two 'survivor' neon tetras, 1 serpai tetra, 1 glo-lite neon, and an unknown number of cories (I can never find and count them all anyways...)
Survivors include the other 6 serpai tetras, Spike the Angel Fish, an unknown number of cories (Still can't manage to count them), 2 glo-lite tetras, Stumpy the Stunted Rainbow Shark (He's over a year old but only two inches with a "humped" back, I rescued him from Petsmart. He's survived all my beginner mistakes), and surprisingly, my 2 remaining otos. Also surviving is the paradise gourami.
Needless to say, I was quite angry about this. I'm not always happy with that tank, my efforts at making a planted tank have been some what... stunted.. But nothing has died in over 8 months and the water parameters have been good and stable forever. All of that gone cause I didn't double check that stupid cannister filter.
I gave the whole thing a good cleaning, pump and piping, and got it set back up and running with no issues. A water change and a day later and the tank is crystal clear again.
It just makes me so angry though. I liked my clown loaches in particular. I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point, whether to restock or maybe move them into a smaller tank and do something else with this one. I've got plenty of plants in there still though, and all the tank really needs is a good algae controller (I've been trying forever to get a bristlenose pleco).
As soon as I manage a head count on the cories, I'll try to decide what I want to do.
So, many of you might have heard of that little icestorm that hit the south? It took out our power several times Saturday night, and once on Sunday. Each time I'd check the tanks quickly just to make sure everything looked good, heaters were working, pumps were pumping, etc.
Because of heating issues in our apartment, we were sleeping out in the den/living area instead of our bedroom, because of the gas powered fireplace. My 90 gallon planted tank that has survived for so long (Though never really much of a plant tank, more of an algae ranch that requires constant cleaning because I can't find a good algae eater around here) is in my bedroom though.
To cut to the story, I always checked to make sure I could hear the pump going, etc. Its the only tank I have a cannister filter on so since I was really trying to sleep I just ducked in and listened for it, cause the lights were out. I heard it running and heard some water stirring (It was a tad low), so went to bed.
Well. I got busy and kind of ignored that tank for the next two days beyond feeding. Tuesday I get a call from the wife that something ain't right with the air in the bedroom. I get home, smells a bit odd, but I have to do some other stuff before I can look at it.
Finally get around to looking at it... And discover that the filter never fully recovered. It was running and had water in it, but wasn't creating any flow, and without the filtering the power head had eventually clogged.
I lost all 5 clown loaches, 4 green tiger barbs, my last two 'survivor' neon tetras, 1 serpai tetra, 1 glo-lite neon, and an unknown number of cories (I can never find and count them all anyways...)
Survivors include the other 6 serpai tetras, Spike the Angel Fish, an unknown number of cories (Still can't manage to count them), 2 glo-lite tetras, Stumpy the Stunted Rainbow Shark (He's over a year old but only two inches with a "humped" back, I rescued him from Petsmart. He's survived all my beginner mistakes), and surprisingly, my 2 remaining otos. Also surviving is the paradise gourami.
Needless to say, I was quite angry about this. I'm not always happy with that tank, my efforts at making a planted tank have been some what... stunted.. But nothing has died in over 8 months and the water parameters have been good and stable forever. All of that gone cause I didn't double check that stupid cannister filter.
I gave the whole thing a good cleaning, pump and piping, and got it set back up and running with no issues. A water change and a day later and the tank is crystal clear again.
It just makes me so angry though. I liked my clown loaches in particular. I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point, whether to restock or maybe move them into a smaller tank and do something else with this one. I've got plenty of plants in there still though, and all the tank really needs is a good algae controller (I've been trying forever to get a bristlenose pleco).
As soon as I manage a head count on the cories, I'll try to decide what I want to do.
Sorry to hear it. Shame it's so cold right now. I could help you out with a bristlenose. We have them everywhere here for 5 bucks each. If you haven't found one by spring, let me know. I'll pick up one to have around just in case. Can never have to many bristlenoses.
