randy Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Just for fun, let's play a game. I have had an issue in one of my tanks that hosted Pinto mischling, extreme BKK, and pintos. The first person getting the correct answer will get a gift from me, shipping included. If you are local to me, I will add 2 bloody marys if you pick up the gift yourself. I asked this question in one of our monthly shrimp hobbyist meet, and I know at least one member here attended that one so please don't spoil the fun if you already know the answer from me ;-) The prize I gave in the meet was a BKK, but unfortunately no one got it right. You can ask for more details but everyone gets ONE chance. Your final answer should start with "My answer is :". Problem: I have this 13G tank with an AC 70 HOB that has a double sponge filter as prefilter. The tank was about one year old when the problem started, the tank has ADA Amazoia, half bare bottom configuration. One day I unplugged the AC 70, cleaned the double sponge filter, and hooked everything back and the filter was working properly. But a few days later I started to have 1 or 2 shrimps die every day or every other day. (all shrimps in that tank were expensive). That lasted for about a week and then death slow down, but I would still get dead shrimp more often than other tanks. I also notice breeding has slowed down comparing to other tanks in my shrimproom. And the shrimps in that tank just didn't seem right. After maybe 2 months, on one Sunday morning, I was preparing some shrimps for shipping. And I looked at the tank and something hit me. It took me less than 10 seconds to fix the problem. And the shrimps were getting better and breeding started in about 2 weeks later. So the question is.... what the problem was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DETAquarium Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is... If you cleaned the double sponge filter off completely and you don't have any biological filtration media such as ceramic rings, bio balls, etc then your beneficial bacteria that was keeping your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates down could of depleted rapidly. This could in adversely cause a spike in either ammonia, nitrite, or nitrates causing death of shrimp. Until beneficial bacteria cultivated again. Just a guess. I probably should of asked a few more questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is... If you cleaned the double sponge filter off completely and you don't have any biological filtration media such as ceramic rings, bio balls, etc then your beneficial bacteria that was keeping your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates down could of depleted rapidly. This could in adversely cause a spike in either ammonia, nitrite, or nitrates causing death of shrimp. Until beneficial bacteria cultivated again. Just a guess. I probably should of asked a few more questions. Thanks for trying but it's not the correct answer. With an AC70 (it's huge for a 13G tank), the tank definitely has enough filter media and bacteria. The sponge filter is more for preventing babies to be sucked into the filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbes1911 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Do you have a thermometer in the tank to monitor temperature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Do you have a thermometer in the tank to monitor temperature? Yes, the whole room is temperature controlled and no heater in tanks. Temperature was good (72F-75F). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is you forgot to plug in the AC70 filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 you had something on your hands that go into your water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtletanks91 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My final answer is. Cleaning the double sponge filters at once would have been fine. The ammonia wouldn't have increased. Butttt one vital thing you didn't plug in the ac70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHe Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 before I answer the question. Can I see the photo of your tank? especially AC70? Does the Impeller rotate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is you forgot to plug in the AC70 filter. I did, and I did say the filter was working afterward. Water was flowing out of the AC 70 properly. you had something on your hands that go into your water? Nope. And if I did, I wouldn't be able to fix it in less than 10 seconds. My final answer is. Cleaning the double sponge filters at once would have been fine. The ammonia wouldn't have increased. Butttt one vital thing you didn't plug in the ac70 I did ;-) before I answer the question. Can I see the photo of your tank? especially AC70? Does the Impeller rotate? Impeller was good, AC 70 was working properly and water was flowing out of AC70 with no issue. Nothing is wrong inside the AC70. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtletanks91 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 You said you plugged it out but not in lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesHe Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is: you have bubble inside the inlet pipe of AC70. because you adjust the water flow to minimum and this would happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbes1911 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 I did, and I did say the filter was working afterward. Water was flowing out of the AC 70 properly. Nope. And if I did, I wouldn't be able to fix it in less than 10 seconds. I did ;-) Impeller was good, AC 70 was working properly and water was flowing out of AC70 with no issue. Nothing is wrong inside the AC70. Same amount of water flow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 You said you plugged it out but not in lol Okay, I did plug it back in and it was working. If I didn't plug in and water was flowing out the AC70 I would win the Nobel prize ;-) Tracy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 LOL I read it the same way, but apparently you did. So I was incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is: When you put the filters back in, you didn't put them down all the way, so the water was not going through the filter media, it was just going back into the tank without going through the media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is: When you put the filters back in, you didn't put them down all the way, so the water was not going through the filter media, it was just going back into the tank without going through the media. No, I didn't really touch the AC70 itself other than unplugging it and plugging it back in, just the pre-filter (sponge parts only). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Was the problem caused by what you did with the filter that day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Thanks for trying. Let's zero the answer count, so everyone gets one try from this post on... even if you have given an answer above. This is for fun and please don't take it as an offense if I say your answer is incorrect ;-) And... I would think you may make the same mistake like me at some point.... problem is everything seems fine. And yes, I did slap my head REALLY hard after I figured out what was wrong, it still hurts ;-) And a new hint: think about the light ;-) and ask (reasonable) questions before you give the final answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Was the problem caused by what you did with the filter that day? Hmm.... yes, it definitely has something to do with what I did that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davesays Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is... Did you mix up your electric plugs and had your filter on timer? manticore and randy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 oh this is a good one.... hmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 This is getting interesting, eh? Last month we had the Greater Toronto Area shrimpers meet in my place, and you can imaging whole bunch of people gathering around that tank trying to figure out what the answer was. And believe me, everyone thought the answer makes perfect sense after it was revealed ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted September 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 My answer is... Did you mix up your electric plugs and had your filter on timer? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT..... WE HAVE A WINNER !!! Were you in the shrimp meet that day? If I had known you I'd have a few more extreme BKK and pinto mischling in that tank. Please PM me your address ;-) manticore 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 You said think about the light....but you didn't mention anything about a light before. Were your shrimp behaving differently in the morning before the lights came on vs the evening when the lights had been on? Did what you did with the filter that day change your surface water agitation? Did you do anything else with the tank from the day they started dying till you figured out the problem (water changes or messing with the filter again)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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