Crazyfishlady Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 I'm guessing it was the HUGE piece of mopani wood that is to blame but I spent half of my entire day yesterday gutting their tank. I had been eyeing the large, beautiful piece of wood. It grew that white gel like fungus but I had read that was ok. It leached and leached even though I had boiled it for a full week first. The water stayed like tea. Tannins are a good thing I thought? So, with the coming of new shrimp (don't worry Steve, it's all better now) I decided I better get that wood out (just never really felt it was doing ok in the tank and my gut said something was wrong with it, should have listened). I planned to take the wood out, clean the tank up a bit. It was falling apart as I pulled it out and it had rotted all over the bottom of the tank. Muck everywhere! Then I found a body... then another one (no wonder I hadn't seen them much). The water had been tea dark so it had been hard to keep an eye on things. So, I went into freak out mode. Gutted the whole tank. Everything went (overkill maybe but I was mad). I did keep the tank this time, lol I saved the remaining 4 shrimp and 1 died in the temp tank I used a flashlight and magnifying glass to check the remaining survivors. One is my very first berried girl. They seemed ok. Then I ran around like a mad woman, checking all the other tanks, doing water tests. All other tanks are happy, healthy and water params are spot on. I officially hate mopani wood now, even if it is truly not to blame, it's the only thing I can think of. That and I waited too long to yank it. Sigh... now that tank is plant-less, wood-less but healthy again. Luckily I just bought a couple of plants and someone is giving me some floaters... Somedays it's hard not to toss in the towel I tell ya. But... I will rebuild! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadenlea Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Awww Crazy I am sooooooooo sooooooo soooo sorry. I am sure you are devastated and frustrated. I wish there was something I could say to make it better but I know there isnt (hugs) Crazyfishlady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Never fun to have to rebuild tanks. I've had to do that to 4 tanks so far this year. Even worse if you have dead shrimp. However as you say, you will rebuild better than ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfishlady Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Thanks Jaden - and yea, kinda made me sick to my stomach. Just had a FB person offer me a ton of plants and they are going to drive it down today! Wow!!! I keep going in and checking on the remaining 3 blues. I'm a bit worried that the stress will take them too. I put IAL in the tank and some alder cones, hope that will help them. Head up... determination in tact...another lesson learned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve R. Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Too bad, sorry reading this. Hmm, my mopani wood never grew fungus or decomposed. I had this once with driftwood, which began to rot. Are you sure it was mopani? Do you have a pic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfishlady Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 This is the best pic I have of it. It's the big piece on the left. I even found my nerite snail covered in the 'muck' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty703 Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Sooo very sorry to hear about this. I had that white gummy gel stuff coat a piece of spider wood I had once in the tank and didn't like the look of it, so removed the wood. Mopani is usually used for reptile tanks here, whereas the Malaysian driftwood is used for fish tanks. You never know what's on the wood when you buy it, Ive now taken to leaving mine in a water container and letting the snails crawl all over it first...if they die then I know its not good for my shrimps. Did you do a good sized water change just in case? If your worried about the remaining shrimps you could use a breeder box for a few weeks the female should be fine in something like that or a container with some moss and airstone till your certain about the tank. Crazyfishlady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfishlady Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I definitely like Malaysian wood better. I gutted the whole tank, even the substrate so whatever it was, isn't in there any more. Had a great person drive down to give me some plants since the tank was then sitting bare. I have another couple plants coming this week. There is a huge lace plant bulb in the center of the tank, most of the leaves broke off in transport, but at least it is no longer bare. I was going to just use the dark gray sand, but with the plants, I had to do something more. I shoved the sand aside and put floramax in there. Not pretty... but it will have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Aquatics Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I find that doing less and worrying less provides better results than doing more and worrying more. Keeping a tank nice and simple is probably the best way to go. I usually dose this and that, add this and that. But is it really needed? Not at all. Crazyfishlady and Soothing Shrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty703 Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Nope because shrimps especially neos can and do live in any type of water, dirty or otherwise and still survive! Ive had them living in a bucket of dirty tank water that I had left in the bathroom for rinsing out once I got finished with the demolition of one of my tanks...found at least 20 of them in the muck...no filter, no food.... Crazyfishlady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keiris Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Oh no I'm sorry... Crazyfishlady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibikaie Posted May 19, 2015 Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 Think I might be joining you in bemoaning ill luck ... I seriously have not seen my shrimp in over a month. (Except a couple malawas - and there are no babies.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfishlady Posted May 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 Think I might be joining you in bemoaning ill luck ... I seriously have not seen my shrimp in over a month. (Except a couple malawas - and there are no babies.) Well I hope they are all just hiding on you. These little guys can be so tough and yet so sensitive at the same time 35ppt and Pika 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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