myswtsins
Global Moderator
Sorry to hear you are still having issues. Potassium permanganate is a gentler disinfectant than bleach that you could use for the more delicate plants if you wish. I use this for all my plant dips.
RCS die off
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Potassium permanganate. I'll look into that if the time comes. I realized something yesterday. With all that's been going on, there's one thing I haven't tried on that tank: charcoal. So, I grabbed a bag of charcoal (not sure if it was for the AC 70, CF 400 UV, C2, or AC20) and made the thing fit into the AC 20. Maybe something so simple will help the turnaround. Then again, maybe the turnaround has started, and I'm just not seeing it yet. Doubt it can actually hurt, though.
So. This morning's count as of water change: 3 adultish sized RCS, 1 male, as far as I can tell since it was mostly hiding, and 5 tiny (like almost need a magnifying glass small, so more could be hiding pretty much anywhere) juvies, and a molt that wasn't there yesterday that's probably from the male. As has been usual, eye on it, and crossing fingers.
myswtsins
Global Moderator
So, while helping, my wife dipped a net in the shrimp tank. I'm going to throw some bleach on it, just in case, probably in the water change bucket. Anyway, as a result, I ended up throwing between 6 and 12 "found" RCS that were hiding in my canister filter into the shrimp tank. Haven't had a death in two days, and the extra shrimp will help the repopulation process. Count just now was 9 adultish sized RCS, but I didn't see any of the tiny juvies that I know were there this morning, so I'm sure they're taking advantage of the hiding spots. We'll see.
Nope. No new deaths yet. Frankly, with as small a population as is in there right now, I'll be perfectly happy with 1 or 2 deaths a month. In my 55, I expect 1 or 2 a week, just due to the quantity of RCS in there.
Last night, I counted 17, 5 of them were the oh so tiny shrimplets. This morning, 9, no shrimplets. No bodies, so I'm sure they're just in hiding. I'm sure the afternoon count will have different numbers, as will the night count.
Last night, I counted 17, 5 of them were the oh so tiny shrimplets. This morning, 9, no shrimplets. No bodies, so I'm sure they're just in hiding. I'm sure the afternoon count will have different numbers, as will the night count.
Came back from watching fireworks last night, and found a dead one. I'm just not sure if it's one of the "mystery" deaths, or if it just got stuck where the hole in the prefilter sponge and intake meet, and basically stressed itself to death. These RCS are much more active than the population in that tank has been since before the crash, so I have my hopes.
That shrimp I found Wednesday night? Mystery death. Parameters are still good, been running carbon (to no avail, it seems), and have found 2 more dead since Wednesday. It's a shame, because I've also found 2 molts, so some are growing well enough, and the bladder snails absolutely love the tank. Sadly, that's not enough for me to keep the tank indefinitely, just for bladder snails. I'm afraid to move the snails to another tank, because they'll possibly infect another tank with whatever is going on in this one. So, after the approximately 18 die off (because I'm definitely not putting them in with my survivors in the 55), I'm nuking the tank to oblivion.
What's a good price for potassium permanganate? I'll get some and use it to disinfect the java fern/driftwood and rock. Everything else will either get bleached or thrown away. Bacopa is now cheap, as I've got more than I reasonably need in my 55, and the peacock moss seems to be doing quite well in my 55 as well, so I'll be able to move some of that back at a later date, too.
What's a good price for potassium permanganate? I'll get some and use it to disinfect the java fern/driftwood and rock. Everything else will either get bleached or thrown away. Bacopa is now cheap, as I've got more than I reasonably need in my 55, and the peacock moss seems to be doing quite well in my 55 as well, so I'll be able to move some of that back at a later date, too.
myswtsins
Global Moderator
Sorry to hear things didn't work out. 
I don't remember how much it costs but a little goes a LONG way. Bobs Tropical Plants sells a small portion for $4 but I found it at sears hardware in the water treatment section, where of course you get a lot more for your money. I don't know about using PP on driftwood, look into that, but I think the best way to nuke that would be to throw it into a dishwasher on the hottest rinse you can (or boil it good). I have done this to get rid of that fungus stuff and it works great.
I don't remember how much it costs but a little goes a LONG way. Bobs Tropical Plants sells a small portion for $4 but I found it at sears hardware in the water treatment section, where of course you get a lot more for your money. I don't know about using PP on driftwood, look into that, but I think the best way to nuke that would be to throw it into a dishwasher on the hottest rinse you can (or boil it good). I have done this to get rid of that fungus stuff and it works great.
