NOOO! Why god why? DEAD DEAD DEAD!

[Clint]

Sigh.. I'm so sad. I left for three days and when I got home the power had gone out.

the filter and lights were off, and my co2 had ran out. I think that the power went off before the co2 ran out and I had an overdose. Why god why?

All that's left is the plants (thank god my beloved HC and Downoi are fine!) and 6... yes I said 6... Red cherry Shrimp...I thought they were all dead but after much searching and prodding, I found 6 of them.

Needless to say, I'm pissed. I had 10 rotten tetras to deal with and the smell was HORRIBLE! They had been dead for some time because they desintegrated when I tried to fish them out. I'm amazed the shrimp lived at all, considering how sensitive they are. I tore the whole thing down and washed the gross substrate. While I was at it, I removed the rubberbands and secured my lithophytes with fishing line instead. It looks brand new again. It looked to much better before!

[StifflerMichael]

Sorry to hear what happened, I always feel disappointed when fish die. When you put so much time and effort and thought into an aquarium, and to have something go wrong, it sucks.

What do you think killed them? Aren't you using that Hagen CO2 system and not a pressurized setup? I think only a pressurized setup has any risk of killing fish, but maybe with a small tank the Hagen could. Do you think the fish might have died from the temperature being too low? I've left my filter off by accident before in my planted tanks, everyone was fine...so I don't know if it was the filter being off that was the problem.

Anyhow, I was only trying to help so maybe you could prepare for this from happening again. I'm always worried about the power going here, but I've never had it happen.

[Nflytrap]

I have no idea how bad it was but I don't think I would have washed the substrate(probably a few large water changes would have taken care of it). Sorry to hear about the loss, but good to know the shrimp made it! One reason I haven't tried C02 on my tanks.

[endparenthesis]

You probably don't even need the CO2. It's overrated in mid- to low-tech tanks.

[Clint]

I do use a hagen, but I use a double dose of yeast to get extra co2, and with the filter off there is no surface movement and that means suffocation for the fishies

My tank is 4 wpg and I fertilize and I want crazy plant growth, so that's why I use co2. Co2 is still totally worth it, IMO.

[scottychaos]

I agree about the "dont need Co2"..
I tried it for a year or so on my planted tank.
the plants did fine.
I stopped using it, the plants are still doing fine.

totally not worth it IMO..

Scot

[Clint]

I've been keeping it up and I can definately tell a difference in my growth when I crank it up.

All is good, now.

[Carito]

this is an old post, but made me very sad to hear it.

it was very awful/gross you had to endure that...

i hope you have a flourishing tank of fish now...

[Clint]

Thanks but I don't. After the co2 tank blew I decided it wasn't worth it.


I'll stick with saltwater from now on Taking care of coral is so much easier than taking care of freshwater plants for me. Screw that stuff