Life in a dead tank (was RE:medications)

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Life in a dead tank (was RE:medications)
From: Cathy Byland <cccathy at showme_missouri.edu>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 09:01:18 -0600 (CST)
In-Reply-To: <199603280839.DAA08915 at looney_actwin.com>


Have I got a story for you!!  I'm the one who had my tank crash after I
treated it with furacyn...all my plants died (including a magnificent java
fern and a forest of Giant vals) except one tiny sword plant (which is
doing great now that it's getting enough light).  The tank has been empty
for about a month (?) now.  

This morning, when I was in the bathroom, my fiancee suddenly called out
"Oh My God!" 

Alarmed, I ran out of the bathroom, only to find him staring into the 
tank.  "What?"

"You've got baby fish!" He said incredulously. Sure enough, there were
four baby rainbow fish in the tank.  They survived their parents, the
power filters, a massive ammonia spike, large water changes and no added
food for the last month. It's been a mostly empty tank, with some pretty
rocks, one small echinodorus, and one mostly (and now all) dead java fern. 
The heater has been on, and I've kept the lights on a timer for the last
year and a half, so the light cycle has been the same. We think they
survived on dead plant matter (there's not even any algae in the tank). I 
have no idea if only eggs were left behind, or if the fish were already 
hatched.  Wow.  unbelieveable.

I found an old nylon (actually, it was a new one, but it was worth the 
sacrifice!) and we covered the intake strainers on the two power filters, 
I happened to have some baby fish food for liverbearers (yes, I know 
rainbows aren't livebearers, but it's all I had) and added it.  We're 
going to start some infusoria, though from their size, we think it may be 
unnecessary, and some baby brine shrimp.

I have no idea what species they are:  There was a breeding pair of 
bosemanis, along with four Turqs and four Splendidas. If I can keep them 
alive, I'll let you know what kind they are, when they get large enough 
to identify.

Cathy Byland