I killed my bows

[Lady Hobbs]

I am such an idiot. Last night when it was time for tank lights off, I pulled the plug to the power strip cord instead of the light cord. Both are white and guess I wasn't paying much attention.

12 hours later, I notice the filter is not running so the tank had no oxygen. My four huge bosemani were laying dead. Two males (1 still under stress) and one female survived including my turquoise and angels. Not sure why only the big boesemani were the ones to die and none of the turquoise. And what was the chance my one female out of 8 males would survive?

I have again put a bubbler in the tank so I don't make that mistake again but just another reason to have either two filters or an airline. Some sort of back-up oxygen source.

I was just looking at those bows yesterday thinking how huge they had grown. POOP!

[Northernguy]

That's a sad story!
Sorry to hear it.

[Crispy]

Sorry for your loss Hobbs. :scry: We all make stupid mistakes...

[rothenb1]

Its amazing what can happen in just a few hours without filtration or oxygen... and people think they can keep tropical fish in bowls! Sorry for your loss. :scry:

[Lady Hobbs]

When our mistakes cost lives, then it just is so disheartening especially when it's so darned stupid. I sleep 5 ft from this tank and can't figure out why I was not aware of the filter running. I didn't sleep worth beans last night, either, and had got up about 5 times.

[Sarkazmo]

Light timers are your friends, sorry for the loss.

Sark

[sailor]

So sorry to hear of you loss LH. Unfortuneately it is a hard way to learn a lesson. I am sure we all have at one time or another in this wonderfull hobby.

[rich311k]

I am sorry, that stinks.

[Lady Hobbs]

Light timers are your friends, sorry for the loss.

Sark

I don't use the timers because I am home 24/7. If I had a job or went out in the evening, I would have them but for me they are not necessary. One white cord is now gone so I won't make that error again.

And to my surprise, I did a large water change and I have 4 male bows left. Guess I had more than I thought I did. LOL Hard to count fish sometimes when many are in a tank.

[Red]

I am sooooo sorry hobbs!

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks but I am happy to see 5 made it. Not nearly as bad as when I lost my 42 neons!!!!!!

[jaysee]

I like to keep my lights seperate from the filter/heater/accessory powerstrip. That way, I can turn off the strip during water changes and still have light. Conversely, if I were to unplug the light, there would be no source of confusion.

[MCHRKiller]

Atleast you have 5 survivors, look as a chance to get a few of another type of rainbow or grow out some new ones. I know it doesnt help and for what its worth I am sorry for your loss :11:

[domjd05]

Aw bummer, don't feel to bad, My red rainbow is in QT- after a 2 and a half (one way) hour drive to get him, and paying far more than he is worth.. I noticed only after he had been acclimated that he had ick...(I swore I checked him over really well..)

None of the others were affected luckily..

perhaps putting the lights on an automatic timer may stop this from happening again.

[AmyLynn]

How horrible!

An fyi.... Since you don't want to do auto lights you can always do colored tags or labels on each cord. I labeled my cords and each of my two timers so I don't ever get confused.

[robnepper]

That really sucks Hobbsy:(

[sheamurai]

ack sory to hear about that Hobbs - so disheartening to do something like that to your tank!
Lucky that it wasn't a total disaster - whew! At least you noticed as soon as you did - if I pulled that my tank would be dead as I wouldn't notice until feeding time the next day.
My day starts at 6am and the lights are off until 8am, and I don't get home til 6pm most nights...so its timed lights on all my tanks...

[korith]

That sucks. I did that once after doing a water change, forgot to replug everything back in, but luckily I came home early that day and saw the fish gasping near the surface. Get some light timers from walmart or lowes.

[Rue]

I'm very sorry Hobbs...:scry:

[EmmanuelJB]

That really sucks!! Sorry to hear!

Last summer on a 90 degree day the power went out and my BIG male bosemani rainbows were gone within a few hours and my 1 female and 1 of the smaller males I had at the time were the only survivors of the rainbows, all of the other fish lived. Rainbows specifically the males must be go VERY quick (way faster then other fish) for some reason when there is lack of oxygen.

[jaysee]

Aw bummer, don't feel to bad, My red rainbow is in QT- after a 2 and a half (one way) hour drive to get him, and paying far more than he is worth.. I noticed only after he had been acclimated that he had ick...(I swore I checked him over really well..)

None of the others were affected luckily..

perhaps putting the lights on an automatic timer may stop this from happening again.

IME fish can show a few spots after they've been brought home that weren't there when the fish was bought. Ich is always in the water, and the stress of the move can be enough to depress the immune system to the point that the fish becomes susceptable.

I quarantine all of my new fish. Usually, by the time the spots drop off, the fish is no longer stressed and it ends there. I used to do daily water changes, which cleared it up as well. However, I've gotten lazier and lazier and now I change the water when I change the others - the results are the same.

[Lady Hobbs]

That really sucks!! Sorry to hear!

Last summer on a 90 degree day the power went out and my BIG male bosemani rainbows were gone within a few hours and my 1 female and 1 of the smaller males I had at the time were the only survivors of the rainbows, all of the other fish lived. Rainbows specifically the males must be go VERY quick (way faster then other fish) for some reason when there is lack of oxygen.

I found the same thing strange. I had a few tetra's in the tank, corys, angels and more bows that all appeared fine. Gez, a couple years ago, I lost my power for 21 hours and didn't loss any fish but the tank did not have the boesemani, either.

[Ashley]

So sorry to hear!! Question, do you have any plants in the tank? If so, wouldn't they provide oxygen for your fishes?

[190MPH]

Wow sorry to hear that Hobbs. It seems odd that they would go after 12 hours though because they are supposedly a very hardy species. I had a little rugrat shut off one of the power strips on my community tank last year and all were fine the next morning after 10-12 hrs, including 4 Boesmani and 4 4" Goyder River bows.

I know you said you don't want them, but I would really use timers for the lights. I have them for all of my tanks and it really is peace of mind knowing they'll go on/off the same time. It takes me out of the loop for possibly forgetting to do it, or having a mishap like yours, plus it's beneficial to the fish as far as consisitency goes. I'm sure it's nothing new to you, just giving my .02!:ssmile:

[Lady Hobbs]

So sorry to hear!! Question, do you have any plants in the tank? If so, wouldn't they provide oxygen for your fishes?

Tanks are stocked full of plants. No fish were even panting at the top of the tank, either. Just those 4 big bows laying on the bottom with another in stress. My lights are turned on each morning at 10 and back off at 8. I am my own timer.