<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7579114#post7579114 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JonW
I'm going to try the stinky water trap tonight actually to see how many of these things I can catch. I've left a cocktail shrimp in a cup full of tank water all night and all today out in full sun. Trouble is that it isn't very stinky!! What the hell do they treat these things with?
But I'll give it a go anyway.
Just to clarify what you said in your article about the six months of fallow tank - this means no crabs, no shrimps - nothing at all right? So the algae takes over the place then? Wouldn't a lot of the other good critters also die of starvation in that time?...
Jonathan
Jonathan,
Did you put the shrimp in a cup of tank water (SW)? Putting it in freshwater seems to take a LOT longer to get stinky. That is probably one of the changes I'll have them make to the article because that isn't clear.
Well, the recommend of fallow for six months is somewhat of an old suggestion. I definitely would wait at least 60-90 days though, because some literature suggested that pregnant Cirolanids would avoid traps and you need some time for them to be on the hunt for food again.
Personally, I let my tank sit fallow for 70 days, doing 8 stinky water attempts with no captures during that time, and then I put fish into the tank. No problems.
I only pulled the crabs out (and my 1 shrimp died) because of the feeding tests, but I think it is minor compared to having the fish out. If it is easy to remove the crabs and shrimp I would do it, if it is difficult, I would try the trapping first.
My Cirolanids didn't bother snails, so I think snails will be fine and they will help control the algae. Phytoplankton should be fine to add. Also, running your lights a little longer so the corals and algae and bacteria get more food from light would be good too. Many of the good critters should be able to survive of bacteria, algae and detritus from the food web in your tank
I would avoid meaty food and DEFINITELY flake food, flake food was like crack to my Cirolanids, strongest feeding response of any food offered.
Please report back to this thread the results of your trapping. The more people that report the success or failure of the trap, the better we can figure out how effective it is and how long tanks really need to remain fallow. I would suspect we can do less than 6 months with trapping, but until we have many reports of success, I can't start to recommend that.
Boy, I really need to be shorter in my responses
Brian