Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => The Emergency Room => Topic started by: suep on March 19, 2014, 04:36:54 PM
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We have just been informed that they are replacing the electricity cables next Wednesday. It is planned to be off for 7 hours. Will this be a problem with the filter?
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Will you be at home while this happens?
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And is your filter extremal or internal? I had the same problem a few months ago and it didn't cause too much of a problem, I just popped my filter media inside the tank whilst the power was off
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I also had this happen a couple of years ago and came through with no problems
Internals aren't usually too much problem as the oxygen in the water can easily diffuse into the media from the water.
Externals are different as it takes a long time for oxygen to diffuse down the tubes. With these, open the filter and put the media in the tank.
To keep a tank warm (if the weather takes a cold turn) get the room warm before the electricity goes off. If necessary, wrap the tank in blankets, old quilts or whatever you have to hand.
Don't feed the fish the day before to reduce the load on the filter bacteria.
Keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrite for a few days to be safe.
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Thanks for the advice. I'll be at work all day but I will follow these tips and check the levels for a few days. :))
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I forgot to mention to feed the fish less food than usual for a couple of days after as well. That way if you do lose some bacteria there will be less stress on the ones left till they've multiplied. If you do get a mini spike in ammonia and/or nitrite, it should be over quickly.
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Unfortunately I'm going to be having the same problem (again!) next week. I saw the letter and was dreading it saying the power was going to be out whilst I'm on holiday. Luckily it's the day after I return, so my poor fishies will be neglected over the weekend and then the tank will have no power for 8 hours! Luckily I will be home to keep an eye on the tank and sort it all out again. I'm a little annoyed that this is the second planned outage since I've lived here though!
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Look on the plus side - at least your fish won't be making very much ammonia if they aren't fed for a few days ;)
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Buy a bucket and put a 7 or 8 holes in the bottom, small ones, maybe 1-2mm. Set it up above the tank. Then, when the power goes out, put aquarium water into the bucket until it is full. So long as you keep it pretty well topped up, it should oxygenate the water reasonably enough for your fish to survive in a more sedentary mode, as long as the water is pretty clean and the drips are falling far enough to cause at least a 3cm (1.2") disturbance in the top of the water. It would take a 4 gallon bucket a couple of hours to drain, a 20 gallon bucket with some aquarium water and fresh, conditioned water would go all day. Just make sure to keep runoff in check.
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Look on the plus side - at least your fish won't be making very much ammonia if they aren't fed for a few days ;)
Very true Sue!!
My fish went mad this morning when I put the filter media into the tank, they are asleep when I got in last night so it was there first chance to beg for food done I left them! Having to ignore them though, poor things!
I've just discovered that not only do I have no power but I also have no running water at all!! Very unimpressed. I was expecting to not have hot water but not sure why I have none at all.
Fingers crossed the tank settles again after this