Filter

[tanny]

i know this might seem like a silly question but how long will fish live without a filter/pump working??
i'm asking this cos mine has just broken!! and being stupid like i am i've not got a spare one!!

 

[hollanda88]

depends on the bioload and the oxygenation

 

[rdd1952]

As mentioned, there are several factors.To keep oxygen in the water, you can dip water out and pour it back in, creating a splash. Keep a close eye out or the fish starting to stay at the surface. That is a sure sign they need oxygen. As for the ammonia, it will start to build as soon as there is no filtration. You cold possibly set up a make-shift box filter if you have some type container to hold a sponge from the filter and an airpump to run it.

 

[OldMan47]

If you can get water to flow across the filter media it will do 2 things for you. One is to keep some of your bacteria alive and the other is to help keep ammonia down in the tank. Even something as crude as a plastic box with an air stone and the filter media so that some of the water circulates past the media will help. When you get the new filter, you will want some live media to go into it to at least shorten the fish-in cycle you may face.