How Long Can The Filter Be Off For?

[STEWARDSONS]

We are having the electrics upgraded on our house and have been told that my tank may be without power for a whole working day.

Will my fish be ok with no filter for this long?

 

[SchottayB]

They should be fine. I think it's ok as long as it's wet but not 100% on that sorry.

 

[ZoddyZod]

We are having the electrics upgraded on our house and have been told that my tank may be without power for a whole working day.

Will my fish be ok with no filter for this long?

not the best situation, depends how heavily it is stocked and how quickly the ammonia builds up.

Hopefully the weather will stay warm and the tank temp wont drop too far.

 

[STEWARDSONS]

We are having the electrics upgraded on our house and have been told that my tank may be without power for a whole working day.

Will my fish be ok with no filter for this long?

not the best situation, depends how heavily it is stocked and how quickly the ammonia builds up.

Hopefully the weather will stay warm and the tank temp wont drop too far.

how about if i do a waterchange when i get in from work?

 

[ZoddyZod]

how about if i do a waterchange when i get in from work?

will certainly help. In fairness is SHOULD be ok - fish get posted in small bags overnight, so I think it should be ok.

with the temp, even if the tank drops to say 20c overnight, it should still be fine. Natural habitats don't stay a nice constant 25c-30c all the time, and can experience similar drops.

 

[coldcazzie]

Starving them for a few days beforehand will help too. Less food in = less poop out!

 

[Geoff-]

yes no food for a day or two beforehand, you can also cover the tank to reduce temperature loss and keep the fish asleep, this will minimise their activity, oxygen requirements and ammonia output.

the filter should survive if it has ample capacity.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Honestly, I've come home after a weekend and had my little sisters tell me the filter stopped working almost as soon as I left. 3 days later and My fish were fine.

I'd say, just to be on the safe side, take out your filter media and sink it in the tank. That way it can still be at work changing over any ammonia produced.

 

[ZoddyZod]

I'd say, just to be on the safe side, take out your filter media and sink it in the tank. That way it can still be at work changing over any ammonia produced.

no it can't, it requires a constant flow of water containing ammonia to run over it, if it's sitting at the botom of a tank this can not occur - otherwise our substrates would be full of bacteria, which they are not.

 

[Tizer]

Ask your neighbour nicely and plug in an extension cable, thats if you got nice neighbours. If not then in all honestly im sure it will be fine. Just fire it up as soon as you can and then test the water for a few days.

I'd say, just to be on the safe side, take out your filter media and sink it in the tank. That way it can still be at work changing over any ammonia produced.

no it can't, it requires a constant flow of water containing ammonia to run over it, if it's sitting at the botom of a tank this can not occur - otherwise our substrates would be full of bacteria, which they are not.

well, it can be done, but yes, you do need a flow of water over it which you can only really do with a pump. You often see baskets of media in fish shops sitting in the base of a tank but they pump shed loads of water through their tanks.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Ask your neighbour nicely and plug in an extension cable, thats if you got nice neighbours. If not then in all honestly im sure it will be fine. Just fire it up as soon as you can and then test the water for a few days.

I'd say, just to be on the safe side, take out your filter media and sink it in the tank. That way it can still be at work changing over any ammonia produced.

no it can't, it requires a constant flow of water containing ammonia to run over it, if it's sitting at the botom of a tank this can not occur - otherwise our substrates would be full of bacteria, which they are not.

well, it can be done, but yes, you do need a flow of water over it which you can only really do with a pump. You often see baskets of media in fish shops sitting in the base of a tank but they pump shed loads of water through their tanks.

Ok, my bad, I didn't consider flow of water. Either way, one day will be fine.

 

[RadaR]

Believe it or not but nitrifying bacteria are tough buggers.
As to the impact, it all depends on the tank in question. For instance a heavily planted tank would cope a lot better

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Im sure a few of agreed you lose 12% (approx) of bacteria per 24 hours when kept wet. So really you wish wont notice a thing doubt you will even get a water stat change