no electic for 6 hours

[stuckie]

hi im new so hi everyone...
really hope someone can help...
i have just been informed by the electric board that they are shutting my eletric of for 6 hours..i am now worried my fish cannot survive this long without heat or the filter..any suggestions please...
thanks

 

[Bloo]

Where in the world are you ? If you are experiencing summer at the moment, the heater won't be an issue. Some of the bacteria in your filter might start dying, and you might find that your tank goes through a mini cycle, but 6 hours is really not the end of the world and it should be fine Just do not feed the fish for the 6 hours prior to the filter going off.

 

[stuckie]

thanks for your quick reply...im in buckinghamshire...the tank has been up nd running since october and i really dont want to lose my fishes..
so 6 hours should be fine then?? because im havin a major panic was even thinkin of hirein a generator out..i know a bit nerrotic

 

[Bloo]

how big is your tank and what types of fish do you have ?

 

[stuckie]

its a 90litre tank fluval uno 800
i have fish wise 3 black mollys....4 glass catfish.....6 plattys....2 angels......4 red tail tetras....1 bristle nose catfish.....1 male siamese fighter fish...2 swordtails
hope this is some help

 

[hello kitty]

i would sayu should be ok, its been so hot here past few days

 

[quintessential]

Don't worry. Use the time to clean the tank. At a pinch you could put some hot water in a themos ready or warm some up on the hob.
If you are really panicing wrap the tank with a duvet.

 

[morgan]

Hi, Just to let you know that you can buy battery operated aerators. I bought one but I haven't used it yet. Saw it on-line and bought it just in case. It cost about £12. I also read on this forum that when the power is off if you pour a cup of tank water through your filter every half an hour it will keep the bacteria alive. Good luck.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi stuckie

If the power will only be off for 6 hours, you will be fine. My electricity was off from Thursday afternoon until Monday during the big East Coast Blackout a few years ago, and I helped all my fish get through it with no losses.

The important thing to think about is the beneficial bacteria in your filter. Without water circulation they will not get food or oxygen. If you can circulate some water through the filter periodically it will solve this problem.

The fish will also have less oxygen too, if there is no filter or airstone running, and especially if the temperature is very warm. I would suggest doing a water change just before it will go out to give it a nice fresh supply. Then, every few hours, just dip some water out in a cup and pour it back into the tank from a foot or so above it. This will expose the water to the air and add some oxygen.

Now, you have another problem and that is that your tank is overstocked. When you finish up with the power outage, please come back and let us know how things turned out. We can help you sort out your other problem then.

Good luck!

 

[stuckie]

lol was thinking of putting hot water bottles all around it lol


another thing can a fish become anorexic... ive got one that eats but is becoming thin i had one die of this not so long ago. just wanted to make sure it would be okay...trouble is im gonna be at work when this happens so i wont be able to do any thing

ps just a quicky why cant i get my pic up under my name and the smilies

 

[Inchworm]

Hi stuckie

Unless the temperature of your house is a lot different (either hotter of colder) from that of your tank, you probably have nothing to worry about. A few degrees change won't matter, especially if it is gradual and changes back slowly too.

Your sick fish could be part of the problem with overstocking that I mentioned. It translates to just under 25 US gallons, and you have a lot of fish there. Do you have water test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

If your picture won't come up as your avatar, it could be that it's too big for our board. You might want to try a smaller one. If that still doesn't work, ask in the Announcements and Suggestions section. There are always members who know about this kind of thing looking in there and you will get a better answer than I can give you.

 

[stuckie]

thanks for your reply
as fo over stockin i dont think thats the problem as it is quite a large tank and it looks like there are no fish in there i ment 90 gals not litres sorry my mistake...
this platty gave birth to a male many months ago now hes tryin to mate with her even though i got him 2 females to play with..so i was thinkin could this be down to stress?
ps im so glad to of found this forum now i dont feel like im doin this on my own
thanks guys

 

[Inchworm]

Hi stuckie

Wow! That's a lot bigger tank.

We do have some very knowledgeable members posting in the livebearers section, so I'm sure you will find the kind of help you need there.

I'm glad you found us too, and will look forward to reading your posts in the future.

 

[stuckie]

sorry im wrong again its just under 44gals 200 litres
ill get it right soon

 

[leedham]

i dont think theres anything to do if your not going to be there but 6 hours should be fine without heat. good luck