Storms

[cass]

I just want to know what happens to fish tanks during a storm, if the power goes out.

Normally, where I live, it takes at least an hour before power comes on. And if the storm is bad enough, power can b out for days.

Is there anything I can do to ensure my fish are safe?..especially with no heater.

Also, I have a question about filters. My brother has a canister filter. Would water still syphon out of the tank even with no power? Will water pour out onto the floor if the water keeps filling the filter up?

TIA
Cass

 

[FishLover14]

You need to buy a small generator or a battery operated airstone to keep your fish alive after about 24 hours some of yor fish will die really hardy ones can survive up to 48. Buy a small generator that will run your filter and lights while the power is out.
Or buy an battery operated airstone to put oxygen into the water for th fish!

Dan

 

[amosf]

WE have a similar problem with power here. It's not very reliable at the best of times. An hour or so is not usually a problem. Longer than that you need to circulate the water at least occassionally. A generator is the way to go and what we have - we have a large one to run a lot more than the fish tanks. It doesn't have to run continuous and you can monitor the fish to see how they are going. You may get away with a couple of hours on and a couple of hours off, etc, depending on fish load and so forth.

A battery airstone may circulate the water enough or I suppose you could just stir the tank arround a bit now and then. But the generator is a good solution - or an inverter with would allow you to run the filter from a car battery. These are also getting cheaper and more available. It wouldn't need to be very big. We've been looking at this area also...

 

[FishLover14]

Generators are the way too go!

Dan

 

[jacktheknife]

my boss kept a 10 gallon aquarium until last winter when a storm cut power to his house for over a week and the tank froze solid

 

[amosf]

I thought it only got below zero inside houses in siberia

 

[20GalNewbie]

I'm beginning to wonder myself what I am gonna do next hurrican season. After just being hit by 2 in a row, I had no power for a total of 16 days. I have a generator, but when the storm hits, you can't turn you generator on until the storm leaves. (Unless you want to trek out in 125mph winds)

 

[jacktheknife]

I thought it only got below zero inside houses in siberia

siberia and iowa...

 

[FishLover14]

Keep the generator inside and just watch it closely.

Dan

P.S. i pity you being in palm beach florida!!!

 

[Blazeherd2306]

During this years hurricane season (I live in Florida) I bought three battery operated air pumps one for each aquarium. When Hurricane Frances had hit us our power stayed out for 36 hours, but none of my fish showed any sign of dying from the lack of oxygen. My friend has a 10 gallon aquarium (his power stayed out longer than 36 hours ) and he didn't have any oxygenation for them, but in the end his fish came out perfectly healthy 8O .

 

[cass]

About 6 hours after I posted here, I had a storm and lost power. We only lost power for 9 hours and all my fish survived. In my brothers tank however, 1 peppered cory and 8 neon tetras died.

I didnt have a chance to get a generator or anything, so I just left the lid off so that they could get as much air as possible.

I was told that after about 4 hours all the good bacteria in your tank dies. Is this true? and if it is, does that mean that I am likely to get an ammonia spike and have to kind of re-cycle my tank?

TIA

 

[FishLover14]

Oh yeah i forgot to meniton that. That is another reason you need a generator. If your good bacteria dies your ammonioo and nitrite will spike and add to the stress of your fish killing them off, you need to test your water parameters and we will go from their.

Dan

P.S. Deepest condolences on your brothers fish.

 

[cass]

Our power came back on at 11:30pm..so i waited till this morning to test my water. The parameters are:
ph: 7.4
Amm:0
Nitrite: 0.1
Nitrate: 5ppm

Do you think it will have to wait a few days before I see a change?