Need Help Fast, Made a huge mistake

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JoshsReef

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
250
Well friday evening i turned off the power to my filters, heater, and powerheads to feed my fish. (usually do this for ten mins just to feed them so the food dont blow every) Anways somehow someway I fogot to turn the powerstrip back on and there has been no flow, no filtration, no heat since friday night. (I just got home from a hunting trip) The temp has dropped down to 62 degrees, I have everything back on now. All the fish are still alive. Is my filter media ok?

I have 90 pounds lr
fluval fx5
emperor 400

blue hippo tang
2 percs
1 yellow tang

Thanks guys
 
Are they breathing heavy? Does the water look pretty hazed? I would perform some tests such as NH3 and pH. I would then perform a 25%-50% water change and replace any filtration media in the canister (pads, carbon, etc).
 
I'd keep an eye on the fish for ich outbreaks (or anything else), especially since blue tangs are such ich magnets.

Maybe a separate powerstrip for the heater would be a good idea? Although I doubt you'll make that mistake twice! Lucky you didn't have a reef tank, that would have been a real disaster. I hope all the fish make it.
 
Let things come back to temp and the water circulate. Do a water change in the next couple of days and see how it goes. Good luck.
 
I agree. Just get the temp back to normal and the water flow back and do some frequent PWC`s and see where it is headed.
 
i changed all the filter media out - just wondering why i was told to do this?
 
Filtration media is designed to either breakdown or trap wastes, thus ridding the main system of excess and decaying matter; therefore, if the media was not removed those wastes, now just sitting in your filter for a couple days, would be re-released into your main display with more potency. New chemical media is always advised after a mishap to accelerate water polishing.
 
how would they be rerelased? wouldnt when i turn the filtration back on media would just start working again? Sorry I am a little confused. Just wondering if i should be turing the filters off too feed my fish or if that is also releasing toxins back into my system
 
If I am not mistaken I believe that if the filter media drys out the beneficial bacteria will die any way and all your left with Pardon the blunt ness decaying poop!!!! I would keep a close eye on your ammonia and other chemicals. I kinda made this mistake too but all I onplugged was my heater. I lost my coral beauty. My tangs were fine though. Good luck!!!
 
It wont necessarily dry out but it will become stagnate and trap the stuff in the filter only ..It also insures that the fresh media is in your system to clean and polish your water , Fresh carbon will help trap any solids that were not picked up due to the filter down time as well as the fact that it really is just sitting and rotting with out the water flow ... Water changes also dilute your ammonia and fish poo that are in the tank breaking down . When you have a system breech a few of the most important steps are :
Keep the fish from stressing
Keep the water polished and pristine this helps prevent them from breaking out in ich or other stress related diseases which are many in reefing .
Changing the media insures that all the heavy pollution is going through fresh media , and polishing off your water .
The water change also dilutes the polutiants in your system
 
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