Power Outage. Sandy, filters down for 11 days

[limojica]

I had no power for 11 days during Sandy. I prepared by using battery air pumps with the Pro V sponges already in tanks. I fed them after 7 days but slightly. The house was ice cold about 30 degrees so I covered the tanks with blankets and kept adding warm water every 8-10 hrs. My filters were off so as soon as the power was restored, I emptied them out, changed the media, and washed out the filter. I am aware of washing out the bacteria but the filter water was black and had a spoiled smell to it. I didn't wash out the hoses (too much trouble to unhook) and when I restarted the filters, the white residue came out. Is this harmful? What can I do to ensure the fish aren't poisoned from this?

 

[malawimatt]

Hey, I lost power for about 7 days, lost 15 fish total from my 3 tanks, very sad, but I went and picked up one of those quick start bacterial bottles, I don't trust them to instantly cycle a tank but they do fairly well at restoring a tank after a lengthy power outage. Before adding the bacteria I would do a big water change. Hope this helps, all three of mine are back up and running and everyone is healthy.

 

[limojica]

Sorry to hear. I wasn't prepared because I don't live in an evacuation zone. A tree fell and knocked out power. I went to buy two battery pumps and used the sponge filters already in the tank for bubbles. I didn't feed them and changed the water to add warm water every 8 hrs. I also had fry and babies in the tank and all survived after 11 days of no power. I went to a friends how and used the internet to see how I could keep the tanks going without power. Now I know. What kind of fish did you have?

 

[malawimatt]

Malawi mix with synos in my 55, smaller tangs in my 20 long, and some tetra combo in my 10. I was called in to work for disaster relief so I wasn't home for the first 5 days after the storm, my wife and kids went to a family members house until power came back. I still have a decent stock although I did go to my lfs and picked up 3 syno petricolas to replace my lost cats

 

[limojica]

Wow! Thanks for your service. Yes that is the good thing about the hobby...being able to restock after something like that. I have Malawi too. They seemed fine. I was most worried about my Red Parrot. He looked a bit stressed and started to turn a little white. He's fine now.

 

[Rach1234]

Sandy power outage lost the whole tank

I too was lost power for a week due to sandy. I lost my whole tank I want to restart but not sure how.. I removed everything that passed ..except my crabs who lived but still have water in I know I need to totally drain and restart but can I reuse the live rock? As well as the sand? Any advice is much appreciated new territory here

 

[limojica]

Oh Rach I am so sorry to hear! The rock is still good as well as the sand. Have you had the filter running with the crabs? If so and if its been running do a small water change before adding fish. If the filter sat all this time without power, clean in treated water and run. The issue is with the filter sitting without running. I read its poisonous over a period of sitting and should be cleaned. As soon as I regained power I cleaned all filters since they were sitting for 11 days. I was nervous but everything is fine. I was unprepared the first time I look power for 8 hrs last summer. I remembered the portable air pump and got a few pro v sponges running in the tank along with the filters. I can swear this saved me this time.

 

[Rach1234]

Yes after I posted here I spoke to the store I buy my fish from and he stated that had I had that the fish would of survived he said its not so much the cold that will kill rather the circulation yes I will be doing a 75% water change and changing the inners in the filter..and cleaning the sand it's still so very said it was my 2nd year with the tank and all the levels were perfect !! Ugh well thanks 4 the advice much appreciated.