# Power out for 8 hours



## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

. On sunday the power will be going out for 8 hours. That means my saltwater and freshwater tanks filters and heaters (but its hot anyways) will go out. From 8 am- 4:30 pm OR LATER. Is that ok?....


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Not sure about the saltwater side of the world but if it were me, I'd try to get a battery operated airstone for the freshwater tank. 

I do tend to be overly cautious tho.


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## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

Well if you see my profile you get a look at the aquarium. They don't seem to need it...


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Well... you are either going to need a generator or lots of battery-operated things. But I can only speak for the freshwater side of things. 

Unless it's like 100F outside and you don't have access to fans the temperature won't be a problem. Open up the tops and point the fans over the water. This will cool the water. 

Get a battery-operated air pump. This will keep circulation in the tank. Remove the filter media and place it over the bubble stream. This will keep your cycle intact. I've seen a lot of instructions for making home-made sponge filters on youtube. I've seen some that allow you to remove the filter media from your tank and place it in there. Having one of those prepared would be best. 

And when the power comes back on and you know the tap water is safe, do a water change. It can't hurt anything and will help remove any ammonia that may have built up while the filter wasn't running.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

8 hours is only an issue if there is the threat of drastic temperature shifts. Because the tanks are small, they will change much faster than large tanks. I don't know about salt water, but your betta and the inhabitants of your 10 gallon will be fine for 8 hours, just as they are. Even if the temp drops a bit, platys and zebra danios would still be well within their preferred temp range. Fish get shipped and spend time in bags for 2-3 days at a time - the fish will be perfectly fine without you lifting a finger for 8 hours. As long as the media doesn't dry out (some filters will back siphon out if the water level is too low) during that time, you are in no risk of losing your cycle. The bacteria is not so fragile that it will die without food for 8 hours, in my experience.


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## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

Well This is a practically new tank only 7 weeks old on Friday (the filter is the same age)


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## pop (Aug 29, 2012)

Hello FrightyDog:
I am not very knowledgeable about fish keeping but I would follow the advice and not worry. I have found that most fish are hardier than folks think. Remember that in nature water critters experience a wide range of changing environmental circumstances that include daily swings in the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, pH, temperature, oxygen diffusion and light. 

With happy thoughts and the best of luck,
pop


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## flight50 (Sep 30, 2008)

8 hrs doesn't sound good. You must get some type of oxygen circulating for any filter with bio media by any means necessary. You could loose some bacteria though due to abnormal conditions that are about to happen. 

Last year when my 55g sprung a leak I shut down my 2213's for a little over 24hrs. I figure I could get by just by closing off the valves and leaving the canisters filled. Nope, there was no circulation and I ended having to restart the filter due to lack of oxygen in the water. The canisters smelled just as bad a sulfur pocket escaping the substrate. It was my fault for I didn't attempt to oxygenate the water by any means necessary. Just don't make the mistake I did.


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## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

what if I put it on osmosis water
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Ive left a canister full of water, but off, for almost 6 weeks and not lost the cycle.

When I lost power for 4 days after sandy, the fish were fine without any aeration or filtration, and all 12 tanks (at the time) continued functioning like nothing happened.


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## ChuckinMA (Nov 28, 2012)

I've heard that occasionally a canister filter will go anaerobic during an extended power outage (measured in days not hours) which is a disaster when power resumes and toxic water gets shot into the aquarium. Anyone have any guidance/experience with this?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I have a couple of canisters that have been disconnected and off, but full of water, for almost 2 months now. I will be setting them up on the new 125 - i will let you know if the cycle is still intact. Probably be a couple more weeks. Ill start a thread when the time comes.


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

The micro organisms go dormant, they don't just die off readily. 

Having said that, if you have shut off canisters and left them sit then the organic debris will continue to decay and produce ammonia and the buggers will still have a banquet. I expect that there would be an ammonia spike in the tank they are turned back on as it will take a long time for the canister's organics to decay completely, ammonia levels, even with it being oxidized, will be high.

8 hours is nothing unless there is some other imbalance already on edge in the aquarium system. A clean healthy tank will have no trouble with a short 8 hour power failure... excepting extreme temperature changes. Even then the temperature change is not any more drastic than might occur in a stream during a rainstorm... going back tot he natural environment for an example.

I'd suggest doing a water change today so the water is fresh if you are concerned, but don't clean or rinse out the filter or even vacuum the substrate... just a water change. If you are really concerned still, siphons work without power so you could even change water halfway through if you wanted, freshen the water with a pail of water that you fill today. 

Jeff.


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## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

its 7 weeks old and has not been cycled yet at least I don't think so the nitrate is too high


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

FrightyDog said:


> its 7 weeks old and has not been cycled yet at least I don't think so the nitrate is too high


My suggestion has nothing to do with nitrates if that is what you thought.

So, how did the outage go?

Jeff.


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## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

Well my dad got an airstone for the saltwater and let my freshwater alone. They both seem fine, fish unaffected. But I have yet to test it.
Also my question was would it affect the filter's cycle since i think it is still cycling


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