Power outtage!!!

Axolotl

Axolotl

New member
Hey my area is having a power outtage from strorms. I have been wo power for about 8 hours and counting. My power supplier says it wont be on until sometime 2mro! The temps tonight are supposed to get into the 40's but i imagine my apartment will reach 69 to 70 tonite. I keep a large zebra eel a baby panther grouper in one tank. A large powderbrown tang and lawnmower blenny with codylactus anemones and a cleaner shrimp in another. Also there is a tank with live rock with mushrooms on it. Am i gonna experience a complete loss tonight. God i hope not. I dont have anywhere i can move these guys either. There water temps are around 75 right now but dont know how long that will last. Does anyone have any experience w this sorta thing?
 
I would be more concerned about your oxygenation levels in the tank then the temp. We lost 22 fish (from 4 tanks) from a 24 hour power loss because of the loss of oxygen. Since then we have picked up an inverter for the tank.

I would be stirring the water every 20 minutes or so, trying to keep up the oxygenation.
 
yes stir the tanks but not too hard....if it gets bad, warm up tank water on the stove- providing you dont have elec...I was out for 7 days once and that saved my tanks...i had a few azoo backups but they only lasted the first few days....buy a couple of them...good luck...
 
What should i use a large spoon? After all is said and done the tanks will probably be wo power for 24 hours assuming they follow their word
 
When I had a power outtage I wrapped my tanks in blankets to keep the temp stable, but it was incredibly cold like 40 degree's. Instead of stirring I had read hydrogen peroxide could be used to keep up oxygen levels, so I dosed about 5 ml every 2 hours until my neighbor let me plug into his generator. I'm not sure how the anemones and mushrooms would react to peroxide though, I did it because the water was cold and I was to afraid to drop the temprature anymore. Good luck hope everyone comes out ok
 
If you can wrap the tanks with a blanket to help keep in the warmth the best you can , then stir the tank (yeah a wooden spoon will work but dont do it too hard)
 
i use a large plastic slotted spoon...can also try hooking tank up to car or truck if possible...many have done that...
 
Should i take out all the filter pads from my biowheels. When the power comes on tomorrow wont they poison my tanks?
 
you can also try scooping the water in the tank with a 5g container, then pouring it back.

if walmart is open, you can try going there and getting a car inverter and hooking up your powerhead to it.
 
Should i take them all out (filter pads) and just unplug them. I have circulating pumps in there that will work when the power comes on. I just dont want the biowheels to release toxins into an already stressed tank.
 
Pretty sure your fish would die if the conditions kill the Beneficial Bacteria in your bio-media...
But I have seen some fish survive ungodly conditions.
 
This is a situation where a vortech with battery backup would come in handy.....

Stir the tank..... Do you have a battery powered fan you could run over the tank..... Anyway you can provide heat to the house? Gas stove etc?

Good luck...... Hope this experience will help you plan for next time....

We've all been there...
 
I know if your whole area is out of power this might be a bad time to check. But I found a used generator on Craigslist for under $150 and it runs great. There were several smaller ones for even less money.

I took the time to wrap my heater and powerhead cords with bright blue tape. That way if we lose power and I'm at work my wife, daughter or even a neighbor can start the generator, plug in the extenstion cords to the blue plugs and save the day.

If you have a smart phone you might want to do a quick search for a generator before you spend almost as much on an inverter and cords to reach your vehicle.

Just a thought for next time too...Good Luck and I hate it for you to feel so helpless.
 
Not sure. Everyone made it through the night. Temps dropped to 72 degrees from 78. i used a 1 gallon bucket this morning and kept filling it w tank water and then pouring it in to add oxygen. The fish didnt seem to be laboring when breathing and the filter pads didnt smell of rotten eggs or anything. i made sure and filled the biowheels pockets with tank water so if the power cranks on when im at work they will begin to pump oxygen into the water. talked to the power people today and they said it should be on sometime today. What should be my move now when i get home. I cant really do a water change yet because my water change water hasnt been circulating or heated either. Thinking of waitng a few days then doing a 50% water change and replacing half the pads. I also added some seachem prime to both tanks this morning before i left when i was pouring the water to help with ammonia. What else would you guys recommend i do to fully help my fish recover?
 
Be careful about adding too much Prime, as it has a well documented pH lowering effect, I would think that would be exacerbated by being in a state of low circulation as well.

If the power comes back on today, I'd think you're doing pretty much everything you can. I wouldnt do anything MAJOR like a 50% water change, unless there ends up being something way out of whack with your water that you need to correct. Stressing the fish by doing a huge water change isnt going to help them out any if the water in the tank is fine and it's what they are already used to.
 
Went through this a few years back, heating water on top of the wood stove worked well.

I've seen two people mention to stir the water but not too hard, what's the reason for this?
 
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