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Lost power for almost 24 hours...

1K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Jcstank 
#1 ·
No battery powered air pump. Just covered my 45 with a sheet. Temp went down to 68f but didn't lose a single fish. I have rasboras and danios. Why didn't anything die? I thought for sure they would be snail food by now.
 
#4 ·
I'm guessing heavier planted tanks fare better, since the fish receive some O2 from the plants...? I've wondered about this sort of thing, since I live in MI and we've had some power outages where it gets really cold in the house. Before this next Winter I need a plan in place. I have a battery-powered airstone for my little 5g tank that kicks-on when the power goes out...and need to get a couple for my 50. Then the temp is the issue, but I've seen people here recommend things like hot water bottles or doing some water changes with warmer water (which would require heating on the stove, since our house has a power-vent hot water heater...no power, no hot water once it's emptied).

My greatest concern is definitely what happens if the power goes out while we're not home. This happened briefly the last time we went away. No biggie with my 5g tank, but it could be a big deal with my 50g. We're going on a 6 day trip in a few weeks and I'm already paranoid. We can get some whopper Summer storms that can do a number on power for days. Then I'm not so worried about the temp, but the lack of filtration/air/lights. And I don't have anyone locally who could come over and deal with things. :icon_conf
 
#6 ·
Larger tanks are more stable in all regards compared to smaller ones. Temp swings are less severe due to the higher volume of water, oxygenation is the same as like ng as you aren't overstocked. Also, nutrient and toxin dilution are not a problem either. Small tank, less than 10g are the issue here.
 
#7 ·
Fish are hardier than you think. My power was out for 3 days after "Superstorm Sandy". I covered the tank and took a cup to circulate the water every little while. Not too efficient when you have several tanks to tend to. But it worked, and I didn't lose any fish either.

Glad you didn't lose anyone!
 
#8 ·
Larger tanks do better during a power outage.
Planted tanks do better during a power outage.
Understocked tanks do better during a power outage.
Certain fish do better when temperatures change (but most do OK).

I've been thinking about this because I live in Wyoming and we have severe wind and severe sleet/ice - the combination is dangerous.

I've been thinking about running my aquariums off from 12v deep cell batteries using an inverter. I would have a small (motorcycle size) trickle charger hooked up to the 12v. That way if the power goes out while I'm gone, everything keeps going (until the battery dies). It only buys some time. I'm not good with electrical stuff, so I need to play around and test this stuff. It's just a theory right not.
 
#11 ·
I had an overstocked 36 gallon bow front that was way overstocked and just before I went on vacation I forgot to plug the HOB filters back in. With no air stone and zero water circulation whatsoever all those fish were still alive when I came back 9-1/2 days later. They are barely alive and some I thought were dead for sure as they were rolled on there sides barely alive but after an emergency water change they all came back to life. I think I had maybe an hour left of oxygen in there. Moral of this story is healthy fish can survive a long time without their life supports system in place.
 
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