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Power cut... send to BBs
2/21/08
Hi Neale,
For some reason, there was a power cut on the whole road that I live in last
night, and it has only just come back on a few hours ago. The fish are looking a
bit lifeless - they are still alive, but they seem to be hanging at the top of
the tank and breathing fast. Also, the Plec now seems to have patches of light
brown on his skin when it should be a dark brown. The pictus is lying at the
bottom of the tank not really moving and the sharks are just hiding in a corner.
Their scales appear to be falling off. When the electricity got turned off, I
watched the tank for a couple of hours and the temperature dropped several
degrees and also the pump stopped working. Is there anything I can do about all
this? What if the fish die? How does one maintain a tank if the electricity cuts
off?
Thanks, Neervana
<Fish tanks can last some hours without electricity, though the biological
filter will die back quite quickly if there isn't enough oxygen getting into the
media. It's a good idea to remove biological filter media from closed filters
(e.g., canisters) and place them in an open bucket with just enough water to
stay damp. Short of getting an uninterruptible power supply for the fish tank,
there's no terribly effective way to look after a fish tank through a power cut.
Putting blankets over the tank to keep it warm is one of the best things, but
that's about it. If you have hot water in your house still, you could do a water
change if the temperature drops too much. Once you have the power back, it is a
good idea to do a big (50%) water change to flush out some of the ammonia that
will have accumulated over time. Do a nitrite test some time in the next 24
hours to see that the filter is working properly, and if not, act accordingly.
Anyway, as for the Silver Sharks: losing scales can be caused by them bumping
into things when they are scared. Do check for sharp objects in the tank.
Floating plants (even plastic ones) are very good for reducing fear in schooling
fish. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Power cut 2/21/08
Hi Neale,
From what I read in your last e-mail, does this mean that all the good bacteria
in my filter thing has died? It came in-built with the tank as did the pump and
the heater. It was out of the water for at last 4-5 hours and there was no water
flowing on it because the electricity was off. What should I do now? Will my
fish die because the bacteria aren't there anymore? I mean how long will it take
for it to grow back?
Thanks, Neervana
<No, not all the bacteria will have died, but some will because the oxygen that
will have passively diffused into the filter will be less than the amount of
oxygen that gets in when the motor is running. So do your water change, and then
over the next few days, reduce/stop feeding, do nitrite tests, and basically act
as if the filter is only partially cycled. With luck, the remaining bacteria
will spring back into life straight away, and quickly undo the damage. Cheers,
Neale.>
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Um.. I'm worried... Oscars...
simply fighting, or an electrified situation? 2/18/08
I have 2 albino tiger Oscars. A couple of nights ago my larger one started
freaking out and trying to almost jump out of my 55 gallon tank.
<Yikes! Two of these fish need more room than this...>
I would hear a crash and splash and it seemed he was almost unconscious in the
water. My other one seems to be following his pattern because I picked him up of
the ground this morning. I do have a top but they jumped threw the lid.
<Yes... can happen>
They are both very scared up and have almost knocked them selves out. It keeps
happening but there's nothing wrong with my other fish in the tank. Im really
worried could you please help me with your advice.,,,Aki
<I do hope so... I am concerned that you may have a situation here of "stray
electrical current"... making these fish "jumpy"... DO be careful around the
tank till this can be checked, solved... Have someone check with a volt meter...
FIND the fault... DO install a GFCI on all aquarium gear that uses
electricity... IF this is not the root cause here, I suspect the two Oscars were
"just" fighting... need to be separated, ultimately placed in a system of twice
this size or larger... Bob Fenner>
Re: L-25 Scarlet Pleco
feeding, Now: Grounding proves vs. freshwater
tanks (RMF feel free to comment)
12/11/07
Neale!
<Hello again!>
I'm back :) Thank you very much for the great information. Anyhoo, this one is
slightly off-topic. I was wondering what was your take on grounding probes? Is
there any hard evidence that it is of any use?
<No personal experience. Can't do any harm, and they certainly don't cost much.
So if you want to use one, go ahead. But I'm sure other things, like water
changes and filters, have a much greater impact on overall fish health. In any
case, have a read of this brace of replies on the topic for other peoples'
comments...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/grdprobeaq.htm
I get the impression these are more an issue for marine aquarists.>
There are articles
out there stating the down sides of using grounding probes, how they create a
complete circuit for current to flow, bypass the use of GFCIs in a way, etc...
I comprehend their views on this situation, but then there are others out there
who states grounding probes are an absolute necessity. Natural bodies of water
simply have their own way of handling stray voltage and since they are in direct
contact with the earth, there is no issue there, but when we have an enclosed
system of water, shouldn't we be providing a path for that voltage to complete
itself?
<No idea. Doesn't seem a major problem compared with nitrogenous wastes and pH
fluctuations in aquaria. Freshwater doesn't hold much charge anyway, at least
not compared with brackish/salt water.>
Are there any proven evidence of its uses/harms?
<Nothing scientific that I'm aware of. There are all sorts of stories about
"stray voltage" causing lateral line erosion and all that sort of thing, but
whether or not these have been adequately proven is beyond my knowledge. It's
the sort of thing that strikes me as being so minor in impact, if it exists at
all, that an aquarist's attention is better focused on water quality, water
chemistry, diet, and social behaviour first.>
Any personal experience from you?
<Nope.>
I'm asking because I got one a few months ago, but have yet to ever install it.
Should I install it just to be "better safe than sorry" or will it just cause
more problems? I checked my water with a DMM today and found it at approximately
35 V. Understanding that voltage itself creates no harm until amperage/current
is supplied, the idea that a grounding probe might due harm in the event of
something shorting out in the
tank and creating a circuit path sounds really reasonable to me.
<If you haven't needed it thus far, I wouldn't bother. I don't know any
aquarists with freshwater tanks who use these things. Marine aquarists seem more
interested in them.>
Question is
does stray voltage causes diseases in fish that the ground probe was designed to
rectify?
<The evidence that "stray voltage" (whatever that is!) would cause sickness in
health may or may not be true, but compared to other factors like water quality
its impact is surely very, very small.><<Am in total agreement. RMF>>
How do you see it?
<No strong feelings either way.>
Anyhoo, this time I promise I will "try" to stay out of your hair as much as
possible :) Thank you very much.
<You're welcome, and good luck, Neale.>
Fish fight sparks house fire 5/9/06
Inferno sparked by a fish
By JOHN COLES
A MUM and her two daughters escaped death when their house was set on fire by
their pet FISH.
Kipper, an eight-inch catfish, is thought to have triggered the blaze when it
fought with a rival in their tank.
Water splashed out of the aquarium and landed on an electric plug below.
It sent a power surge up the tank’s light cable which burnt the lid and sent
smoldering plastic dripping onto a leather sofa which caught alight.
Flames soon engulfed the lounge as Sharron Killahena, 25, and kids Nicole, six,
and Kerry, two, slept upstairs.
Luckily a smoke alarm woke landlord Simon Justice, 25, in a different room in
the house in Poole, Dorset.
He woke the family who escaped. Their home was wrecked and their six fish died
but Sharron said: “At least we are here to tell the tale.”
<Use GFI's... Bob Fenner who thanks you for sending this along.>
Water and Electricity 5/2/06
I have a 25 gallon grow out tank stocked with 1 Silver Arrow, 1 Red Tail
Cat, and 1 Clown Knifefish all about 4". Today I stuck my hand in the water to
get the thermometer that dropped and felt a slight tingling shock running up my
hand.
<Yikes and Ouch! Water and electricity are very scary. It’s nothing to mess
around with.>
I did everything to fix the problem and I even called the electrician,
who says that there is 50 volts in the tank and who was also stumped by the
situation.
<I had a similar situation a few years ago. There were 30 volts of stray
electricity in the tank and my fish were acting very strange. 2 of them were
jumping up at the surface. I had an electrician come out. We unplugged each and
every piece of electrical equipment and plugged them back in one at a time until
we found out which one was causing the problem. It turned out to be my lights. I
removed them immediately and replaced them. >
I am looking into a grounding probe or also moving them to a spare 50 gallon
tank I may be picking up this weekend.
<Look no more, the grounding probe is a must in my opinion. I also had GFI’s
installed in all the electrical outlets anywhere near a tank.>
Is there anything that can happen to these fish within these few days until the
weekend? I know about hole in head + lateral line disease and I don’t want
anything bad to happen. Will these fish make the next few days safely?
<I can’t say for sure. There is a much bigger issue here. This is not just a
matter of your fish’s health or survival. Your own personal safety, the safety
of those around you as well as your home are at risk here. There is a potential
for much more than loss of your fish.
For more information about electricity and aquariums please do have a look at
Bob’s articles here…
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FWGFIUseArt.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwelectart.htm
As for your fish….if you felt the current to the degree you did for the small
amount of time your hand was in the water, just imagine them being exposed to it
continually and not being able to remove themselves from it. My fish were
exposed to less current and were visibly disturbed by it. It is a definite
stress and stress equals trouble. I personally would not be comfortable leaving
my fish for any length of time exposed to stray electrical current I was aware
of. As for moving them to another tank that will only help if you are using
different equipment and electrical outlets. The weekend is 5 days away, which is
much to long to wait in my opinion. I would suggest you place a ground probe on
the tank immediately. In addition I would strongly urge you to have the
electrician come back out to check each piece of equipment to try to determine
the source of the problem and install GFIs as soon as possible. Please be very
careful until the problem is solved.>
Thanks, Zach
<Your most welcome! Stay safe, Leslie>
Protecting your aquarium setups in power losses
I apologize for the previous version of this message. I am sending a
spell- checked and proofed version as my comp garbled the first and it doesn't
read well please just post the original info if you wouldn't mind.
<Thank you>
Well, I searched WWM for this info but didn't see it so I figured I would offer
this fairly inexpensive protection insurance for our pricey setups. I went
to Bestbuy and bought a battery backup and surge protector all in one rated for
computers. This allows for brief power outages without losing vital pieces of
equipment. My bottom of the line unit (65$ before rebates 20 after)...
<A bargain!>
...will run a internal filter with air line attached for about an hour or so.
Which with a 55 gallon tank the O2 runs low after 2 hours or so which is when I
run the filter for 15 min etc. There are some figures to get it right for your
tank, but the other great part is that if a piece is fried by a power surge the
company will replace or repair from 50,000$ or more depending on different
models. I bought mine from APC and the warranty doesn't say what you cant use it
on you just write what it is used for and its covered. I have saved hundreds of
dollars in fish and LR by powering my heater, and that cheap filter to keep the
flow and O2 going. It is a cheap but effective piece that should be a part of
any serious aquarists system, fresh or salt. It is the life insurance policy you
will be glad you got.
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
Power Outage.. Now What?
Hello, I have a question for you guys. <No problem! Ryan with you today>
About a week ago we returned from a 3 day vacation to find our power in the home
had been out. <Yikes> Our 150 gallon tank had been without air for 2-3 days? I
found my parrot fish in breathing distress. I removed her, placed her in a
oxygenated cooler with her mate the red devil. She soon perked up but never to
100%. I did replace filters and did all the appropriate things to get it in
order. I am very worried about my parrot fish. I have called and also visited
my local pet store for advice but basically end up answering my own questions
and going home. She acts as if she is still breathing hard and the male follows
her around bumping her on the bottom of her belly. Now she is a little red from
it. <Perhaps caused by lack of oxygen as well> Her isn't being aggressive but
she just isn't acting the same. Her head is always down some what and the anal
fin is not open to the full extent. She hasn't been eating either. The pet
store person seems to believe it is the male red devil making her act
this way, but I know that she was fine until the stress of being without air for
so long. any ideas what could be wrong and how I could get her back to
normal? <I'd get the tank a major water change, as many of the helpful
bacteria may have died during this time. I'd also make sure that the water is
high in oxygen- You can do this by making sure the surface of the water is
constantly moving. You may want to quarantine the fish and treat with a stress
coat of some type, but returning to a larger, safe environment may be better for
overall health- You'll have to make the call. Good luck, Ryan>
Thanks, Lori Conrad
- Hurricane-induced Power Outages -
hi
We live in Florida and have a 100 gal marine tank, and a 30-gal freshwater tank,
with all the hurricane activity we wondered how long can fish typically live
without electricity for the air- filters and pumps. <Well... provided you do
something about it, perhaps as long as you have the energy. For a system of this
size though, you'd be best off with a generator and a supply of fuel to make it
through a week. Your other option is to keep the water aerated by removing
pitchers of water and then pouring them back in to circulate the water and keep
the oxygen levels up. Depending on the density of livestock in the tank, the
tank could probably make it 12 hours or so with no intervention, but by the end
of that time serious problems would be developing. Personally I wouldn't wait
more than an hour to intervene.>
thanks
<Cheers, J -- >
Betta, light hood in tank, trouble
Dear Chuck (or whoever is on this evening):
Yesterday, my toddler missed a step when climbing down the step stool she
uses to watch the fish, and, in doing so, knocked the light fixture into the
water when she instinctively tried to grab the first thing handy-which was
the glass cover under the fixture. The glass canopy had a long shard that
broke off, but as far as I can tell, that only happened when it hit the
floor, and no glass when in the aquarium. As to the light, obviously the
first thing I did was unplug the light, then I pulled it out and checked to
see if my Betta was okay. (I house him in a 10 gallon tank by himself). He
appeared to be, but this evening, when I was observing him, I noticed what
appears to be fin damage. The odd thing is that there haven't been any
pieces of it floating in the water, and my experience with a former Betta
was that you would come across these when there was a problem of this
nature. I immediately took out the carbon filter and added Melafix to the
water, and plan to do a water change in the morning, and keep this up for 6
more days or until I see improvement. I saw no evidence of electrical shock
at the time of the accident, but is it possible that he's had a delayed
shock reaction to what happened? Could his fin damage be due to emotional
distress, or do you think that the lighting fixture possibly landed on his
fins? Again, my question still stands, wouldn't I have found pieces of the
fin floating on top of the water or on the substrate? Your thoughts?
< I think he was startled when the roof caved in and may have tried to hide and
duck and cover somewhere in the tank. In the process of finding somewhere safe
to hide he probably caught the fin on a rock or something and tore it. He
probably ate the piece of fin if he found it. Your procedures will definitely
help the fin grow back but it may not be as straight or as long when it
does.-Chuck>
Cyndy Monarez/Thomas Nelson
Vacation lighting
Hi Crew,
<Hi! Ananda here this morning>
With the Memorial day weekend upon us, I was wondering what I should do with my
aquarium lighting?
<Put it on a timer. There are timers available where you plug the power cord
into the timer, plug the timer into the outlet, and the timer controls the
on/off of the device. Just make sure you leave the light switch in the
"on" position!>
I have a 30G tank with 1 male Siamese fighter, 3 Cory's and 5 cherry barbs. As
far as planting, I have green Cabomba, Mayaca, Echinodorus tenellus, water
wisteria and some tall hairgrass.
<Yep, a timer is definitely in order. I got mine for about $7 each; they're
available at hardware stores, discount centers, grocery stores... just make sure
you can set it yourself.>
The pH is 6.5 and no A/N/N. Should I keep the light on for the 3 days while I'm
away or should I keep it off? I'm kinda stuck because my plants are growing well
right now and I don't want them to be stunted and I also don't want nasty algae
to start growing. Please help
Chris
<Most people use timers on their lights when they've got plants or
photosynthetic critters in the tank. Keeps the light schedule constant, too.
--Ananda>
Oscar disease? Potential electrocution
My Oscar is fairly good size, he has been swimming frantically across the
tank slamming into the sides and everything else in the tank. When he is
not doing that he floats almost as if he is dead. I have him in a 55 gal
tank. he has a yellow coloring along his belly and gills. There is also
marks on his face from slamming into the rocks on the bottom and turning
in circles. He acts as if he is going crazy..
< Carefully unplug all electrical devices going to this tank, NOW!
Heater, and pumps and lights, Everything! After a few minutes
and everything has cooled down I would inspect all the wires and devices
for damage such as frayed wires, cracked housings and or leaks around
seals. An electrical short such as in a heater that may have been cracked
may be adding current to the tank every time it tries to turn on. This
would account for the Oscar wildly dashing around every time the heater is
turned on and acting half dead when the heater goes off. If you find any
damage do not try and repair it. Instead head down to your local store and
get a new and hopefully high quality heater for your tank. I would not try
and skimp on price here. The are some models currently on the market that
are very durable. As you Oscar chases feeders around the tank
he may have inadvertently cracked or damaged it. This can be a very
dangerous situation so I would not put my hands in the water until
everything is checked out. If everything checks out OK then check the
water temperature and make sure it is around 80 degrees. Give your Oscar a
large piece of PVC pipe that he can hide in it like a cave. This should
help him settle down and give him some refuge from a tank that may be in a
high traffic area and stressing him from all the outside activities. Check
for infections on the open wounds and watch the fish closely. Do a 30
percent water change and check on the filters to make sure they are
operating at full capacity. When you add new treated water to your tank,
try and find a water conditioner with some wound control medication
included. -Chuck> |
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- Finding Efficiencies in a Fish Room -
Hi Bob,
<Actually, JasonC here this time.>
I Love wetwebmedia - its one of my favorite fish websites. I refer people to it
daily. <Glad you find it useful.>
I had a question for you, I'm in the negotiation (with wife) and design stage of
building a fish room. In actuality it will be a 16x20 building in the backyard.
With the ever increasing price of natural gas, propane, electricity and
Water/Sewer. I've been looking for ways to make the new fish room more
efficient, so the wife's nagging about the electricity, water/sewer and gas
bills goes down. :)
The whole reason for building an out building, is so I can treat the room as a
whole better than in the house. I'm planning to use radiant floor heating, to
heat the whole room, rather than running heaters in each tanks. Filtration will
be a 220v linear air pump, driving sponge filters. Lighting has been a sore
point during the design, it would be nice to use natural light via some
skylights, but that would result in a measurable loss in insulating ability of
the roof. I'll probably end up using standard shop light fixtures w/ 34w T8s.
<Nothing wrong with that, and really about as cheap AND efficient as you're
going to get.> The boiler for the radiant floor heating is a dual fuel
design, allowing switching between natural gas and propane, dependant upon which
is cheaper at the time. But I don't think the wife will be too happy about a big
propane tank in the back yard... <Bury it.>
Do you have any advice/suggestions? <Sounds like a good plan to me - just
make sure your wife can't lock you in the shed and I think you'll be all set.
;-) >
Andy
<Cheers, J -- >
Electricity use of freshwater aquariums
Dear Sir
Approximately how much additional electricity can I be expected to use for a 10
gallon aquarium per month if possible or any helpful information on costs. Thank You , Lisa Paulishen
<Ahh, an exercise in either direct measure or calculation. You can rig up a
wattage meter to your ten gallon gear, or do the multiplication of amps times
volts times the number of hours the gear is "on", dividing the same
1000, multiplying the resulting kilowatt hours by the rate the utility company
charges... To get an approximation of the charge per period of time. More detail
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwelectart.htm
Bob Fenner>
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