Originally Posted by
danotaylor
Jim all the bacteria needs to survive a couple days without bioload to consume is oxygen. Closed up inside the canisters with them unplugged from power source the bacteria will be dead from O2 starvation in 4-8 hours depending on the water volume inside the canister. You have 3 relatively easy options to preserve the bacteria;
Option #1 run the canisters on the holding tank the fish are in.
Option #2 remove the live media from the canisters into an open top bucket filled with tank water and run an airstone in the bucket, it will be ready to go back into the canister when you have sterilized your tank.
Option #3 if you want to keep the canisters running, but not on the holding tank, fill a tote with tank water, place your intake and outflow pipes from the tank into the tote, and run the canisters off the tank whilst you sterilize it.
HTH,
Danny