how long do sponges remain viable with out air?

[brady]

My air pump crapped out today after 5 years.
My question is how long will they stay viable with out air?
I ordered an Alita 15 from Kens but it will probably take until
next Tues or Wed. what with the weekend/holiday
Jay

[gators111]

I assume you mean the BB staying alive. As long as it stays in the tank and has ammonia passing around it, the BB on the outer parts of the sponge should be fine. Some of the interior BB may die off, due to lack of water flow. But by next weekend, they should repopulate and be fine.

[lastflea]

As gators111 says, your bacteria will recover soon enough, but rather than die, they'll kind of hibernate until the water starts flowing again. The bacteria can survive in a dormant stage for quite some time, as long as they're in water. Up to 10/15 days before they actually start dying.

[brady]

Thank you guys , Gator 111 and lastflea.
Appreciate your responses.
Jay