Please help: no power after Wilma in Miami

[agave60]

Hello everyone,

We lost power down here after Hurricane Wilma hit. I need some advice to help keep my Discus alive during this power outage. I do have a generator but only have it running for about 8 hours a day. I have a few questions and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I only have one tank, 125gallon (10 adult wilds) with four hydro sponges and two AC 110's.

Should I be running the heaters for the 8 hours the generator is running? For the first day I did, but now I'm concerned that the temperature fluctuation will cause more harm than good. The tank is keeping at about 75 degrees.

I am able to do 50% water changes every two days, I would do them more frequently but the ph would be too high out of the tap. I added salt at 1 tbsp per 10 gallons on the second day to reduce stress. Should I continue to add the salt daily, or only during water changes?

Thanks in advance,
Carlos

[discusfreak2005]

hey i live in cape coral, right above ft.myers on the west coast, and we lost power for the first few days and i didnt worry so much about the heater as i did the filters. i ran 3 sponge filters and the water stayed at 77 w/o the heater. its starting to get warmer out so i wouldnt worry so much about the heater unless the temp drops anymore.

[Mughal]

If you are extra worried, get some firemens blankets (they are about $1 at the Sporting/camping goods store) They keep the temp longer than most other things. Just wrap them around the tank, shiny side in. You can tape them if you want.

[Carol_Roberts]

Running Filters are more important than heaters if you can keep the water at 75 F. Cut way back on food. When do you think power will be restored?

[PJs]

By chance found this link earlier today - great if it can already be useful. Ideas for power outages are given: http://www.fishpondinfo.com/fcare2.htm

Sorry about your problems.

[JMArtist]

Discus are a lot tougher then we give them credit for.
The water in an aquarium will match the outside ambient temperature of the room it is in. In your case, since you live in Florida, that should be around the mid 70's to low 80's so I would not worry too much about your heater's and tank temperatures, the fish will do fine.
I would be more concerned over aeration of the water, so whenever you can, make sure those air pumps are working...even one or two battery operated ones should work for now.
If your hydro sponges are connected to a power head, it should be easy to switch one or two over to work with air pumps, even the battery operated ones with the use of some extra hose and Airstones.
Adding salt like you did is a good thing also.

Here's an Idea for people who live in colder climates who might lose power.
Besides blanketing the tanks and insulating them the best you can you might try this also.
This will only work if you have a gas stove or have access to some sort of gas hot plate like on some barbecues.
Boil a large pot of water on the stove. Pour the boiling water into clean plastic milk containers, half gallon size should be fine. Close the lids and place the container's in the tank. They will radiate heat for a few hours, you can repeat this as needed.
Remember to remove one half gallon of water for each container you place into the tank or else you'll find over flow on the floor.
Having not tried this, (Knock on wood) I would say probably one half gallon container of hot water for every 10 gallons of tank should be good.

[Kindredspirit]

Running Filters are more important than heaters if you can keep the water at 75 F. Cut way back on food. When do you think power will be restored?


Carol~

Why cut way back on food? I am sure there is a very good reason...



Marie:angel:

[Spices]

When the August 2003 blackout occured in our region (eastern part), I had minimal lost and I was just getting a hang on keeping discus. My concern at the time (summer) was aeration. I didn't have plants then. I fed my tank but instead of a full portion I gave half portion. Discus didn't mind the slow non moving water. In fact they prefer it. I used those ten dollar air pumps to oxygenate the water (took about five of them and 10 Double D batteries).

During the winter, however, as Jmartist mentioned, those heating blankets help retain heat in the tank. Great idea. Also, the heating of water helps too if you have a gas range or boiling water from the gas grill. U can use this water to put into the tank. ;) (Just in like water changes you take some out and install some in). It won't hurt the fish nor will the pH be drastic.

I'd still cut the food, especially if the black out becomes a longer period than usual. Discus can survive with little food, as well. Good luck.

[agave60]

Thanks for all the advice and quick replies.

I bought two battery operated air pumps at my local petsmart today, so these will run all night. Right now the 4 hydro sponges and two AC 110's are running off of the generator. The temp is keeping at 75 and I'm currently doing a 50% water change with aged water.
I don't know when power will be restored, maybe tomorrow but for sure by Nov 8th. That's right Nov. 8th, and that would really suck to have to wait that long, but we're taking it in stride and keeping our spirits up there are people in much more difficult situations than we are.

Praying to the Florida Power and Light Gods.

Thanks,
Carlos

[jeep]

Carol~

Why cut way back on food? I am sure there is a very good reason...



Marie:angel:

less food = less waste (especially when the bio filtration may be compromised). They are just fine for quite some time without food...

[JMArtist]

. Also, the heating of water helps too if you have a gas range or boiling water from the gas grill. U can use this water to put into the tank. ;) (Just in like water changes you take some out and install some in). It won't hurt the fish nor will the pH be drastic.

I'd still cut the food, especially if the black out becomes a longer period than usual. Discus can survive with little food, as well. Good luck.


I wouldn't put boiling water into a tank, you wouldn't want to scold your fish now.
Besides, boiling water like that removes much of the dissolved oxygen from it.
That's why I recommended you use clean plastic milk containers, sort of like hot water bottles.

[Spices]

I wouldn't put boiling water into a tank, you wouldn't want to scold your fish now.
Besides, boiling water like that removes much of the dissolved oxygen from it.
That's why I recommended you use clean plastic milk containers, sort of like hot water bottles.

I did mention small amounts like in water changes. Not a large 50%! Needless to say, once the hot water mixes in with the very cool temps (75 degree and below) the gases are released. Remember if you're using pail buckets...when tossing water from pot (assuming steamed from a gas range or boiled on a gas grill) to bucket, oxygen from the air comes to play and the hot water cools in the process. Then take that pail to tank again the water cools from the air it receives as it is transported into the tank (75 degrees and lower), which by the way is cold for any tropical fish.

I wouldn't do a 50 per cent water change if my power is out, especially if I don't have an overload of fish in my tank. JMHO and experiences.

[Kindredspirit]

Thanks Jeep! Quite obvious answer, yes? Shoulda had that one!



Marie!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/8/8_1_222.gif


http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/8/8_1_226.gifhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/8/8_1_224.gif

[agave60]

We got power back this morning. Only one more question. What do you suggest I do with the temperature, bring it back up to 86 all at once or gradually within a few days?

Thanks,
Carlos

[DarkDiscus]

It should take a while for heaters to get the temp up from 75 to 80 something. I'd go to 82 and then an a day or so up to whatever you wanted.

John

[Carol_Roberts]

Discus go up in temperature very easily. Just turn the heaters on and leave them at their normal settings.

[yogi]

I just got my power back around 2 pm today. I lost it around 7 am Monday. I have no damage to my house but not all my neighbors were so lucky. Both my Italian ice, ice cream stores still have no power. One store lost the wrap around awning and the other still has no phone service. I had battery air pumps ready in advance for each sponge filter, they worked great. My tanks are currently at 75 and the heaters are bringing them up to 82 as I type this. I did not feed the fish or do water changer during the power failure. At this point I have lost no fish, but they are very nervous. My refigerator was connected to my next door neighbors generator by an extension cord.

[Carol_Roberts]

I'm glad to hear you're alright Jerry! You've been hit a lot this year!

[ronrca]

Perhaps another suggestion for heating! Since some were boiling water and putting it in containers to float in their tanks, how about using rocks as well. I almost believe that certain rocks and rocks in general will stay hot a long time. This idea comes from the real old days in the winter when they only had wood stoves. Some ppl also used barley and placed them in their beds to keep warm.

[Spices]

You're moving on up!!! Glad to hear you're making it. :thumbsup: --angie--

[Anonapersona]

Perhaps another suggestion for heating! Since some were boiling water and putting it in containers to float in their tanks, how about using rocks as well. I almost believe that certain rocks and rocks in general will stay hot a long time. This idea comes from the real old days in the winter when they only had wood stoves. Some ppl also used barley and placed them in their beds to keep warm.

Hot rock into water may explode.

[Anonapersona]

I just got my power back around 2 pm today.


Be very careful about the first few water changes. They are likely to put in huge amounts of chemicals to clean the pipes out since the water pressure may have been lost or pipes damaged when trees were uprooted. It may be chlorine, or maybe something unusual.... try to ask about it if you can.