Keep a fish tank warm...?

Some pet stores sell miniature power reserves ( generators) just for heaters and filters.... you just shine a flashlight on it to charge, and it uses batteries...so no need to work about CO poinoning either! ohter than that, a blanket will not suffice really....

Wrapping the blanket would be a good idea - or use a sleeping bag, pillows, etc.

A generator would be a good solution, but if you get a gasoline powered one, it should be kept outside so the fumes don't become a problem.

If you have a non-electric power source (gas, kerosene, propane) why not warm the water and use hard plastic containers to float - clean soda bottles, quart milk jugs, etc. Just make sure you remove any labels and give them a good cleaning on the outside before you put them in the tank. I've used frozen bottles like this to cool tanks that overheated in the summer when I didn't have a chiller or air conditioning to cool the tank. Your oscars would have a harder time destroying them, too.

Or, if you have a tank divider, you can place it near the end of the tank and add small quantities of dechlorinated warm water to the tank on the side where the fish aren't.

A canister filter will not operate without power.The bacteria begin to die in 2 hours,and without oxygen are completely dead in 24 hours. You should try to find a source of heat (kerosine heater ) or something like that to keep the tank warm,as well as yourself. Also it's probably too late to save any heat from the tank with blankets,but that would have been a good idea when the power first went off. Good luck.---Hope it comes back on soon,say what's powering your computer?

The temperature drop is going to be a gradule one. As long as the tank doesn't drop too far there should be no shock or problem with the fish. They will adjust as the temperature slowly drops.

If youhave a gas stove or portable heat source like a kerosene heater water can be heated and either placed into a water bottle or into bags or containers and floated in your tank. Re heat the water as needed. You should be able to retain some hot water from the sink as well.

Wrapping in blankes will help insulate from heat loss.

Air is another important issue here. Lifting water from the tank and pouring it back into the tank will help to add dissolved oxygen to the water. Do this about 10 times each hour.

As far as filtration, unless you have a battery pump this isn't the most important issue right now.

Hydrogen peroxide can also be added to the tank to create oxygen. (no it won't hurt your fish) If you need to know how to do this and how much, feel free to email me.

Good luck.

I agree with pretty much everything Danielle said but will add one thing. While the filtration isn't terribly important on a short power outage, keeping the filter and media wet is. If you have external filters, it isn't a problem as the media is inclosed and will be in water but the popular bio-wheels can dry out pretty fast. If you have that type filter, I would suggest also pouring water over it several times per hour or even putting it in some tank water so it stays submerged.

the suitable thank you to maintain an aquarium that small on the right temperature, is to set the room temp on the wanted temp for the fish. of direction, which would be spendy. The smallest tank which may be suitable maintained on the wanted temp, with a heater, is 5 gallons. you may desire to shop some species of killifish, a million male and a pair of ladies, in there for spawning purposed, yet no longer as a habitat.

You can keep doing water changes with warmer water. It will take a lot of work to maintain the pH but it will help keep the water oxygenated as well.

If your stove is a gas range, you can try heating some water and then putting that water into some ziploc bags that can tolerate the heat. Then you can float those bags in the tank and you won't have to worry about affecting the water chemistry.

Wrap a dark blanket around it. It will insulate the tank. If your tank is covered, it doesn't lose heat that fast. If it isn't covered, cover it with something solid.

Also, if it is dropping during the day, try to put it in a light source (sunlight, if there is any) - but away from drafts.

Note; this is only for very temporary measures.. it doesn't suffice for a long time.

cheers

Polystyrene or cork tiles are very good, and can be stacked out of the way nearby. You can layer them over the top of the tank, too.

My husband got me a generator for long outages and an inverter for short term use. These are life savers!