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Ally asked in PetsFish · 5 years ago

Fish ok in power outage?

We are having a massive power outage due to a snowstorm (Saskatchewan eh) and I'm worried about my cichlid tank temperature dropping too low? I keep the temp at 79 and it's a 75g so the temperature would take a while to drop too low but will my fish be ok if the temperature drops to room temp? It's pretty chilly inside and the power may stay out for a couple days. Is there anything I can do? We don't have a generator and my heater isn't battery powered.

2 Answers

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  • 5 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    You'll probably have other problems with the lack of power.

    To help with the lack of heat - wrap the tank in a blanket. If the water temperature drops too low, and you have a way to heat water, you can do a partial water change (maybe 15%) with warm water. Try not to make the water temperature change too drastic - that will stress them as much or more than the lack of heat.

    Be aware that the lack of oxygen could also be a problem. If you have a planted tank, keep the plants well lit, since they produce a little oxygen. If you have artificial plants, keep the aquarium dark, to keep the fish at a lower activity level so they'll require less oxygen.

    Keep an eye on the ammonia levels in the tank. Your filter won't be working, so you might have to do an extra water change to help lower the ammonia until your power comes back on.

    Good luck! Cichlids are pretty hardy, but this will take a lot of luck and work on your part to save the tank.

  • User
    Lv 5
    5 years ago

    You live in Saskatchewan but use Fahrenheit? What are you, 80?

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