By Maria and Jo

Contents:

Items to have in your emergency kit
Items to have on hand
Initial preparations
Once the power is out
Longer outages

Summer outages
Winter outages
If you see signs of trouble
What to do when the power returns

Our modern aquariums depend on electricity and a power outage can represent a serious challenge for the fish hobbyist. But if we are well prepared we can save both our fish and the precarious environment in which they live. The following article will suggest what you can do to prepare for the challenge and how you can keep your fish alive both through a short and a longer power outage.

Items to have on hand in your kit:

Blankets, sheets or space blankets, duct tape or string (to secure blankets)
Flashlight and plenty of batteries (so you can see what you're doing)
Battery powered air pumps, air stones, and tubing
Kordon's Amquel or Seachem's Prime water conditioners
Thermometer
Hydrogen peroxide 3%
Measuring spoons
Pen and paper to keep track of the tank readings

General items you should know how to locate:

Medicated food like Medi-Gold or Medi-Koi
Well stocked Medicine Cabinet
Water jugs and fish only water buckets (you do not want to use buckets or jugs that had soap or chemicals in them)
Rubbermaid containers or kiddy pools to be set up as quarantine tanks or emergency tanks
Fishnet
Water test kits e.g. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Fresh Water Testing Kit. Liquid drop kits are more accurate than test strips.

Initial Preparations

If you know you may lose power, perform a large water change and stop feeding.
It is very helpful if your tank is not overstocked and the water parameters are good. If your tank is not well maintained or is overstocked, it will be more difficult to keep the fish alive as the bacteria that eat debris in the tank will consume oxygen that the fish need to survive.
Setting up the battery operated air pumps ahead of time will make it easier for you when the power goes out. The Azoo Battery Backup Pump can be used as a regular air pump and will come on automatically when the power goes out.
Make sure you have all the items you will need
Have some water on hand either in clean one gallon milk jugs or in five gallon fish only buckets in case you will be without water during the outage.

Once The Power Is Out

Your major concerns are to keep the oxygen levels high, ensure that your filter does not dry out and kill the bio filter bacteria, and try to stabilize the water's temperature.

Take note of the temperature of your tank at the beginning of the outage as well as test for ammonia, nitrIte, and pH. Keep an eye on these readings through out the outage and should you see any numbers that are off take appropriate measures.
Do not feed your fish. They will be fine even for a few days without food as most fish do not die of starvation. Feeding will increase the bio load from fish waste and uneaten food.
Remove bio-wheels and filter cartridges (rinse cartridges in a bucket of tank water before floating them in your tank) and let them float in the tank. This way they won't dry out and kill all your good biofilter-bugs.
It would also be a good idea to suspend the filter pads above the air stone to help move water through them and increase the biobugs contact with the water which will help keep ammonia and nitrIte in check.
If you did not remove the filters make sure that you at least discard the old water from filter (not in the tank) and refill with tank water or fresh dechlorinated water and plug back in.
Use your battery air pumps to ensure that the fish get needed oxygen (which is the major danger at a power outage) The Azoo Battery Backup Pumps are very nice and can be used as a regular air pump and will come on automatically when the power goes out. Other types of battery operated air pumps can be purchased at any local Walmart type store (can be found in the fishing department, used for bait buckets). The American Angler brand is very good because they have a wider clip and hang nicely on the side of a tank. They run on one D battery and have an extra storage space for another battery.
Keep stress levels low. Don't disturb your fish more than necessary.

Longer Power Outages

With longer power outages you have to really try to maximize oxygen saturation and at the same time start to be concerned about rising toxins as you do not have a working filter. Depending on the time of year, temperature changes may also be a factor.

Remove bio-wheels and filter cartridges (rinse cartridges in a bucket of tank water before floating them in your tank) and let them float in the tank. This way they won't dry out and kill all your good biofilter-bugs.
It would also be a good idea to suspend the filter pads above the air stone to help move water through them and increase the biobugs contact with the water which will help keep ammonia and nitrIte in check.
If the tank is not by a window or does get sunlight, you may want to consider removing live plants to a clean fish only five gallon bucket or other suitable container. While plants normally add to oxygenation of your tank water with the power out and lights off they will actually compete with the fish for the oxygen and may also start to decompose and add to the ammonia production. However, if you have a tank that has many plants and you anticipate removing plants will bring out debris from the bottom it is better to just leave the plants and prune dead leaves and plants. Use tank water and place bucket near a window.

Summer Power Outages

If you lose power during when it is very hot, your main concern will be to keep the water oxygenated. Goldfish can survive in temperatures as high as 95 degrees but higher the temperature the less oxygen is available to your fish. Heat increases growth of oxygen consuming bacteria and at the same time increases the fish's metabolism, thus consuming more oxygen and producing more carbon dioxide and ammonia.

It is helpful if you have ice packs (or pre-frozen jugs) that you add to the tank
Try to use your airstones to get as much surface movement as possible

Winter Power Outages

In the winter, cooling of the water will become a concern. Goldfish can adjust to falling temperatures once that happens their metabolism starts to slow down. And they should come through it fine. Many tropical fish will not survive a temperature drop. Furthermore, temperature of seventy two degrees or more is necessary for the "good" bacteria that keep your biological filtration system operating well so if it is cold in the room do your best to keep the tank warm.

You can use a large blanket or a silver space blanket to hold in heat if you lose power during the winter


Emergency Space Blanket	Emergency Space Blanket wrapped around a twenty gallon tank

Signs of trouble and what to do

Keep an eye on your fish for any signs of stress. The biggest problem will be a lack of oxygen (hypoxia). If you find them at the top of the tank gasping for air, you are seeing what is called piping.

Increase aeration either with air pump or by hand if you don't have an air pump. (If you don't have a battery operated air pump, you'll need to get one ASAP!) Scoop some water up in a clean pitcher and then dump it back into the tank fast enough to cause splashing, but not so fast as to stir up gunk from the substrate.
As a last resort, you can also add 3% hydrogen peroxide at the rate of 1 cc per 10 gallons of tank water. This will help to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in your tank. You need to make sure the concentrated peroxide doesn't come in contact with the gills. Predissolve the hydrogen peroxide in tank water and pour around the tank, then continue dipping and pouring for several minutes to make sure it disperses well. It will increase oxygen saturation for about 4 hours.

You may see your fish bottom sitting during this time. This would be normal due to the fact that the tank lights are out, the room maybe dark and the tank may be covered. They should return to normal activity fairly quick when you approach the tank or when the lights are back on. If your fish are bottom sitting and breathing heavily then there is a good chance your tank is going toxic, so a partial water change is in order ASAP.

What to do when power returns

Keep an eye on water parameters even after the power is returned because the tank may go through a mini cycle.

Perform a partial water change as soon as possible making sure to match water temperature to that of the tank. If there have been heavy rains and flooding it may be a good idea to check your tap water (using your test kits) before using it for you tanks.
Test the water in your tank. If your water test readings are showing ammonia and or nitrIte take steps to keep ammonia and nitrIte under control.
Check your fish carefully for any signs of illness. There are many pathogens that live in our fish tanks and may take hold of a fish when it is stressed.

Also you should be prepared for an emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) puts out a guide called Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22)