Measures in Case of an Emergency

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Hey y'all! I've been thinking about what I would do if I had an emergency with my fish tank (nothing is happening now, just thinking ahead). What are some good ideas for dealing with emergencies with the fish tank for the casual hobbyist with one tank (of any size) as opposed to a fish room?

An example of what I mean by "emergencies": I had a nitrite spike a few months ago due to excess algae killer and I removed my fish from the main tank and put them in clean de-chlorinated water in my 10-gallon temporarily until I finished cleaning my tank. Thankfully I was able to save most of my stock, though I did lose a newly put-in Polar Convict Parrot and my Green Phantom Pleco.

 

[Ansorgii]

Some friends of mine swear on zeolite powder, the really fine stuff you can buy in a pharmacy, however they buy it somewhere online since its the same stuff but for a reasonable price. Zeolite is cheap and milling it aswell.

It absorbs ions like Nitrite and collects in the filter while being harmless to the fish.

Its a good first measure for an unfortunate event like a dead stingray.

I used to have it around but never had to test it. Now that I quit stingrays I gave it away.

 

[Deadeye]

An aquarium siphon is your best friend if you don’t currently have one. You can drain and refill a 55 in half an hour with one.
Keep an airstone on hand for extra surface agitation in the event of emergency - extra O2 almost always helps.
Have various medicines in case of disease or infection.
Know where the closest new tank is if something goes really wrong…and hope it doesn’t go wrong at night (it always does).

 

[jjohnwm]

The most universal answer to almost any aquarium catastrophe is an immediate and large water change, either in the affected tank or simply by placing the fish into a new container of fresh water. If you have chlorinated tap water, then obviously dechlorinator is something to keep on hand, but most people who might need it already have it.

In addition to basic tools like buckets and a siphon hose, a battery-powered air pump or two is a comfort. A laser-pointer temperature probe is nice as it allows near-instantaneous multiple readings to be taken, no waiting.

I always have plenty of salt on hand...plain ordinary table salt or pickling salt, not fancy "aquarium" salt. As a member of the Borg Collective Hive Mind...i.e. a Canadian...I can't be trusted with aquarium fish medications, but I always keep on hand some puppy de-wormer in case of need.

All the above stuff may come in handy when a problem arises...better to have and not need than to need and not have...but I'd rather set myself up carefully to minimize the chances of such emergencies. I think the simplest and most critical step to take in that direction is to have quarantine tanks...and to use them!...whenever bringing home new fish.

A nitrite spike due to excess algae killer? Okay...if you say so...but hopefully, the longer you stay in the hobby, the less you will experience such exotic and esoteric "emergencies" that are often created by a reliance on snake-oil solutions to simple or even non-existent problems.

 

[phreeflow]

In my zebra pleco breeding tank, I have my filters, powerheads, and heater plugged into a Bluetti portable power station that kicks on when the power goes out.

For my other tanks, I just have an extra sponge filter running in each tank. They are Run off of portable air pumps that automatically switch from AC to DC battery power during outages.

Amazon.com

Also, a bottle of Seachem Prime to lockup nitrites/nitrates.

And like everyone said, in any emergency, nothing beats a water change

 

[fishhead0103666]

Seachem safe prime can be used to neutralize ammonia temporarily from what I understand so it’s a useful bandaid to have

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

An aquarium siphon is your best friend if you don’t currently have one. You can drain and refill a 55 in half an hour with one.
Keep an airstone on hand for extra surface agitation in the event of emergency - extra O2 almost always helps.
Have various medicines in case of disease or infection.
Know where the closest new tank is if something goes really wrong…and hope it doesn’t go wrong at night (it always does).

I definitely have a vacuum/siphon. What medicines should I have? I don't know about fish medicine really well...

Also, disasters seem to always happen at nighttime for me as well...funny how that works isn't it?

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Thank you all for your responses! I just have been thinking ahead and I want to make sure I have everything nessacary for any emergency.

 

[Deadeye]

The main meds I’d have on hand are metronidazole, praziquantel, and kanamycin. These + table salt should cover most common diseases you come across.

 

[Caveden]

What would yall do if there’s a power outage, and the pump stop working, so there’s no oxygen in the tank? I have always wondered what to do in that situation, but never thought of a working solution…