Uncycled aquarium?

[esoxlucius]

Sigh. Now that my tank has been moved and I have moved out of my home for the renovation to start, I am unable to check up on my fish regularly. I am only able to check up once a week to feed them. My next water change would be in a long one months time due to waterworks being changed for renovation ( I can’t do anything about it). I also cannot check for uneaten foods. I will be expecting casualties from this, but i will still be unable to do anything.

I don't know what fish you have, or stocking levels, but if there is absolutely no way of any water changes, or maintenance, then I'd be sorely tempted to not feed at all!!

The most important thing is to keep the power on during your renovations so that water temp and oxygen levels remain stable.

The fishes breathing process alone will produce enough ammonia to cause you a problem over that period of time, let alone feeding them too, which will only add to the rising nitrate levels.

At the end of it you might have a few slimmer looking fish, but at least they'll be alive! The vast majority of hobbyists underestimate just how long fish can go without food.

Oh, and when your water is turned back on I'd run it for a while through the new system/piping, whatever it is you're having changed, to flush out anything that could cause you a problem during a water change.

I wish you, and your fish, the best of luck.

 

[Krismo962]

I haven't used them personally but I've heard you can get 'nitrate absorbing pads' at fish stores, people use them when they go on vacation/can't do waterchanges. Since their hungry anyway... wouldn't they eat all the food offered?

 

[jjohnwm]

Don't cave in to the temptation of giving them large quantities of food when you see them. Feedings should be extremely small to minimize ammonia production as much as possible.

Also keep in mind airborne pollutants like fumes from paints, adhesives, solvents, etc. If any of these are going to be used during the renovations...and it seems almost guaranteed that they will be...a simple canvas tarp is not going to do much if anything to protect your fish. A plastic tarp or drop sheet tightly wrapped around your complete tank/sump unit, and sealed with tape, will help. An airpump placed outdoors in clean air, with an airline running into the tank, will create a slight positive pressure inside the wrapped plastic which will prevent toxic fumes from entering.

The key to having your fish survive this reno is to think everything through ahead of time and prepare for the inevitable hurdles that will arise.

 

[xenacanth9]

Big +1

 

[Caveden]

Yep. I definitely am keeping in mind that some fish may not survive. I was thinking of feeding once a week. Should I reduce it even more, and leave it unfed for 3 weeks - 1 month?
Unable to add an airline, no more power sockets. The lids of the tank are closed shut, and the tank is placed in a room where the doors are shut. Don’t think fumes will enter? Idk

 

[jjohnwm]

Even low-VOC paints have a detectable odour just about anywhere in the house when painting is going on, closed doors notwithstanding. Many other solvents, cleaners, etc. are much worse.

Tank lids keep fish in, slow down evaporation...but the air under the lid still comes from the room the tank is in. Surely there is an unused electrical socket somewhere inside or outside that can be pressed into service for this; the airpump is outside the house to provide clean air and can be located anywhere within reason , so electricity is likely available somewhere. All you need is a long air line.

Light feedings, or none at all, are the way to go. I would be doing a careful head count of all my livestock each time I visited the tank if I were you. Remove any dead or even look-soon-to-be-dead ones; gotta be ruthless. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one.

IMHO, this is very important stuff; far more critical than worrying about your fish going on a diet for a few weeks or months. I have lost fish in the past due to toxic fumes...never had a fish starve to death...

Consider also: if your fish go unfed for a couple weeks, it won't hurt them...but their production of ammonia will decrease. As a result, your population of nitrifying bacteria will drop somewhat, to a level that is supported by the lowered ammonia production. If you then perform a heavy feeding, you may actually experience an ammonia spike until the population rebounds enough to "catch up" to the sudden influx of ammonia that will follow the influx of food...perhaps a couple of days. For this reason alone it's a good plan to make infrequent feedings very small ones if you feel you must do them at all.

 

[Caveden]

Of

I don't know what fish you have, or stocking levels, but if there is absolutely no way of any water changes, or maintenance, then I'd be sorely tempted to not feed at all!!

The most important thing is to keep the power on during your renovations so that water temp and oxygen levels remain stable.

The fishes breathing process alone will produce enough ammonia to cause you a problem over that period of time, let alone feeding them too, which will only add to the rising nitrate levels.

At the end of it you might have a few slimmer looking fish, but at least they'll be alive! The vast majority of hobbyists underestimate just how long fish can go without food.

Oh, and when your water is turned back on I'd run it for a while through the new system/piping, whatever it is you're having changed, to flush out anything that could cause you a problem during a water change.

I wish you, and your fish, the best of luck.

Of course, I knew something would go wrong. I just received a call, renovator said the outlet for my filter in the 55g went out. Only 3 fish survived. I was prepared anyway for losses. I couldn’t check on it. At least my fishes in the 6ft tank are all doing fine for now.

 

[esoxlucius]

Of course, I knew something would go wrong. I just received a call, renovator said the outlet for my filter in the 55g went out.

It's stressful enough if you are away from your home for any length of time, on holiday or work commitments for example. Are fish going to survive? How do I feed them? Can I trust a neighbour or family member? We see countless threads regarding this.

However, throw renovations and workmen into the mix and then you have a high probability that, somewhere along the line, the power will be off for some reason. That's exactly why I said, "the most important thing is to keep the power on during your renovations".

Fish will stand not being fed for a long while and will even cope with foul water for a time. But oxygen? No. Tank wipe outs but for the extremely hardy.

I'm sorry for your losses and hope the rest of your fish pull through.

 

[Caveden]

It's stressful enough if you are away from your home for any length of time, on holiday or work commitments for example. Are fish going to survive? How do I feed them? Can I trust a neighbour or family member? We see countless threads regarding this.

However, throw renovations and workmen into the mix and then you have a high probability that, somewhere along the line, the power will be off for some reason. That's exactly why I said, "the most important thing is to keep the power on during your renovations".

Fish will stand not being fed for a long while and will even cope with foul water for a time. But oxygen? No. Tank wipe outs but for the extremely hardy.

I'm sorry for your losses and hope the rest of your fish pull through.

Yep. I couldn’t do anything about the power. I couldn’t do anything about it since I’m living elsewhere while the Reno is going on. When my house is fully renovated, I’ll rescale and redo the 55g again. Maybe I’ll plan to do a single solo fish instead of community.

theres Three fish that survived in the 55g. What I’m guessing is alive is the ropefish. Since all the fish died I’m sure the water is filled with ammonia. I can’t waterchange as waterworks is down due to renovation, another problem there. Would a ropfish survive with bichirs and arowanas? Don’t think so..

 

[Caveden]

It's stressful enough if you are away from your home for any length of time, on holiday or work commitments for example. Are fish going to survive? How do I feed them? Can I trust a neighbour or family member? We see countless threads regarding this.

However, throw renovations and workmen into the mix and then you have a high probability that, somewhere along the line, the power will be off for some reason. That's exactly why I said, "the most important thing is to keep the power on during your renovations".

Fish will stand not being fed for a long while and will even cope with foul water for a time. But oxygen? No. Tank wipe outs but for the extremely hardy.

I'm sorry for your losses and hope the rest of your fish pull through.

Look at the state of the tank, I wonder how the ropefish managed to survive. The tank was filled with decaying bodies of fish, water surface so saturated with dead matter the bubbles on the water surface weren’t even popping. The enitre substrate was filled with the skeletons and dead fish.
shows how hardy ropefish and bichirs can be. If I’m not wrong they are from the polypterus family?

I’ve removed everything, cleaned the filter and threw away the biomedia as well. Redoing the entire thing. The stench when I cleared it was unbearable of rotting meat.

I will probably start afresh, with the mindset of keeping smaller species of snakeheads in the 55g after the renovation ends. Not sure what to do with the ropefish.