caymansarah

With 2 days before we fly to Florida for 10 days my 30 gall tank sprung a leak...Right now my fishies are in a bucket and my plants in another. I saved as much of the water as I could. This afternoon the fish shop guy is coming round to fix my tank and he is bringing a loaner tank to house my fish and plants until we get back and sorted.

My concern, though is the cycling. The water I have managed to keep will onlhy partially fill the tank - I only have 2 clean 2 gallon bucket and 2 pyrex bowls - I will be lucky if I get 3 gallons of the old water. I have kept the filter wet in the old water. So when he brings the new tank it will be largely new water, I can sit the filter in there but I doubt it will fit his tank (mine is a biocube and I am quite certain he won't be lending me a 29 gall biocube!). Is it going to be enough to keep the cycle going to have 3 galls of the old water with the filter placed somewhere in the tank - as close to the loaner filter as poss?

I am going away on saturday and won't be around to monitor.... also I will have to cycle my old repaired tank when I refill it...although at least this time I will have more existing water from the loan tank to move across....

My neighbour is coming in to feed but is no expert and I have asked that he contact the fishstore guy if the fish look sick or any die...

I am worried.

Sharkitty

Can you get your hands on some TSS to dump in as a back up?

caymansarah

sorry - what is TSS? - would it be similar to Amquel?

Sharkitty

Sorry about that. TSS is Tetra SafeStart - it's a bottle of "good bacteria" that can cycle a tank in a few days. So basically if you don't have enough bacteria left in your filter or water, this could help out.

Also, are you reusing all your gravel? Can you stuff any of your old filter material into the new filter to ensure that water is running through it?

caymansarah

hmm... I can certainly transfer my gravel and I have some coral that sits in my filter to keep the pH levels perfect - so that could go across too....basically it is as many componants of my old tank as possible right?

Shawnie

when it rains it pours doesnt it!!!!!! the water isnt a big deal..theres not much bacteria free floating in it anyhoo ...use new water and just make sure all your filter media, decorations, and subtrate is kept wet with the tank water....then just move it all over and refill with treated tap water and you should be fine....

Sharkitty

Yup!

caymansarah

Just to finish the story - when I came back from my trip 10 days later (a neighbour had been fish feeding for me) the filter on the loaner tank had stopped working - the tank looked a bit like pea soup, the amonia level was 8. I had lost only one fish - surprisingly and most of the plants had died or were rotting.

I transferred everything back and the old tank has regulated - phew...no more fish losses and the very sad plants are trying to grow some leaves back. Thanks everyone for your advice.

ATKINSON

Shame, sorry for your loss.

Lucy

I'm really sorry you lost a fish.
Yikes, with an ammonia reading of 8, I agree, it's surprising you didn't lose more.

I hope you had a wonderful vacation

Tony G.

Oh dear! im sorry you lost your fish you were very lucky to have not lost any others with those waer readings!