6h Power Outage

So I live on a college campus and they just informed me that they're turning the power off tomorrow for 6 hours (while I'm gone at school and work) for maintenance.. which means I'll have no filter, and no heater for my 10 gallon inhabited tank, and my 20 gallon cycling tank (fishless).

Obviously I'm more worried about my 10 gallon tank that has the living creatures in it. I assume, as long as there is water in my 20g, the BB will be fine.

So I'm wondering, will my fish be okay for 6 hours without a filter and heater? Or is there something I should do for them? Also, I'm broke so yeah. Yayyy college life

My room stays at about 60°F and my tank is at 75°F

I have danios, plecos, a snail, and a crab (hence the upgrade to a 20g. I'm not posting to discuss my stocking issues, I've discussed them already and on my way to fixing it)

Thanks in advanced!!

 

Wrap the tank with a towel or blanket to prevent too much of a temp drop. Place any media inside the tank. If you have a battery-powered air pump on hand, that would help with oxygen levels though I wouldn't be too concerned if you don't since 6 hours isn't all that long.

 

El337 pretty much explained what you can do. why is your room so cold my goodness I would freeze. Ive never tried this but you might be able to tape a heat pack or 2 to the outside of the tank it might work but that's a risk. Best bet is the blanket method above

 

Wrap the tank with a towel or blanket to prevent too much of a temp drop. Place any media inside the tank. If you have a battery-powered air pump on hand, that would help with oxygen levels though I wouldn't be too concerned if you don't since 6 hours isn't all that long.

I don't have a battery powered air pump unfortunately. Would an oxygen tab be a good idea in the tank? I might get some depending on how much they cost. I will definitely put some blankets around the tank. I currently have a lid on the tank that covers most of it with a 4inx2in break out for my filter and heater. I have a screen from another tank I'm not using that would allow air to get into the tank better. Should I use that? Would it really do anything?

El337 pretty much explained what you can do. why is your room so cold my goodness I would freeze. Ive never tried this but you might be able to tape a heat pack or 2 to the outside of the tank it might work but that's a risk. Best bet is the blanket method above

I'll watch my tanks temp. And see if a heat pack would be needed. If do do end up using one, I'll wrap it in a towel and put it against one side of the tank in between the blankets and then check on them to see if they're huddling on the other side of the tank or not.

I over-heat really easily, so 60°F is comfortable to me. Sometimes its too hot depending on what I'm doing and wearing lol in summer, I always wear a tank top with shorts and I freeze wet towels and put them over my shoulders and head cause I get too hot (between 85°F and 90°F and then ~105°F for a week or two) and in the winter I wear a tank top and sweat pants inside. If I go outside I put on a nice hoodie. That's usually 60°F inside and 40°F - 50°F outside. And then when it gets snowy and icy for a week or two, I wear a vest over my hoodie and maybe use a heat pack thing depending lol

 

I don't have a air pump unfortunately. Would an oxygen tab be a good idea in the tank? I might get some depending on how much they cost. I will definitely put some blankets around the tank. I currently have a lid on the tank that covers most of it with a 4inx2in break out for my filter and heater. I have a screen from another tank I'm not using that would allow air to get into the tank better. Should I use that? Would it really do anything?

I don't know what an oxygen tab is but I wouldn't add one. I think your fish will be just fine with the blanket and the media placed inside the tank. You don't need the air pump since again, it's just a few hours. I just like having one in case the power goes out longer than 12 hours or so, especially if I'm not home.

 

I recommend doing a water change after the power comes back on. If any bacteria died off then you'll have ammonia within your filter. This can be prevented with adding a bubbler within your filter while the power is out.

I highly recommend getting a battery powered air pump as it's much cheaper in the long run. Oh, and if you spray some hydrogen peroxide on something organic in your tank (like driftwood, algae, or even plants) it'll release microfine bubbles of pure oxygen for up to 24 hours. You can actually make a diy oxygenator on YouTube with it.

 

Okay, thanks guys!! If they keep the power off for longer than 6 hours, I'll see about the battery powered pump, or hydrogen peroxide. And in the future, I'll be getting a battery powered pump for sure for cases like this! Just need a paycheck lol