Its going to be an interesting night

[PostalPenguin]

I have lost power three times tonight but only about 5 minutes at a time. There are continual problems with the powerlines behind my house, I hear a loud electric zap noise and then the power goes out. I think my fish are probably wondering why the flow keeps starting and stopping. I must say how much I love canisters since I dont have to worry about them restarting even after a power loss. Makes sleeping easier knowing I wont wake up to a disaster thumbs2:

How long can a tank run without power? I know the bacteria will be fine in the canister for a few hours but how fast does ammonia build up in the tank? Heating isn't an issue since my room is warm but all things considered can a tank survive say 4 -5 hours without filtration or water movement?

[DrNic]

I have lost power three times tonight but only about 5 minutes at a time. There are continual problems with the powerlines behind my house, I hear a loud electric zap noise and then the power goes out. I think my fish are probably wondering why the flow keeps starting and stopping. I must say how much I love canisters since I dont have to worry about them restarting even after a power loss. Makes sleeping easier knowing I wont wake up to a disaster thumbs2:

How long can a tank run without power? I know the bacteria will be fine in the canister for a few hours but how fast does ammonia build up in the tank? Heating isn't an issue since my room is warm but all things considered can a tank survive say 4 -5 hours without filtration or water movement?

I've had power losses for 18 hours without a problem using HOB filters. The fish seemed fine, although I did have to add some water to the filters to get them going again once the power came back on.

If the lights are still on you might want to think about unplugging them. I've heard that on/off power can take a toll on the lights and fixtures.

[jaimoe]

This time of year you should be ok overnight and even partly into tomorrow. If it's any longer than that you might want to think of agitating the water every once in a while and doing a partial water change.

[jaysee]

The bacteria should be okay for several hours, maybe up to 10 or 12 as long as it's kept wet. I don't think the ammonia build up will be an issue (lethal) unless the filter is off for several days. I base that on the fish in cycle and my experiences impropperly keeping baitfish. The aeration is the thing that'll kill'em