EMERGENCY Filter and air stone BOTH broken.

[Tttay89]

Noticed this morning one of my fish breathing heavily which was unusual as I have had the healthy tank 4 years with no problems at all. I then noticed my air stone wasn't working, I was about to turn the valve on my filter to increase water movement and noticed this wasn't on either!, They are both connected to the same power source as everything else which works fine, ie light l, heater etc. My main question is What do I do now I had to go to work and can't return untill 6pm tonight so am slightly worried, am also assuming the tank is full of ammonia I will rest this when I return , for now I have just dosed with prime and put a jug or cold water in. The filter I currently have is around 18" long and 4" thick, it sucks up from a pipe in the water but the filter sit on the outside of the water and pumps back in. So I'm assuming my bacteria in the filter not being submerged has ruined it. Could I get a temporary filter and put some media from the existing filter in? Any other help would be greatly appreciated, I don't wanna lose any fish Thankyou

 

[Colin_T]

Turn the tank lights on and the live plants should deal with any ammonia and help produce oxygen in the water.

Don't feed the fish until the filter is working again.

Try plugging the filter and pump into different power sockets and see if they work there. You might have a faulty socket.

Check the power meter box out the front of your property to make sure no circuit breakers have tripped.

If the filter media is damp, the bacteria should be fine. You can take some water from the aquarium and pour it into the power filter. It will help keep the bacteria alive for longer.

If the filter media is going to dry out, then put it in the aquarium and the water will keep it alive.

Blow some air through the airstone to create some aeration, then go to work and deal with it when you get home.

 

[GaryE]

Check the power meter box out the front of your property to make sure no circuit breakers have tripped.

I agree with all of Colin's advice, but outside circuit breakers? Cool. You may want to check in a basement or if you're in an old house, a kitchen in North America.