Tank size: 10 gals
pH: 8
ammonia: 0.1 ppm before 40% water change
nitrite: 0.2 ppm before 40% water change
nitrate: 10 ppm before 40% water change
kH: not known
gH: not known
tank temp: 25 c
My dear stepson was staying for a couple of nights to dog-sit (and fish-sit, I guess), and found the pump running my air stone too loud for him to sleep....so he switched off the electrical sockets supplying the entire tank....
Effectively, the filter and heater were off for nearly 12 hrs.
I only have a 10 gallon tank, which has been well maintained for 10 months....I do 20% water changes 2 or 3 times a week, as it's stocked to capacity (not beyond it though, according to my sources 
). Ammonia and nitrite historically zero, nitrate around 10 ppm.
I was away at the time this happened, so I was unable to do a water change for another 24 hrs after the filter was switched back on.
This is a major disaster in such a small tank, right?? The minute I got back this morning I changed about 40% of the water, and added 3 ml of filter start (may not be any use but it made me feel a bit better ). I tested the water I removed, and found 0.1 ppm ammonia, 10 ppm nitrate....and 0.2 ppm NITRITE. Yikes. Presumably there was an ammonia spike and now I'm in mini-cycle? Will some of the bacteria have died off in the time the filter was not running?
The inhabitants are all alive, with some signs of distress earlier - but movement has definitely increased since I made the water change.
Is there anything else I can do? How soon can I do another water change - I was going to re-test and do another change in 24 hrs? Should it be a smaller amount (say 20%)??
I don't have dozens of useful products sitting around that I can use - only the filter start, some melafix and some tonic salts. Will something else help minimise the damage?
Thanks for your help
pH: 8
ammonia: 0.1 ppm before 40% water change
nitrite: 0.2 ppm before 40% water change
nitrate: 10 ppm before 40% water change
kH: not known
gH: not known
tank temp: 25 c
My dear stepson was staying for a couple of nights to dog-sit (and fish-sit, I guess), and found the pump running my air stone too loud for him to sleep....so he switched off the electrical sockets supplying the entire tank....
Effectively, the filter and heater were off for nearly 12 hrs.
I only have a 10 gallon tank, which has been well maintained for 10 months....I do 20% water changes 2 or 3 times a week, as it's stocked to capacity (not beyond it though, according to my sources ). Ammonia and nitrite historically zero, nitrate around 10 ppm.I was away at the time this happened, so I was unable to do a water change for another 24 hrs after the filter was switched back on.
This is a major disaster in such a small tank, right?? The minute I got back this morning I changed about 40% of the water, and added 3 ml of filter start (may not be any use but it made me feel a bit better
). I tested the water I removed, and found 0.1 ppm ammonia, 10 ppm nitrate....and 0.2 ppm NITRITE. Yikes. Presumably there was an ammonia spike and now I'm in mini-cycle? Will some of the bacteria have died off in the time the filter was not running?The inhabitants are all alive, with some signs of distress earlier - but movement has definitely increased since I made the water change.
Is there anything else I can do? How soon can I do another water change - I was going to re-test and do another change in 24 hrs? Should it be a smaller amount (say 20%)??
I don't have dozens of useful products sitting around that I can use - only the filter start, some melafix and some tonic salts. Will something else help minimise the damage?
Thanks for your help
