Idiot Of The Year Award Goes To.....Me!

[Gilli]

Hi guys

Well ive committed the ultimate sin -I turned my filter off and forgot about it - for about 24 hours!!! AAARRGGHH!!

I have a 250L tank and an external filter which gets blocked with baby snails from time to time reducing the flow, so I often turn it off for a few minutes until it drains then turn it back on and it usually fixes the problem. But yesterday I turned it off - got distracted and forgot to turn it back on! I went to check on the tank first thing this morning as I always do and saw the filter was off!!! Will it be ok? I know I will get a cycling spike but is it likely to be major?

Its a mature tank up and running for a year now and the filter has been running for about 16 months as I ran it alongside an undergravel filter in my smaller tank before I upgraded to this one. I did an immediate water test - ammonia was 0 but nirtite was 0.25. so ive done a 50% water change with a light gravel vac (as I was due for my 30% weekly water change today).Its not overstocked.

Obviously I am going to test the water daily and keep doing a daily water changes until everything returns to 0, but should I cut down on the feeding until I get 0 readings?

I could kick myself im so upset....

 

[Curiosity101]

It shouldn't be too much of a problem if it's anything like my tank. My dad fed the fish and turned to filter off so that he could. However many hundred of times I've fed them with the filter on apparently when he feeds them it goes straight into the filter....

Anyways, he forgot and left it off overnight and I barely had any spikes.

 

[Gilli]

Thanks for the reassurance. Ive just tested the water again after my water change and nirtite is back to 0. Will test again tomorrow.

Should I cut back on feeding?

Tank is 250L as mentioned and stocked with the following

3 kribs
2 black phantom tetra
4 panda corys
2 rainbowfish
2 bristle nose plecs
9 cardinal tetras

Before anyone comments the phantoms are all that was left from an original group of 6 bought about 2 years ago (dont want to restock) as are the rainbowfish and corys. And the kribs and cardinals get on fine - kribs are mature and have been together with the cardinals for about 9 months!

 

[WILDER]

Cut back on feeding.
If water stats are 0 ammonia and nitrite tomorrow, just feed them normal routine again.

 

[Truck]

There may have been a small amount of die off, if there has, it will be <9%, nothing to big, it will have rectified itself within 24 hours.

 

[Gilli]

Well thanks for the replies all. Just to let you know I tested my water this morning and nitrite and ammonia are 0. Will test again tomorrow and it they are still at 0 I will be one happy bunny!

Just goes to show that we all panic far too much when the power goes off for a few hours!!

 

[WILDER]

Thanks for the update.