Oh What A Dumb A$$

[fry_lover]

Got home at about mid-night after a night out, decided that was the best time to re-arrange some of my filter wires / plugs

Unplugged both (mature) Eheim 2028's from my 48x22x20 (300 litre) tank, then decided to make a cup of tea before returning to filters and sorting wiring out. The tank relies purely on these x2 2028's both for filtration and oxygen

Had cup of tea, then went straight to bed

Got up this morning, thought "sounds quiet", i'd left the filters unplugged

Fish at tank as of today

x4 Senegal Bichir, about 4"
x2 Reed Fish, about 5"
x1 Syno, about 4"
x1 Gippiceps, about 6"
x1 Pleco, about 3"


Filters were off for 12hrs

Ammonia, showing as 0.0

Nitrite, used x2 different kits, reading between 0.4 and 0.6 mg/l (definitly always 0.0 normally)


I just thought peeps might be interested in how quickly the Nitrite returns to 0.0, so i will test every few hours and post the results.

anybody care to take a guess on how the readings might play out for the rest of the day, based on the facts above?


I dont plan on doing any water changes, i am not panicking at all, if the reading of Nitrite RISES i will have to implement "operation water change" combined with "operation use another mature filter from another tank"


Moral of the story obviously is, dont fart about with filter plugs after a night out, when it could have waited until the morning

 

[helterskelter]

I've done the similar when i had my fish room with over 50 tanks and 30 species or endangered livebearers!!!!

You wake in the morning and your heart stops as you think something not right here!!!!!!!

 

[grimmy]

ive done that before lol

 

[fry_lover]

hello Grimster

Going to test for Nitrite again in about 30 mins, before i go out for a few hours, will post results

 

[fry_lover]

okay about 2 hrs since i did the first nitrite test, the readings have definitly gone down, now in between 0.2 and 0.4

Will test again in about 2-3 hrs

 

[DarkEntity]

Itll be fine, most bacteria will survive for up to 24 hours as long as there is food, which in a mature tank there will be as the filter will be full of water and fish poo.

 

[fry_lover]

okay, almost 4 hrs since first nitrite test (which was between 0.4 and 0.6) it's now between 0.1 and 0.2

 

[afishdude]

was liquor involved?

 

[fry_lover]

was liquor involved?

i am afraid it was Dude, i am ashamed to say

well this thread is finished now, just tested for Nitrite (approx 7 hrs after initial readings) and its now reading 0.0

 

[MHunt]

I wouldn't worry too much, my power was off for at least 12 hours during the day thanks to "essential maintainance to the supply" by my electricity company. If you have a nice mature tank, there are other areas where the waste is broken down so you don't have to rely completely on the filter when it starts up again. The biggest thing for me was making sure the filters started again, I have a fluval 2 and 3 in two of my tanks and they have a habit of not starting themselves if the impeller isn't regularly cleaned.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Yup, thats alcohol for you