Irf
Fish Crazy
Last Friday morning I gave the community tank occupants their food as normal, putting the lights on and turning the filter off, adding a bit of flake, a bit of courgette, a bit of vegetable pellets and also a cube of frozen food. Then I went to work, as normal.
When I got back nearly 12 hours later I picked up my mail, got a drink and went into the dining room to look at my fish again. I dropped everything I was carrying.
The water was cloudy, and almost all the fish were either swimming or floating at the top. Some of them like the swordtails and clown loaches were swimming vertically, with their mouths at the top gasping. One or two were lying on the leaves of plants, while a few were on the substrate. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE FILTER BACK ON!
I quickly switched it back on the get the water moving again and bubbles circulating. I had just two days earlier got a new Eheim Ecco but hadn't fitted it yet. I threw that together and dropped the hoses in from the front of the tank and powered that up as well. Then I sat down and watched the poor traumatised fishies, cursing myself for being such an idiot.
Within 10 mins most had perked up again, though the water was still a bit cloudy. Within 30 mins all the occupants appeared to have fully recovered from their ordeal.
Over the weekend the water slowly cleared, and now (because of two lots of filtration) it's crystal clear. I have also done a 40% water change, and hoovered the substrate. However I did have to remove a dead kuhli loach this morning.... and I'm feeling really guilty that it died as a direct result of the stress it received.
I'm really only writing this because I feel sooooo guilty about what nearly happened to all my lovely friends.
And obviously, from now on I won't be switching anything off when feeding them. To hell with wasted food and having to clean the filter more regularly!
Irf.
When I got back nearly 12 hours later I picked up my mail, got a drink and went into the dining room to look at my fish again. I dropped everything I was carrying.
The water was cloudy, and almost all the fish were either swimming or floating at the top. Some of them like the swordtails and clown loaches were swimming vertically, with their mouths at the top gasping. One or two were lying on the leaves of plants, while a few were on the substrate. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE FILTER BACK ON!
I quickly switched it back on the get the water moving again and bubbles circulating. I had just two days earlier got a new Eheim Ecco but hadn't fitted it yet. I threw that together and dropped the hoses in from the front of the tank and powered that up as well. Then I sat down and watched the poor traumatised fishies, cursing myself for being such an idiot.
Within 10 mins most had perked up again, though the water was still a bit cloudy. Within 30 mins all the occupants appeared to have fully recovered from their ordeal.
Over the weekend the water slowly cleared, and now (because of two lots of filtration) it's crystal clear. I have also done a 40% water change, and hoovered the substrate. However I did have to remove a dead kuhli loach this morning.... and I'm feeling really guilty that it died as a direct result of the stress it received.
I'm really only writing this because I feel sooooo guilty about what nearly happened to all my lovely friends.
And obviously, from now on I won't be switching anything off when feeding them. To hell with wasted food and having to clean the filter more regularly!
Irf.
, how bigs you tank and how many fish do you have?
"Hey, things are a little too quiet ... where's the usual soothing trickling sound and humming that comes from the tank? 
... everything is unplugged! "
