Posted by PHSplendens on December 08, 2002 at 00:38:07:
In Reply to: Re: living in durham... need to thaw out my fish... posted by climbnrox on December 07, 2002 at 22:44:48:
Since it's going to be so long without electricity, there is a good chance you will lose a lot, if not all of them. Without aeration they will suffocate, if the toxins don't get to them first. If you can't get the battery operated air pump where you live or in an area near you that has electricity, then you need to do it manually by hand every half an hour for a few minutes each time. I understand this is a big inconvenience, but without it they will die. Since you can't get a kerosene heater, then the only hope you have of trying to keep them warm is by wrapping up the tank. However, it only keeps the warmth in for so long and then the tank will get as cold as the room. Since they are tropical fish, then I wouldn't hold out too much hope of them surviving that long without heat. A few things you can do to try and help them are don't feed them and if they do start dying take out any dead fish you find right away.
If by some chance any make it, then warm up the water very slowly so as not to cause extra stress or shock. What I would do is turn the heater on a very low setting and let that run until the water temp reaches that setting. Then turn it up a little more, and keep doing this until the temp is at the desired temp. Your female more than likely will lose the fry, if she lives through the power outage. I wish you the best of luck with them and hope they all make it.
PHSplendens
