Yikes....left the filter off

[lauraj]

Came home tonight to find that I had left the filter off for about 16 hours. As a result, the temp dropped about 8 degees as well.

I started turning the filter off for about 2 minutes during feeding time so that the current of the water wouldn't pull the food down. Guess I forgot to turn it back on before heading to work.

Luckily the fish seem fine.

How much longer would my fish have lasted?

 

[Meman5150]

I would say about 5 days, probably longer. Are you overfeeding your fish? They have small stomachs. My fish wait for me to feed them and they eat it all up before a flake hits the ground.

Edit: I meant the no filtration, not the water temperature part.

 

[lauraj]

My tank is pretty tiny, so the second the food hits the water, it's pulled down by the current from the filter.

Glad to hear I didn't almost kill my fish!

I'll have to be more careful though.

 

[echoofformless]

Fish can live indefinitely without a filter. You just have to change their water and clean the substrate a heck of a lot more often...like every few days.

The only real problem posed by leaving a filter off for an extended period of time is the possibility of anaerobic conditions developing in the filter itself.

 

[Timbo]

The fish should be able to find their food with or without the filter turned off/ on.. It will circulate and if they miss it the first time around, they will catch when it comes around again. Although traditionally top feeders, they will go to wherever they can find it.