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Hi everyone,

I'm redoing the family room floor (sanding and re-applying crystal coating). The contractor ask everybody to leave the house for 36 hours, as the product they apply could be harmful to humans and dogs. He saw my 75G tank and said that, even my fish would have problem. He told me that some of his clients fish died after the process. He recommended me to turn off the filter, as this seemed to help some of his clients fish survived. From our conversation, obviously his not knowledgible in fish keeping. But in this situation does turning the filter off make sense? And how long can I turn off the filter without killing all the beneficial bacteria? Any one experienced this before? Thanks for your advice..

Forgot to mention that I have a Rena XP3 and a Fluval 4 (internal filter) running in my 75G.

THe only logic i can see behind that is less surface agitation = less gas exchange, and so less toxic stuff in tank. What about covering the tank with glad wrap?

Yes, saranrap or something similar will help keep out particles and other chemicals, but you should do an extra precaution-take out the filter and the light and put in a fan to blow away any dust. Or you could put in a sheet of glass for even further protection.

If the clients' fish died, did they cover it? You should ask him. If so, it could have been of other reasons. The sound for instance, it is probably loud and could stress out the fish.

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As for the bacteria, if you put it in a bag with water, or a filter saver bag and put it in a fish tank, the bacteria will stay alive. Anyway, there should still be enough bacteria in the gravel and decor and such..........

Also, if you could put a bag over the surface and tie it down, that would be ifne. As long as you put a covering of some sort, then all will be fine. If you leave the timer on for the light, and even an in-tank bubbler, the fish will survive. Good luck, and best hopes for a new floor!

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You could try not turning off the filter and just running a hell of a lot of carbon to pick up as much trace toxin as possible. I fail to see how just leaving the filter off will stop poisons getting into the tank, just put cling wrap over the top and make sure its airtight,drop the water level a little, and occassionally chuck an oxygenating tablet in.

Presumably most of the toxins get in via the water surface or the aerators. Just not agitating the water surface wont prevent this. Just try to keep the whole aquarium like a sealed unit for as long as possible. Dont allow atmospheric air into it anywhere.

His advice about turning the tank off is probably purely anecdotal, and not based on evidence or physics and chemistry! I think turning the filter off could only ever make it worse. Dont listen to the dude, and just seal off the tank as best you can, its the only safe way. Without good respiration theres no way a fish could shift any toxins from its body anyway. If you have to take the hood off and just cling film the top and all around the tubes, do that, and try to find an alternative way to oxygenate the tank in a way that doesnt allow atmospheric air in. Maybe a little oxygen bottle fed in through a co2 system instead of co2, or a lot of oxygenating tablets? Fish use oxygen in the parts per million, a tank only half filled will have enough oxygenation in it to last practically all week, as long as you can keep the water surface roiling, which is handy cos that clearcote will probably be pumping out toxin for a couple of weeks, actually the reason why i suggested massive use of carbon, especially for when you take the lid off again.

Go paranoid with the cling film and im sure it will work out. Use many layers.

1. is it planted? or not planted?
2. what is in it?


sure, you could turn off the filter, but cutting the off the filter is going to cut off O2 supply to the bacteria, which will die, which will in turn cause ammonia toxicity.

Exactly, you turn that filter off for a couple of days and there will be nothing living in it apart from regular decompositional bacteria, and that will be giving out hydrogen sulphide, co2, and loads of ammonia. Your fish may or may not survive the clearcote pollution, but whats gonna save them from a dirty filter and a re -cycle?

Id keep it running, and just cut the tank off from the real problem- the pollution in the air.

Thanks all for your replies.
I've already added extra dose of new superactivated carbon to both my 75G & 32G. I'll add double dose of Prime tomorrow (not sure if it'll help.. but I'll try anyway). I'll also lower the flow to reduce agitation. It's almost impossible to make the tanks air-tight.. but let me see what I can do tomorrow..

Oh, the tank is planted with 4 Angels, 4 CLs, 8 Congo Tetras, 1 SAE & 1 Keyhole. They're all doing very well.
Let's hope that they all survive this.

I read an article on this situation a little while back. It suggested Covering the tank and moving the Air pumps either into second room or better outside. If that wasn't possible running a air duct from the outside to the aquarium pumps and filter.

Hope this helps.

mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
My Tanks at Photobucket

Down here in Florida we have to have our house tent and fumigated a least every 3 years (termites, bugs etc.) All company say you need remove your animals including fish. A friend of mine built a cage that fits into his SW tanks and goes down bout4"'s to stop the fish from getting air from the surface. If it is a closed filter system Canister were the air and water can't mix, you can leave it on, but wet/dry and HOB you would need to turn it off because it will mix with the tank water. Or you try add a massive amount of charcoal like longhair suggested with the cage. You can also put a wet blanket over the tank. I never had a problem but I do remove any costly fish or any hard to find fish I have. I save the water and gravel and set up a tank somewhere else and then break it down and bring it all home. I do go thur a mini cycle but not a new set up cycle. That has been my experiences I hope you can find something you can use in it.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Yesterday I used twolarge pieces of plastic sheet covering the tops of my 75G & 32G. Then wrap around them along the sides of the tanks with Press'n Seal. It might not be air-tight, but the tanks are pretty well covered. First floor coating was applied for 24 hour. Fishes are looking fine so far. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Good luck I hope all goes well.

mts.gif" border="0"> I vote do you?
My Tanks at Photobucket

My healthy vibrant school of tiger barbs were done in by us getting our wood floors refinished. Sure, we moved out for 3 weeks, but the moves did it. If you can set up separate tanks where you are going, before you get there, I recommend that. Trying to move tanks, water, and fish at the same time is too much. Expect to be tired from all the work of moving, and don't take shortcuts in your burnt-out condition.

I think you guys have no idea how bad the oil based finish is going to be. It makes me turn white just visiting to see how the progress is. I predict death, but hope I am wrong. It gets in every crack no matter how small. Even after 3 weeks it will still reek. No offense to anyone, but you cannot expect the finisher person to give good advice. He probably is running on 10 brain cells with all those fumes. Oh yeah, look very hard with sunlight too see if they missed any spots. Otherwise, you won't want them coming back to stink it up again.

Rick i sorry for your loss, but you can't blame the construction worker. I know including myself gave you advise, I however as stated would have use a wet blank and turnoff the filter. Hind site is always 20/20. I truly sorry it did not work out for you and your fish friends. I know what you mean the last time we tent our house in Jan. 2007 I had 3 tanks to set up and break down after 3 days. The water changes, the re modeling the tanks. It a lot of work.

Sorry once again

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

No need to sorry for me, DJ, it was pizpot who loss his tiger barbs. My floor is done now and all my fishes are alive and kicking.. (swimming ). The angels even spawned a batch of eggs, following their regular schedule. Yesterday after they applied the 2nd coat, the air quality was really bad. I had a headache after staying 10 minutes in the house to pick up something. I guess the combination of adding carbon, reduce water level and sealing the tank did the trick. Thanks all on behalf of my fishes

cool, glad it worked for you .

Dont forget to change the carbon in a week or so, you dont want that poison rereleased into the water. Remember that toxin will be far more lethal to the fish than to you in even tiny quantities for much longer, so dont get blase about opening it up again just yet!

Yeah, maybe I should have kept them there, but we moved out and I was not keen on driving back to feed them everyday either.

Sorry Rick got confused by shift in names. Pizpot did you take the gravel and all the tank water with you. It not you started a new tank an your nitrate levels went up (cycling). When I do have to move fish for home repairs It is a job but I take all the water. My LFS let me use there buckets with lids I just put a trash bag over it before sealing it up. You should see it One trip empty tanks, second trip a hundred gals of used fish water/plants and gravel and filters. Mean time fish are living in buckets with battery air pumps. Setup tanks at father in-law house on the floor. This A major pain only because he hates me and I know he's allowing me because of kids. them once the tanks are up and running. Drive back to the house and load the fish in the van and drive back. Now here the fun part now I got to acclimate all the fish in the buckets with a drip line and sit and look at the father-in-law, who when speaks say only mean things to me. So i have to sit and smile after all he is doing me a favor. Let them tent the house, sleep a a motel of 4 days and drive everyday to his house twice a day to feed them and to see the wife and kids. (I won't stay their, i don't know how much of the I can take and how long be for I would snap) When the work is finished in 4 days. I have to back clean all tanks re level (good time to move a tank you don't like the location) Then repeat all this a second time. It a lot of work but when you have a pet you take that responsibility.


Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

So, did everybody make it? I ask now presumably becuase all toxins will be down to safe levels by now.

Yeap, everybody's AOK . , Thanks for asking, LHG.