Power filter left turned off

[Fallout]

Hello all

I noticed, just before I left for work this morning, that I had left the
canister filter power turned off last night after I fed the fish. I'm
furious with myself and, although the fish looked fine when I left, I'm
dreading what I am going to find when I get home.

Luckily the tank is over filtered and only has low fish load (15 UK Gallon,
quite densely planted with 5 Neolamprologus brevis and a Fluval 104
canister). I'll test the water when I get home tonight and change water if I
need to; if I have any fish left.

Do any of you turn your filters off when you feed? I don't normally tend to
turn the filter off because I know what my short term memory is like, but
one of the females spawned yesterday and I wanted to drop some food down to
where she is guarding her shell.

How do you remember to turn them back on again? Is there a timer that will
do this?

Thanks - Jon

[HairyMcLeary]

"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
> Hello all
>
> I noticed, just before I left for work this morning, that I had left the
> canister filter power turned off last night after I fed the fish. I'm
> furious with myself and, although the fish looked fine when I left, I'm
> dreading what I am going to find when I get home.
>
> Luckily the tank is over filtered and only has low fish load (15 UK
> Gallon, quite densely planted with 5 Neolamprologus brevis and a Fluval
> 104 canister). I'll test the water when I get home tonight and change
> water if I need to; if I have any fish left.
>
> Do any of you turn your filters off when you feed? I don't normally tend
> to turn the filter off because I know what my short term memory is like,
> but one of the females spawned yesterday and I wanted to drop some food
> down to where she is guarding her shell.
>
> How do you remember to turn them back on again? Is there a timer that will
> do this?
>
> Thanks - Jon
>
I hope everything is alright.
I had a canister filter that was left off over night so I simply turned it
back on again in the morning only to get home from work at night and find
the whole tank dead. Apparently canister filters can turn toxic if they
don't have oxygenated water running though them for prolonged lengths of
time and when they are turned back on they dump this toxic waste back into
the tank.

I now never turn my filter off except for cleaning... safer that way.

Tony

[Fallout]

> I hope everything is alright.
> I had a canister filter that was left off over night so I simply turned it
> back on again in the morning only to get home from work at night and find
> the whole tank dead. Apparently canister filters can turn toxic if they
> don't have oxygenated water running though them for prolonged lengths of
> time and when they are turned back on they dump this toxic waste back into
> the tank.
>
> I now never turn my filter off except for cleaning... safer that way.
>
> Tony

Maybe I should have tipped the water out of the filter out before I turned
it back on. That may have at least got rid of the accumulated toxins. I
didn't think to do that at the time and it's another reason to kick myself,
and I won't be home for another 7 hours!

Sorry for the loss of your fish and thanks for the reply.

- Jon

[Rick]

"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
> Hello all
>
> I noticed, just before I left for work this morning, that I had left the
> canister filter power turned off last night after I fed the fish. I'm
> furious with myself and, although the fish looked fine when I left, I'm
> dreading what I am going to find when I get home.
>
> Luckily the tank is over filtered and only has low fish load (15 UK
> Gallon, quite densely planted with 5 Neolamprologus brevis and a Fluval
> 104 canister). I'll test the water when I get home tonight and change
> water if I need to; if I have any fish left.
>
> Do any of you turn your filters off when you feed? I don't normally tend
> to turn the filter off because I know what my short term memory is like,
> but one of the females spawned yesterday and I wanted to drop some food
> down to where she is guarding her shell.
>
> How do you remember to turn them back on again? Is there a timer that will
> do this?
>
> Thanks - Jon
>
Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched power
strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off light will
remind you to turn it back on.

[Fallout]

>>
> Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
> power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off light
> will remind you to turn it back on.
Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like is
a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on my
filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?

-Jon

[NetMax]

"HairyMcLeary" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Fallout" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hello all
>>
>> I noticed, just before I left for work this morning, that I had left
>> the canister filter power turned off last night after I fed the fish.
>> I'm furious with myself and, although the fish looked fine when I
>> left, I'm dreading what I am going to find when I get home.
>>
>> Luckily the tank is over filtered and only has low fish load (15 UK
>> Gallon, quite densely planted with 5 Neolamprologus brevis and a
>> Fluval 104 canister). I'll test the water when I get home tonight and
>> change water if I need to; if I have any fish left.
>>
>> Do any of you turn your filters off when you feed? I don't normally
>> tend to turn the filter off because I know what my short term memory
>> is like, but one of the females spawned yesterday and I wanted to drop
>> some food down to where she is guarding her shell.
>>
>> How do you remember to turn them back on again? Is there a timer that
>> will do this?
>>
>> Thanks - Jon
>>
> I hope everything is alright.
> I had a canister filter that was left off over night so I simply turned
> it back on again in the morning only to get home from work at night and
> find the whole tank dead. Apparently canister filters can turn toxic if
> they don't have oxygenated water running though them for prolonged
> lengths of time and when they are turned back on they dump this toxic
> waste back into the tank.
>
> I now never turn my filter off except for cleaning... safer that way.
>
> Tony


It varies by set-up, but on many tanks, I turn off the heater during
water changes, and turn off the filter during some types of feedings.
Sometimes I use a visual clue, like some decoration left on the tank
until I remember to turn everything back on, but that doesn't always
work, so I set out to find a timer.

I found conventional timers which I could build into an extension cord
box, but they were all designed to turn something ON for a short time,
rather than OFF. I then bought a relay to reverse the operation, and it
has been working flawlessly for many years now. If you are proficient at
this sort of stuff (or ask an electrician), I documented it here :
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_projects/timer/timer.shtml . Note that
this installation is for a built-in tank with other electronic features,
so a stand-alone install would be greatly simplified into a two
receptacle utility box on the end of a power cord. Get a deep utility
box and install a GFI outlet, your timer and a relay at the back. Also
note that you don't need the relay if your timer provides the normally
closed connection points, but all the units I found only provided the
normally open connection points. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Rick]

"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
>
>>>
>> Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
>> power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off light
>> will remind you to turn it back on.
> Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like
> is a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on my
> filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?
>
> -Jon
>
NetMax has a great idea, if you read his most, he has a great website. But
that seems to be a permanent solution suited for bigger set-ups, I believe
he has lots and lots of "toys" :). I would think since you are only doing it
while your female spawned, an absence of light or leaving the lid up (unless
you have jumpers), or as NetMax said, an ornament sitting out, should be
enough of a reminder.
I have all my tank hooked up to a power strip, (heater, lights with a timer,
filters, air pumps, ect.) and when I shut them off it's really hard not to
notice. Makes cleaning, water changes, and feeding young very easy.

[Fallout]

>> I now never turn my filter off except for cleaning... safer that way.
>>
>> Tony
>
>
> It varies by set-up, but on many tanks, I turn off the heater during water
> changes, and turn off the filter during some types of feedings. Sometimes
> I use a visual clue, like some decoration left on the tank until I
> remember to turn everything back on, but that doesn't always work, so I
> set out to find a timer.
>
> I found conventional timers which I could build into an extension cord
> box, but they were all designed to turn something ON for a short time,
> rather than OFF. I then bought a relay to reverse the operation, and it
> has been working flawlessly for many years now. If you are proficient at
> this sort of stuff (or ask an electrician), I documented it here :
> http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_projects/timer/timer.shtml . Note that
> this installation is for a built-in tank with other electronic features,
> so a stand-alone install would be greatly simplified into a two receptacle
> utility box on the end of a power cord. Get a deep utility box and
> install a GFI outlet, your timer and a relay at the back. Also note that
> you don't need the relay if your timer provides the normally closed
> connection points, but all the units I found only provided the normally
> open connection points. hth
> --
> www.NetMax.tk

Thanks for that link. I'm not proficient at electronics at all, and a quick
web search for local suppliers of the components found me at the bottom of a
steep learning curve.

I'll see if I can find a friendly sparky who can give me some advice,
though, as that is just the thing I'm looking for. Your site is a mine of
information :)

-Jon

[Fallout]

"Rick" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Fallout" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>>>>
>>> Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
>>> power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off
>>> light will remind you to turn it back on.
>> Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like
>> is a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on my
>> filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?
>>
>> -Jon
>>
> NetMax has a great idea, if you read his most, he has a great website. But
> that seems to be a permanent solution suited for bigger set-ups, I believe
> he has lots and lots of "toys" :). I would think since you are only doing
> it while your female spawned, an absence of light or leaving the lid up
> (unless you have jumpers), or as NetMax said, an ornament sitting out,
> should be enough of a reminder.
> I have all my tank hooked up to a power strip, (heater, lights with a
> timer, filters, air pumps, ect.) and when I shut them off it's really hard
> not to notice. Makes cleaning, water changes, and feeding young very easy.

In the short term (if there are any fish left in the tank - sigh) I'll use
the "knotted handkerchief" method kindly suggested by yourself. Long-term I
dont think even that will be enough to stop me slipping up again at some
stage, but it should be enough while this is still fresh in my mind. I'll
try hangin a coat hanger over the front glass, that should jog a few
neurons.

-Jon

[Gill Passman]

Fallout wrote:
> "Rick" > wrote in message
> m...
>
>>"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>>Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
>>>>power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off
>>>>light will remind you to turn it back on.
>>>
>>>Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like
>>>is a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on my
>>>filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?
>>>
>>>-Jon
>>>
>>
>>NetMax has a great idea, if you read his most, he has a great website. But
>>that seems to be a permanent solution suited for bigger set-ups, I believe
>>he has lots and lots of "toys" :). I would think since you are only doing
>>it while your female spawned, an absence of light or leaving the lid up
>>(unless you have jumpers), or as NetMax said, an ornament sitting out,
>>should be enough of a reminder.
>>I have all my tank hooked up to a power strip, (heater, lights with a
>>timer, filters, air pumps, ect.) and when I shut them off it's really hard
>>not to notice. Makes cleaning, water changes, and feeding young very easy.
>
>
> In the short term (if there are any fish left in the tank - sigh) I'll use
> the "knotted handkerchief" method kindly suggested by yourself. Long-term I
> dont think even that will be enough to stop me slipping up again at some
> stage, but it should be enough while this is still fresh in my mind. I'll
> try hangin a coat hanger over the front glass, that should jog a few
> neurons.
>
> -Jon
>
>
If it helps I had a Fluval 304 fail when I was on holiday and came back
home to fish soup even though there was a backup Fluval 4 plus in there
:-( - we don't know how long it was off for but we didn't get any toxins
when we started it up again. Thinking about it in retrospect I probably
should have emptied the canister - just lucky I guess - additionally the
remaining fish must have been the hardier ones - Gouramis, Plec, Flying
foxes, Platys, Otos, one Neon and one Guppy....

There have been a couple of times when I/we have forgotten to plug it
back in after maintenance - it happens (even though every time it does I
get cross with myself). However, I am about to adopt a new maintenance
routine where I actually change the water in the canisters (with
conditioned water) as part of the water change - I'm fed up with all the
crap that gets thrown out (especially in the Malawi tank where they get
peas as a treat). Providing everything gets washed in tank water I don't
see this as too much of an issue apart from the bicep growth with the
impeller - lol

When I unplug the filter I try to leave the cable trailing on the floor
- not foolproof

Hope your experience was OK and not along the lines of mine but mine was
off for days and days....

Gill

[Bill Stock]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> Fallout wrote:
>> "Rick" > wrote in message
>> m...
>>
>>>"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>>>Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
>>>>>power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off
>>>>>light will remind you to turn it back on.
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like
>>>>is a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on
>>>>my filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?
>>>>
>>>>-Jon
>>>>
>>>
>>>NetMax has a great idea, if you read his most, he has a great website.
>>>But that seems to be a permanent solution suited for bigger set-ups, I
>>>believe he has lots and lots of "toys" :). I would think since you are
>>>only doing it while your female spawned, an absence of light or leaving
>>>the lid up (unless you have jumpers), or as NetMax said, an ornament
>>>sitting out, should be enough of a reminder.
>>>I have all my tank hooked up to a power strip, (heater, lights with a
>>>timer, filters, air pumps, ect.) and when I shut them off it's really
>>>hard not to notice. Makes cleaning, water changes, and feeding young very
>>>easy.
>>
>>
>> In the short term (if there are any fish left in the tank - sigh) I'll
>> use the "knotted handkerchief" method kindly suggested by yourself.
>> Long-term I dont think even that will be enough to stop me slipping up
>> again at some stage, but it should be enough while this is still fresh in
>> my mind. I'll try hangin a coat hanger over the front glass, that should
>> jog a few neurons.
>>
>> -Jon
> If it helps I had a Fluval 304 fail when I was on holiday and came back
> home to fish soup even though there was a backup Fluval 4 plus in there
> :-( - we don't know how long it was off for but we didn't get any toxins
> when we started it up again. Thinking about it in retrospect I probably
> should have emptied the canister - just lucky I guess - additionally the
> remaining fish must have been the hardier ones - Gouramis, Plec, Flying
> foxes, Platys, Otos, one Neon and one Guppy....
>
> There have been a couple of times when I/we have forgotten to plug it back
> in after maintenance - it happens (even though every time it does I get
> cross with myself). However, I am about to adopt a new maintenance routine
> where I actually change the water in the canisters (with conditioned
> water) as part of the water change - I'm fed up with all the crap that
> gets thrown out (especially in the Malawi tank where they get peas as a
> treat). Providing everything gets washed in tank water I don't see this as
> too much of an issue apart from the bicep growth with the impeller - lol

My Fluvals do this. It's not actually stuff in the filter, but gunk trapped
in the ribbed hose. My solution was to hold a net under the output when I
plug the filter back in. Of course, it helps to have really long arms. :)



> When I unplug the filter I try to leave the cable trailing on the floor -
> not foolproof
>
> Hope your experience was OK and not along the lines of mine but mine was
> off for days and days....
>
> Gill
>

[Fallout]

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .

>> If it helps I had a Fluval 304 fail when I was on holiday and came back
>> home to fish soup even though there was a backup Fluval 4 plus in there
>> :-( - we don't know how long it was off for but we didn't get any toxins
>> when we started it up again. Thinking about it in retrospect I probably
>> should have emptied the canister - just lucky I guess - additionally the
>> remaining fish must have been the hardier ones - Gouramis, Plec, Flying
>> foxes, Platys, Otos, one Neon and one Guppy....
>>
>> There have been a couple of times when I/we have forgotten to plug it
>> back in after maintenance - it happens (even though every time it does I
>> get cross with myself). However, I am about to adopt a new maintenance
>> routine where I actually change the water in the canisters (with
>> conditioned water) as part of the water change - I'm fed up with all the
>> crap that gets thrown out (especially in the Malawi tank where they get
>> peas as a treat). Providing everything gets washed in tank water I don't
>> see this as too much of an issue apart from the bicep growth with the
>> impeller - lol
>
> My Fluvals do this. It's not actually stuff in the filter, but gunk
> trapped in the ribbed hose. My solution was to hold a net under the output
> when I plug the filter back in. Of course, it helps to have really long
> arms. :)
>
>
>
>> When I unplug the filter I try to leave the cable trailing on the floor -
>> not foolproof
>>
>> Hope your experience was OK and not along the lines of mine but mine was
>> off for days and days....
>>
>> Gill
>>

A quick update.

The fish are absolutely fine, they're just looking at me wondering why I am
sat here and not feeding them like I normally do when I get home :)

I cleaned the gunk out of my filter not long back and that may have helped.
I'll do it more regularly from now on, and I have never drained the hoses
either so thanks for that tip.

Well it's been a wake up call for me if nothing else and thanks to all your
replies I'll do better in future. Funnily enough, they look even more
beautiful after all that worrying.

-Jon.

[Gill Passman]

Bill Stock wrote:
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>Fallout wrote:
>>
>>>"Rick" > wrote in message
m...
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Fallout" > wrote in message
...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>Put your filter and your light (even if its on a timer) on a switched
>>>>>>power strip and turn off the power strip at feeding. The turned off
>>>>>>light will remind you to turn it back on.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the suggestion, I may give it a try. What I would really like
>>>>>is a bit of kit to make it fool-proof, like a 5 minute pause button on
>>>>>my filter. Any idea if such a thing exists?
>>>>>
>>>>>-Jon
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>NetMax has a great idea, if you read his most, he has a great website.
>>>>But that seems to be a permanent solution suited for bigger set-ups, I
>>>>believe he has lots and lots of "toys" :). I would think since you are
>>>>only doing it while your female spawned, an absence of light or leaving
>>>>the lid up (unless you have jumpers), or as NetMax said, an ornament
>>>>sitting out, should be enough of a reminder.
>>>>I have all my tank hooked up to a power strip, (heater, lights with a
>>>>timer, filters, air pumps, ect.) and when I shut them off it's really
>>>>hard not to notice. Makes cleaning, water changes, and feeding young very
>>>>easy.
>>>
>>>
>>>In the short term (if there are any fish left in the tank - sigh) I'll
>>>use the "knotted handkerchief" method kindly suggested by yourself.
>>>Long-term I dont think even that will be enough to stop me slipping up
>>>again at some stage, but it should be enough while this is still fresh in
>>>my mind. I'll try hangin a coat hanger over the front glass, that should
>>>jog a few neurons.
>>>
>>>-Jon
>>
>>If it helps I had a Fluval 304 fail when I was on holiday and came back
>>home to fish soup even though there was a backup Fluval 4 plus in there
>>:-( - we don't know how long it was off for but we didn't get any toxins
>>when we started it up again. Thinking about it in retrospect I probably
>>should have emptied the canister - just lucky I guess - additionally the
>>remaining fish must have been the hardier ones - Gouramis, Plec, Flying
>>foxes, Platys, Otos, one Neon and one Guppy....
>>
>>There have been a couple of times when I/we have forgotten to plug it back
>>in after maintenance - it happens (even though every time it does I get
>>cross with myself). However, I am about to adopt a new maintenance routine
>>where I actually change the water in the canisters (with conditioned
>>water) as part of the water change - I'm fed up with all the crap that
>>gets thrown out (especially in the Malawi tank where they get peas as a
>>treat). Providing everything gets washed in tank water I don't see this as
>>too much of an issue apart from the bicep growth with the impeller - lol
>
>
> My Fluvals do this. It's not actually stuff in the filter, but gunk trapped
> in the ribbed hose. My solution was to hold a net under the output when I
> plug the filter back in. Of course, it helps to have really long arms. :)
>
>
>
>
>>When I unplug the filter I try to leave the cable trailing on the floor -
>>not foolproof
>>
>>Hope your experience was OK and not along the lines of mine but mine was
>>off for days and days....
>>
>>Gill
>>
>
>
>
I think you are right here....I can change the water in the canister and
still have the problem....I'll get the net out next time and test the
results...

Thanks
Gill

[Daniel Morrow]

Bottom posted.


"NetMax" > wrote in message
...
> "HairyMcLeary" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Fallout" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Hello all
> >>
> >> I noticed, just before I left for work this morning, that I had left
> >> the canister filter power turned off last night after I fed the fish.
> >> I'm furious with myself and, although the fish looked fine when I
> >> left, I'm dreading what I am going to find when I get home.
> >>
> >> Luckily the tank is over filtered and only has low fish load (15 UK
> >> Gallon, quite densely planted with 5 Neolamprologus brevis and a
> >> Fluval 104 canister). I'll test the water when I get home tonight and
> >> change water if I need to; if I have any fish left.
> >>
> >> Do any of you turn your filters off when you feed? I don't normally
> >> tend to turn the filter off because I know what my short term memory
> >> is like, but one of the females spawned yesterday and I wanted to drop
> >> some food down to where she is guarding her shell.
> >>
> >> How do you remember to turn them back on again? Is there a timer that
> >> will do this?
> >>
> >> Thanks - Jon
> >>
> > I hope everything is alright.
> > I had a canister filter that was left off over night so I simply turned
> > it back on again in the morning only to get home from work at night and
> > find the whole tank dead. Apparently canister filters can turn toxic if
> > they don't have oxygenated water running though them for prolonged
> > lengths of time and when they are turned back on they dump this toxic
> > waste back into the tank.
> >
> > I now never turn my filter off except for cleaning... safer that way.
> >
> > Tony
>
>
> It varies by set-up, but on many tanks, I turn off the heater during
> water changes, and turn off the filter during some types of feedings.
> Sometimes I use a visual clue, like some decoration left on the tank
> until I remember to turn everything back on, but that doesn't always
> work, so I set out to find a timer.
>
> I found conventional timers which I could build into an extension cord
> box, but they were all designed to turn something ON for a short time,
> rather than OFF. I then bought a relay to reverse the operation, and it
> has been working flawlessly for many years now. If you are proficient at
> this sort of stuff (or ask an electrician), I documented it here :
> http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_projects/timer/timer.shtml . Note that
> this installation is for a built-in tank with other electronic features,
> so a stand-alone install would be greatly simplified into a two
> receptacle utility box on the end of a power cord. Get a deep utility
> box and install a GFI outlet, your timer and a relay at the back. Also
> note that you don't need the relay if your timer provides the normally
> closed connection points, but all the units I found only provided the
> normally open connection points. hth
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
>

I have found the current marineland model of ac timers is easily able to do
timing both ways (i.e. normally closed, normally open). I got 1 for myself
from that pet place for approximately $7.00 and it is very versatile even
handles 15 amp loads. It is the best one I have bought so far. I enjoyed
your online info about how to convert a typical ac timer into a more
versatile one netmax, if I ever find the need I plan on using your
information to mod one. Relays sure are useful! Thanks for sharing - it is
very useful! Later netmax and all, and good luck!