BIG Tank, BIG Problem

[navajo]

I sure hope someone can help me tonight.

Bought used 200 GAL and 75 GAL tank today with livestock.

Brought it home and 1 of my helper dropped his corner a little...not far and everything looked OK... Went to pick it up to move it to it's temp spot and there was a glass chip broken that we didn't see. Sliced my fingers to the bone!

To make a long story short, I was going to set up the 75 gal to house the livestock (corals, 4 fish, live rock) until I get the 200 set in it's permanent position.

I am unable to do that in my present condition.

So I brought out the 30 GAL and 20 GAL I had laying around and am floating the bags at the moment.

I will find a way to get the 75 set up tomorrow. So my question is, how long can fish and corals stay in bags floating if the temp is OK. I just don't want to release them to have to catch them tomorrow if I don't have to. :confused:

PLEASE HELP!

tom

[Pistonkev]

Tom,
How were they bagged up?

[phil519]

Depends on the kind of air that was placed in the bag and how much volume the water is taking up in the bag.

A small amount of water with pure oxygen pumped into the bag could conceivably keep a single fish for 24 hours.

If you have more than one fish in a bag, a lot of water in the bag (versus air) and have air rather than pure oxygen - you're talking maybe an hour or two.

I'm unfamiliar with coral requirements.

The above is my opinion - not based on my experience since I've never had to put any critters thru that kinds of stress.

[McBeck]

Well, they ship overnight in bags and sytrofoam coolers, so you should probably be ok for one night.

The corals shouldn't be hard to "catch," so you might want to just put them in the tanks and get some circulation on them.

I don't know what kind of fish or how many, but if they are going into empty tanks, you could probably release them as well. They aren't difficult to capture if there are no decorations in the tank. Just drain the water down to 50% or 25% and they're a snap to catch using a bowl or mug. You can "chase" with a net if you have a particularly difficult fish to catch.

You can also put a few mugs in there for the night so they have hidey holes to sleep.

[navajo]

Hey there,

The fish are bagged one per bag in BIG bags with 1/3 water 2/3 room air with a little Caulerpa in each bag for oxygen (supposedly)

[phil519]

sorry dude -but this is really going to be a decision you'll have to make "on your own" imo. There is no way for me to guess whether you have oxygen in the bag or how "big" a big bag is and what kind of water was placed in the bag etc etc etc.

I think you should be okay but if they all die tomorrow morning - don't come posting on RC that you were misled.

btw - plants consume co2 and output oxygen during photosynthesis. At night - plants consume small amounts of o2. So the plants in your bag without light will consume a minute quantity of the fish's o2 supply. I'm not stating this to say that you should open your bags and get the macro out - because if pure o2 was pumped into the bag you'll be making matters worse.

Like I said - there are too many factors for me to easily state you should do this or that. Again - i'm not speaking from experience as it relates to keeping fish in bags overnight.

[Blown 346]

It all depends, fish will release carbon monoxide into the bag from waste which will in turn deplete oxygen levels. Since the bags are floating, if the water they are floating is cycled then i would cut the bags and start a slow drip with airline. Then when the bag fills up just release them or dump out half the water and continue to drip into the bags until you can release them. This way they will continue to have oxygen.

[purza_00]

i would probably let them out of the bags. They shouldn't be too hard to catch in those small tank. Of course i'm assuming these aren't established reef tanks. Best of luck and get well soon so you can get your hand back in the tank.

[navajo]

Thanks everyone.

I released all the bagged fish and corals into the tanks. Water is back up to temp. Fish are swimming and seem stressed but MAYBE OK. Yellow Tang has a dark streak down each side. I think he is just unhappy. He was still nice yellow in the bag and am using original water from the system.

Corals are in shallow rubbermaid containers and xenia are still pumping, so...

The only thing I have to keep the water moving right now (until I can finish unloading the trailer tomorrow) is airpumps/stones and heaters in each container.

Am I doomed?

One way or the other, I will get them into the 75 and 20 tomorrow afternoon with skimmer/heater/etc. Assuming anything makes it through the night.