need help asap!!!

[rtoycrow]

i come home from work to find my fish tank isn't running, breaker has been tripped. Its a 240 gallon, came home from lunch and it is working fine so it hasn't been running for maybe 4 hrs tops. My powder blue is laying in the sand breathing but not swimming, also my 3 stripe damsel is doing the same, my blue hippo is breathing heaving just sitting in my rocks, I got the power back on and everything is back to running normal, these fish are still alive but just breathing heavy, not swimming but just layed up against the rocks, anything i can do or are these fish gonners. Also do you think the tank being off for several hours caused these fish to run out of oxygen or is there something else that could have caused this. Several of my fish are alive and doing fine, the majority are not doing so well though, please any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[1guydude]

im thinkin this is just one of those waiting games type situation....nothin to do but wait and see sry i couldnt be of mush help! Hopefully one of those more experienced members will chime in. Sry to hear this btw =(

 

[gemmy]

Do you know why the breaker tripped?

 

[bang guy]

Typically there's plenty of oxygen in the water. What normally happens during a power shutdown is an excess of CO2. This becomes toxic as well as lowers PH fairly rapidly. Getting the waterflow going will usually remedy the situation depending on how long CO2 has been at toxic levels.
Putting the main water pump on a different circuit that the powerheads/closed circuit will help for a GFCI interupt but for extended power outages battery operated air pump can provide quite a bit of water circulation that will remove excess CO2 from the water.

 

[rtoycrow]

well seems like everything has pulled through, only my green chromis didn't make it. thanks again for the help

 

[1guydude]

good glad to hear that! Suks u still lost a fish but at least it ws just a chromis

 

[novahobbies]

I'm sorry about the chromis....but a little surprised as well. From what I've seen, those buggers are darned near bulletproof! How old was this chromis? Very glad to hear everyone else pulled through.