Guest Author - Jill Florio

If your home is in the path of a hurricane, you might have to leave your house and go to a safe area. Maybe you have a plan to wait it out with your loved ones and pets. While it's relatively easy to protect such mobile pets as dogs and cats, and even caged birds and rodents, what do you do with your fish?

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Obviously, you can't carry a tank around with you to safety, unless it's a small betta that you've placed into a covered Tupperware. And that is an option to consider. Make sure you carefully add a few airholes to the lid so your betta can still get some oxygen.

For a large tank, here are a few options to help your fish survive the hurricane. Start this process shortly before you need to leave, if evacuation is your plan.

First, unplug your heater and any hang-on-back filters. Remove heavy rocks and toys that could fall on your fish and hurt them. Then remove most of the water in the tank, leaving enough for the fish to be just covered. They will be forced to gulp air for a while, unless you leave a small airstone running on the gravel in the bottom.

If you expect the power to go out, there are battery-operated air pumps you can purchase (ahead of emergency time) for such a possibility.

If the tank is not too big, you will probably be able to lift it once you have removed most of the water and all of the heavy decorations. Scoop out some of the gravel, too, to make the tank lighter. Move the tank to the floor in a protected area - maybe under the dining table or coffee table; or place in a basement, bathroom or laundry room - somewhere with with no windows is best.

If your tank is too big to move, you can try bagging your fish and placing the bags - double bag them! - together in a sturdy bucket in a safer spot.

Feed your fish as you normally do - do not overfeed in anticipation of any possible absence. You don't want your pets dealing with swim bladder problems and constipation while trying to survive a catastophic emergency. They will do better on an empty stomach if necessary, and can usually last more than a week without food.

With any luck, your fish will safely sail right through the storm. If they survive, immediately fill their tanks with fresh, declorinated water, and plug all appliances back in when power is restored.

If you don't get your electricity back right away, it will be up to you to aerate the water in your tanks manually, unless you have a few battery-operated air pumps. You can create air bubbles in your tank with an egg beater (don't use it NEAR the fish! Ouch!) or by scooping some water out and allowing it to fall back in. Do this each hour during the day, if you can. Hopefully, most of your fishes will survive the hurricane and its aftermath.

Related Article
Travel with your Betta or Other Air-Breathing Fish

Related Product (Petsmart Link)
Battery Operated Air Pump by Hagen

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