ESB Outage

sorry for sounding like an idiot

Not at all, no-one with genuine questions 'sounds like an idiot' - no way!

We are all learning - each and every day.

Very basically, and you will get subsequent replies explaining more fully than this, there are two types of beneficial bacteria living in your filtration system, one of which will only thrive in Oxygen-rich water and it's these which will die, for obvious reasons when the electricity fails for any length of time.

As Goldy was saying, they start to die off without oxygen pretty quickly but it does take a fair length of time before they are all irretrievably lost, I'm not sure about the timescale she quotes but if you can keep a battery-powered aerator passing air (and ultimately Oxygen) over the filter media the Oxygen-dependent bacteria will certainly live much longer than without it.

OK, that was a layman's reply, but I'm confident you'll get more precise information later on.

John

My question is how do I (with as little mess as possible) stop the bacteria in an EXTERNAL filter from dying.

Zale,
You've posed quite a question there - one, I think, there might be no real answer to...

When there have previously been 'well announced' ESB supply cuts, ie when they were working up on the wires locally I have used battery airpumps as you describe but also, and here's where the advance warning helps, to aerate the contents of part of each internal (the stuff which looks like nylon pot-scourers), taken out and put into a large bucket of tank water.

Sadly, though, not every 'outage' takes place this conveniently, as you found with your most recent 'trial'...I hope you suffered no losses as a result?

Other than that a small compressor would seem to be the only other practical way to go. I bought a small 2-stroke 800watt output one in B&Q before Christmas, having had a similar one when I lived in England which I brought over - I have used the older one several times, but as it's only 800w I only ever used it with Air Pumps and Filters - there's no way it could manage heaters as well.
Unfortunately as I have tanks in almost all my downstairs rooms the resultant extension leads all around resembled a Spider's Dining Room!!! I'll be much better able to cope once I finish my 'Fish Room' (if I ever do!!!) as then it will just be a case of bringing one lead in through a slightly opened window.

So, to summarise...(sorry, I wandered 'off thread') If you can take your internal(s) apart and aerate at least part of the media in a bucket of water (or similar) you should be fine, otherwise look out for the next time either B&Q or Aldi have them on 'special' and snap up a small compressor.
John