EMERGENCY!!!!!! HELP!?!?

Question

My 55 gallon tank sprung a leak! I believe it was somewhere in the rubber/binding stuff around the back of the tank- so I didn't bother trying to patch it up.

It was cycling, it only had a few hermit crabs, a clown, and a blenny- which I put into my only spare tank(a puny 10 gallon). I emptied the tank, but what do I do with the fish?! My only other tank is freshwater, and the 55 gallon filter wont fit in the 10 gallon tank... would they be okay for about 1 1/2 days in the 10 gallon without a filter- if I did partial water changes? Or would the water changes just be too much stress?

I'm the only one I know with a saltwater set up, so my only other option is a pet store... I'd rather not.

Answer 1

If you only have a clown and a blenny a 10 gallon tank should be alright. (I'll discount the crabs since they just stay on the ground.) Why do you need to wait 1 and a half days? This is an EMERGENCY! Go to walmart (or whatever pet store you prefer), and get a filter appropriate for a 10 gallon tank (I favor the tetra whisper internal-or external filters), if you happen to have a 24-hour walmart, now please. if not, they'll be fine till morning without a filter. While you're getting that filter get something to patch up the tank as well. Feed your fish only as much as they eat and not a bit more. BTW- your 10g tank is heated, isn't it? My main concerns are the clown and blenny- its pretty hard to hurt a hermit crab. Don't do water changes unless absolutely necessary (use discretion), since they're in a 10g tank water changes will be extremely stressful. If you must, no more than 1 to 1 and a half gallons at a time, and no more than once every 6 days. As long as your spare tank is set up properly then you're fish should be fine. The fish at the pet store live in tanks more populated and with not much more room- definitely exceeding their fish to water ratio limit! Hope all ends well for you.