HELP! Broken tank

Okay, I got up today to a wet floor and water draining out of my tank. I've salvaged all of the fish, but it's going to be 8 hours or more before another tank is set up and ready to go. How long can those babies live in a 3 gallon bucket without a filter? I tried to set one up in there, but it won't work because it drags in the sand, my nice clean sand.

As long as you get surface agitation they should be fine. What kind of fish and how big? You can change a gallon out every 3-4 hours and remove all the waste when you see it.I would keep your BB under water and stick an air pump in it so the bacteria can get oxygen. Also put a lid on the bucket with the fish, I have had numerous fish hop out the buckets during tank swaps. Sorry about the tank. Have you found out why it leaked/broke?

There's no agitation at all and I can't figure out a way to rig the filter so it doesn anything. Sand was being pulled into the filter. And I can't stay here to do anything. If I don't get myself to work pretty soon, I'll have problems. I do have a cover on the bucket.

I'm not at all sure why it leaked, but there's a crack on the bottom, not near a seam.

What's a BB? And I guess I'll have to run to the store and get an air pump - hadn't even thought of it.

air pump is good. place the filter media in the bucket as well until the new tank is set up.

Bb is beneficial bacteria . When you set up your air pump run a splitter and put an airline in the filter to keep oxygen to the bb.

I have everything that I could salvage, including the gravel and plants, under water. Air pump is running, but fish are not happy. I hope they make it until this evening, as I cannot set up the new tank by myself.

Thank you, Flippercon and James for the suggestions and information.

Off to work now so I don't get fired.