Power Outages?

spencerC · #1 08-22-2007, 02:42 AM

Okay, so let's say there's a power outage.
I'm sure it varies from tank to tank,
but personally I (will, in a week) have a 75 gallon FOWLR, that will likely expand soon to have corals.

Without backup power, how long do i have before stuff starts to go downhill in the tank?

I'm wondering if i would be okay getting one of those big camping battery things from canadian tire to at least plug in the important stuff til the power comes back on.
But ealier this year the power was out for effing 30 hours at my house cause of a wind storm...
I don't think the battery would last that long...

How much is it to invest in a back-up system?
My dad is an eletrical salesman and i think he would be able to install it and what not i believe.

Gordon H · #2 08-22-2007, 05:06 AM

I'm just in the process of having an emergency back-up generator installed. After having researched it, it seems that you can spend anywhere from $2,500 - $10,000 on one of these - mine is somewhere in the middle. We get a fair number of power outages here, so I really don't have a choice. We were thinking of getting one anyway, just so we'd have some power when the lights go out. As it turns out, we decided to go with a good model - automatic switch-over, runs on natural gas, but has propane as a back-up. This will provide good back up for the aquarium and be great for emergency preparedness.

I can't wait for the first time the power goes out

spencerC · #3 08-22-2007, 05:21 AM

Ohhh boy.
I definitely can not afford something that major at the time, considering I'm only 16 and I'm pretty much spending all of my savings on my tank+system as is.

I think I'll have to just keep a $200 Canadian tire portable plug-in generator nearby for when the power goes out.

Salmon King · #4 08-22-2007, 05:24 AM

You have 3 hours about has happened 2 times to me.I bought a small gen. for 3 hundred.Enough to run pumps and heaters in 90 and 255

fkshiu · #5 08-22-2007, 06:04 AM

The most basic protection you can get is a battery-operated air pump which kicks in when the juice goes out:

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...ct_ID=px-apb11

There are also battery backup systems you can get from Canadian Tire designed to run things such as fridges and other appliances during blackouts which should keep a powerhead and heater going for a good while.

It also depends on the time of year and how well insulated the room is to prevent a temperature drop/rise.

A generator is the best, but there are other less-pricier options.

Renegade · #6 08-22-2007, 06:10 PM

personally temperature drop i don't think is really the problem, its lack of flow/oxygen within the tank. as flow stops the fresh and salt water begin to separate and the salt sinks to the bottom conveniently were your fish like to hang out.

there are a number of cheap things you can do when the power fails

a battery backup to run air stones and a power head.

float bottles of warm water if you overly concerned about temp. with that being said the part about the temp to worry about is how fast you bring it back up to temp.

hand stir your water

use a drill with a paint stir stick attached and turn it on with the end in the water.

small gas generator go for like 150-300 bucks from a army and navy type store.

Transformer that plugs into your car providing an outlet and a really long extension cord.

What kills the tank is not being prepared for something to happen and having no backup plan in place.

Oh and being home is Important to lol

ron101 · #7 08-23-2007, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fkshiu

There are also battery backup systems you can get from Canadian Tire designed to run things such as fridges and other appliances during blackouts which should keep a powerhead and heater going for a good while.

Powerhead yes, heater no. Running a heater off battery power is impractical. IMO the cost effective solution is a low power pump like a nano stream or a koralia connected to an automatic UPS. This will keep circulation covered until you get home.

A camping stove like a Coleman can then be used be used to heat tank water in a pot (DO IT OUTSIDE!) then gradually added back to the tank.

These two approaches are relatively cheap. Next step is a portable gas powered generator which could probably run the whole system but you have to be around to set it up.

Mattgesy · #8 02-04-2008, 03:54 AM

this is an old thread, but hey what the heck i will add my 2 cents,
i bought one of those canadian tire backup gens. and it works, i just started my tank today and alrighty had a power outage in my house, i got 3 things running on it, pump for the sump, heater, and powerheads i thought i would see how long the little thing can run for and it was a good 4 hours....
just my 2 cents

mseepman · #9 02-04-2008, 04:54 AM

I agree that a UPS is probably your best low cost investment. I recently got the PowerPack400 from Can Tire and during testing, I had it run my Tunze 6025nano and Koralia3 for 6 1/2 hours before dieing. It was just under $100 on sale.

Tom R · #10 02-04-2008, 03:50 PM

I agree with everything said so far. The first thing is to have a plan the second thing is to once or twice a year test your plan to ensure it is working. You do not have to continuously run your circulation pump you can run it for an hour every two to three hours and this will maintain your tank a lot longer. If you live in an area of major power losses and lengthy power losses you will need a much more substantial disaster plan than some who seldom has a power outage and the out never goes beyond a few hours. About not being home at the time of the power outage, your tank should be fine for the first four to six hours.

Tom R