Question Were you affected by the power outages? Tips?

[benjaminf]

Hello fellow reefers, whenever I hear of another power outage I wonder how it might be affecting someone's fish or corals. Were you affected by the recent outages in Manhattan or Staten Island? Were you ready? This is a good opportunity to emphasize that we should be ready for the worst. What backups have the rest of you implemented? How long can you go without utility company power? What essential systems do you keep running on low power mode?

 

[homegrowncichlid]

I had a computer uninterruptable power supply in the past, which would run the sump's mag 5 for 45minutes before it cut out, which was not very practical. If I had it today, I'd have a few koralia 3W wave makers or power heads, which should last a very long time. Unfortunately the UPS died 5 years after the last black out and I haven't replaced it, so it wouldn't have helped this time around anyway.

 

[Geraud]

The Power Backup for Ecotech pumps ran my MP10 for 80 hours during Sandy.

 

[jd371]

Had two power failures in the past two weeks. The first power failure I ran the main tank's pump off my Jeep's inverter and outlet until I could get the generator up and running, power outage lasted about 3 hours. I have a small battery operated air pump for the anemone tank that is in my workshop, automatically turns on when the power goes out.
Had another failure last night and unlike the first one this one was caused by the transformer that's in our backyard blowing. Usually it will take about an hour or two before they send someone to turn it back on. Since I had the generator out already from the first failure I ran the tank for the 1.5 hrs it took to get the power back on. Glad I invested in a generator last year.

 

[prattreef]

There is really no excuse not have several of these on hand. A terrific product that can save your livestock and its affordable, kicks in even if you're not around and basically maintenance free.
https://reefs.com/2019/01/29/cobalt...emergency-air-pump-kit-the-definitive-review/

 

[marrone]

This is a really big thread from some years back, it touches on all the things to have on hand just in case something happens and you're out of power for a while.



We use to bump it from time to time, and now with the hot weather it's probably good to look at it again.



https://www.manhattanreefs.com/foru...emergency-measures-use-now-power-outages.html

 

[Czynot]

5 hour blackout on the hottest day. Con Edison intentionally cut power to 5 neighborhood in Brooklyn. I was fortunate it was Sunday evening and I was home at the time. Battery backup ran the pumps until I start up the backup generator.
If I was on vacation, outcome won?t be good.

 

[John76]

I had a outage in Brooklyn the week before the major one in manhatan it only affected a small area never made it on the news , I Am assuming it was off for 6 to 8 hours before I got home from work and when I arrived it remained off for another two hours . I walked in to all my medium sized fish , powder blue tang , marine betta etc already expired , then more passed my flame angel kole tang . In regards to coral 90 percent of my somewhat beginner sps was dead pure white others like shortcakes and such looked rough and expired the next day all my expensive frags looked terrible my crazy t , beach bum , kung pao looked real rough as well as Miami hurricane , reverse superman etc my bubble corals all dies with 72 hours from the aftershock so being conservative I'd say within 8 hours I lost four thousand in fish and coral ,, my attempt for a solution is a honda gas generator as a start and I'd like advice on never letting this happen again

 

[Geraud]

Quick question about the Cobalt Rescue + Air pump: is there a way to set it so that it comes on only if it detects a power outage? I read that it could somewhere, but the instructions do not mention that, and pressing the power button only shifts between off/on/10s pulse.

 

[STRIPERVIPER]

The Honda generator is great. Clean sine power and depending on the model more than capable of running your whole system. If not just plug in your essentials. Return and heater in my case. Recently I have acquired a 10k generac and got an electrician to run a an outlet outside for hookup to my panel with a 30 amp breaker. Lost power for 20 hours in the crazy windstorm we had on Long Island last week and it was a lifesaver. Was able to run the whole house. The Honda was great on gas especially when run on eco mode. The new one guzzles gas but it’s a small price to pay for comfort.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I have had three power outages in the last two years on the Upper West Side. If I weren't planning to move within the next year to a house upstate I would be scrambling to find some solutions. Whenever I do buy a house I plan to add solar and a generator to back-up the solar for days it is raining or snowing and power gets knocked out. But I think I am done with living in NYC.

 

[Reef Reaper]

Whole house generator

 

[duromega]

you can get a computer UPS and if you have a DC Return pump it should run for a few hours at the lowest possible wattage.

 

[ravi197699]

After Sandy, I decided to get stand by generator so I invested in 22kw stand by generator as well as UPS that handles my Apex and my Internet modem on till my generator kicks in and vortech pump stays on with battery back up.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

My SPS dominated 180 was wiped out by the first major NYC blackout and it was wiped out again by a local blackout. It never recovered. In contrast, my 80 was wiped out by one blackout, once by me being stupid and not doing QT and a third time when a ConEd line burst into flames right in front of my building and a surge/dip blew out my power supplies for my LED lights.

If I am able to reach my goal of selling my apartment and buying a house upstate I will definitely be getting solar, a battery bank and a back-up natural gas generator. I need a gas stove for my wife so getting a much larger propane tank to handle the needs of a back-up generator would be a lot cheaper than going with a gasoline generator.