Emergency Measures to use NOW for Power Outages for your Saltwater Aquarium

[jayblock]

Get generator from harbor freight. Best $120 bucks u will ever spend on ur tank. A little bigger than a 12 pack of bottles It will run a bunch of different things in ur tank at once. If u run dc pump and led lights good chance u can run ur entire tank with it. That sucker will run 8 hrs on a tank of gas using all the power it provides. Used a friends during Sandy and ran out a week later to get my own. Still sitting in the box but they day i need to break it out, it will all be worth it.

 

[pecan2phat]

Very cool solar powered battery backup Jim!

 

[oh207]

My team has been planning to design our own battery which would run on sunlight containing ports to charge phones, tablets, lights, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=offgcMwuTGw

I like.

 

[cono]

But for the money but a generator

 

[ourcoralreef]

HEAT. during sandy this happened to me and i in increments poored boiling water in to the tank. PLEASE make sure no fish are in the immediate vicinity where the water is going. it will immediately dilute and become non boiling dont worry but it does help keep temperature high

How were your salinity levels

 

[marrone]

It's going to be a hot weekend, hopefully no power outages, but it's a good time to bump this thread.

 

[Crookedcoral331]

When i had one i used my manual gravel vacuum , sucked some
Water in and had the hose just feed back into the tank . Then you just vise grip the hose to the side and it does it on its own. Continues manual flow !

 

[Geraud]

For those who have Ecotech battery back=ups, remember that they die after a couple of years. But you can easily replace the inside battery (just remove the rivets and replace them by screws later).

What you need are "12180" batteries, aka 12V 18Ah. Powersonic, ExpertPower models fit exactly in the enclosure, and they are less than 40$ each.

 

[SantaMonica]

Do a long-time power off, as a sump fill test. Sometimes there is a slow trickle that causes a sump to overflow, that you don't notice if you only turn power off for an hour or so.

 

[BD_Reefing]

Any one wants to chime in on their emergency power back up?

 

[Timbo]

Generator for the entire house. Fish are happy and so is my wife!

 

[BD_Reefing]

Generator for the entire house. Fish are happy and so is my wife!

Ended up doing this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[luv2bhated_ink]

I purchased a solar kit from harbor freight cost me about $150 comes with 4 panels all I did was added a inverter and a dry cell battery. and works great , I use it now for a lil garden room I have. But if power goes out ill just run a power extension to the tank

 

[Fred Scott]

This thread is for emergency measures on what you can do NOW if you go home to no power to your reef tank.
Ideally, I'd like to keep the extra chatter down to a minimum as some may only end up reading this off the battery power left in their laptops...

First... here are some links to other previous power outage threads. Most have very good info in them but are kind of long reading. Many of the suggestions are for things you'd need to go out & purchase or order online.
The second link is an article written by our own Randy (Prattreef)
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/7530-back-up-power-thread.html

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reef-articles/14563-what-do-you-do-when-lights-go-out.html

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/41841-heat-2008-whose-temps-rising.html

Some suggestions for MANUALLY keeping your reef alive because for some reason you weren't able to preplan:
Your top issues are:
1- aerating the water to keep your fish alive
2- providing circulation

If you have zero power available you want to isolate your DT from your sump (hopefully it didn't overflow on you) as you'll need to concentrate your efforts where you have most of your money invested.

Grab a small CLEAN pail and scoop some water into it and then pour it back into your tank from a distance of preferrably 1 foot or more. This will get oxygen back into the water and create some circulation. You will need to do this repeatedly depending on the size of your tank and you will need to keep this up on & off for the duration of the power outage.

You can also use your clean hand to 'swoosh' the water around in your tank to break the surface for added 'circulation' but it is not as effective as the bucket method.

These will also help cool off the water but only minimally..kinda like blowing on hot soup...

If you still have power and are starting to get the idea that your tank is going to be in trouble since you haven't taken any measures yet...

Things you can do TODAY:
You want to get your hands on a battery back up unit (Office computer stores, some hardware stores, home centers) You will have to charge it for it to be usable!

A Battery operated aerator like they use in bait buckets are indespensible!
2 D Batteries and you'll have about 6 hours worth of air, they come with a short piece of ailine tubing and an airstone on the end.
I keep them under all of my tanks year round and change the batteries 1 x per year. You should be able to get these at LFS, mass retailers (Kmart Walmart) bait shops and boating stores like West Marine. They usually run about 6.99 each, no excuse not to have them for winter & summer issues.

Frozen Rodi water - this is good for both today and long term. Freeze a few 2 litre bottles of rodi water (in case they develop a leak..) and keep them all summer. In case the power goes out or the A/C dies.
The few degrees they will lower your tank temp could mean the difference between life & death.

Power inverters & Deep Cycle Batteries - you hook the inverter to the deep cycle battery (this type holds more of a charge that your standard car battery) and then plug your power head into the inverter.

Generators - like the proverbial snow shovel durting a snow storm..good luck finding one If you get lucky and do find one then your local gas station probably can't pump gas anyway due to the blackout. You really need to preplan this one!

Please feel free to add any suggestions that you've come up with! While the attached links have some great info on them..I'd like to see some fast tips added to this thread.Hi KathyC, thanks for starting such an important thread. Your suggestion about manually aerating the water using a clean pail is a great tip for emergency situations. It's a simple yet effective way to keep the water oxygenated and the aquatic life healthy during power outages. Another method that can be useful is the use of battery-operated air pumps. These can provide a temporary solution for aeration when there is no power. It's always good to have a backup plan, and your advice definitely provides a solid starting point for aquarium enthusiasts to prepare for unexpected power outages.

Hey KathyC I really appreciate you initiating this discussion. Your suggestion, about aerating the water using a bucket is an excellent idea especially in emergency situations. It's a effective way to ensure the water remains oxygenated and the aquatic life stays healthy during power outages. Another helpful method is utilizing battery operated air pumps as a solution, for aeration when theres no electricity. Having a plan is always wise. Your advice provides aquarium enthusiasts with a solid starting point to prepare for unexpected power failures.

 

[masterswimmer]

Hey KathyC I really appreciate you initiating this discussion. Your suggestion, about aerating the water using a bucket is an excellent idea especially in emergency situations. It's a effective way to ensure the water remains oxygenated and the aquatic life stays healthy during power outages. Another helpful method is utilizing battery operated air pumps as a solution, for aeration when theres no electricity. Having a plan is always wise. Your advice provides aquarium enthusiasts with a solid starting point to prepare for unexpected power failures.

Welcome to MR, Fred. Everything you mentioned in your post is spot on. Especially all of our appreciation to Kathy for bringing this important topic to the foreground, with such useful recommendations in the unfortunate emergency situation.

Now the sad part. Regretfully, I must say Kathy C. is no longer with us. She was not only a valuable member of this community, but she was beloved by so many here. Her contributions to MR were too numerous to list. She is deeply missed.

So, in closing, Fred, thank you for giving this valuable thread a bump. It gives our cherished friends memory a little nudge.

 

[Fred Scott]

Welcome to MR, Fred. Everything you mentioned in your post is spot on. Especially all of our appreciation to Kathy for bringing this important topic to the foreground, with such useful recommendations in the unfortunate emergency situation.

Now the sad part. Regretfully, I must say Kathy C. is no longer with us. She was not only a valuable member of this community, but she was beloved by so many here. Her contributions to MR were too numerous to list. She is deeply missed.

So, in closing, Fred, thank you for giving this valuable thread a bump. It gives our cherished friends memory a little nudge.

I'm really sorry to hear about the passing of Kathy C. We have lost a member of our community but her impact will always be remembered through the knowledge she shared. Her suggestion to use effective methods, like aerating water with a bucket or using battery operated air pumps during power outages truly showcased her thoughtful approach to taking care of aquariums. While we will miss her presence here her contributions will forever. Assist reef enthusiasts. Lets honor her memory by continuing to share our knowledge and learn from one another in this community.

 

[geldof]

Very sad news. Kathy C, you will be missed. Thank you for your contributions, especially this topic, that will help to save so many reefs over the coming years.

My contribution.. have a little buddy or kerosene heater ready for LONG power outtages. If you have a battery powered mower/blower/weed whacker, there are AC/DC adapters you can purchase to use with most lipo batteries. If you are in to RC Cars or FPV, those batteries can work too. Any of the above will keep a DC circulation pump or AC return pump functioning. NIMH batteries are getting to be very cheap. A 100AH battery can power an average aquarium for 24 hours or more.