Only one outlet of the main return pump is not GFCI.
Your life is more important than your fish tank. I HIGHLY recommend you add GFI protection. If you're concerned, get a monitor that will send you an email incase of failure, or add a second return on a different circuit. Your life is more important than any salt life. More times than not, if a GFI trips, there is a problem. Not worth the risk, fact, not my opinion. Doctor on staff is valuable.:beer:
I want to get a whole house natural gas genset...
Currently I only have a portable gasoline powered genset that will run the tank and a few other items.
I wanted one too, but being mechanically inclined, it's not worth the money to me. That's why I made the battery bank back up, so I have enough run time to keep vitals running while I'm gone, and I can recharge batteries when I get home, and can shut off the generator overnight while I'm home.
Portable gasoline powered gensets are nice, but can be dangerous. There is the problem of CO poisoning, obtaining fuel, storing fuel,(although many can be easily and somewhat inexpensively converted to propane fuel...which stores MUCH safer than gasoline and does not degrade/separate like gasoline does. However, you still need to pay attention to leaks from and corrosion of the propane tanks), and then refuelling can be dangerous as well if you're sloppy.
Figure less than $10k for a whole house natural gas powered generator with instant on/off transfer switch and you'll never have to worry again...other than tornados, earthquakes and storm surge...but hey, cant worry about everything.
ETA - I need one so the wife stops complaining that the fish tank has it's own generator but she and the kids dont.
Yes, portable gasoline gensets can be dangerous. Brains required. Natural gas gensets require maintenance, nice because of the automated action, fuel source, and typically larger available current (compared to portables), but brains and maintenance still required. My family was quite happy to have fish, after the power went out, and they were able to keep watching their tv's after the power went out last time. They know, if it wasn't for fish/anemones, they wouldn't have a back up!
About the only thing that would kill my tank, is something stupid I do or else a huge hurricane that flatten my house or a tornado that just rip the house apart. Can't plan for that. If it come to that, the tank is going to be the least that I am going to worry about.
That's where I'm at too. Only thing that can kill my tank is me, or catastrophic event, in which case, natural gas could too, be taken out. Can't plan for everything. 1859 Carrington event would wipe out everyone, most likely for months/years, regardless of the backup.
