Emergency

[kagetaro99]

The power currently just got knocked out due to a very bad storm that just rolled in. How long will 2 fish and 10 corals be able to last in a 100gal setup? I dont have any thing for an emergency like this because I never really thought about the power being out for more than a couple mins. But I now know what I need to start looking into...

 

[mal7887]

A battery powered pump and air stone works great to keep oxygen in the water. If you have a sump, scoop some of the water out with a pitcher and pour into the tank a few times an hour - if you dont have an air stone, do it more frequently. Corals can go without lights for a few days. Watch for the fish to brethe heavy or gasp for air at the surface. Also dont forget to watch temp!

During rainiy season here in Tampa I do this once a month it seems.

 

[downbeach]

I use a couple of these:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...d=11466912&cp=4406646.4413993.4414792.4414811

 

[Agu]

Since you don't have any other options at the moment scooping out some water and pouring it back in is your best choice. If you have a sump scoop it out of the sump and pour it in the tank. If you're using HOB filtration scoop it out of the tank and pour it in the filters.With only two fish a few scoops every half hour should be adequate.


Basic idea is to keep the water aerated and not have any stagnant areas.

 

[sammy77]

I'm currently sitting in the dark now from the same storm:thumbdown

Thankfully, I have power at home.

 

[Cymonous]

If you have these problems often or just want to make sure this doesn't happen, you could always get one of these. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101344

 

[KCombs]

^ yup and 1-2 small powerheads with the aeration thingies can last a decent amount of time on a reasonably sized UPS...but as mentioned I think/suspect a small air pump perhpas even more so

 

[Sport507]

These are worth their weight in gold at times like this. Just hooks up to a car battery. I keep one on hand, not this particular model.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/XOvision-XO650-600W-DC-to-AC-Power-Inverter/15779978

 

[greech]

These are worth their weight in gold at times like this. Just hooks up to a car battery. I keep one on hand, not this particular model.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/XOvision-XO650-600W-DC-to-AC-Power-Inverter/15779978

How big of an inverter would one need to power a single MP-10 and a heater?

 

[Cymonous]

These are worth their weight in gold at times like this. Just hooks up to a car battery. I keep one on hand, not this particular model.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/XOvision-XO650-600W-DC-to-AC-Power-Inverter/15779978

I just can't see how great having one of those can be for an emergency if you lose power, especially if you are not home. For that inverter, you gotta get either a new car battery ($90-100) or a used one AND keep it charged. Or, get a UPS for $15-20 more than that inverter that will not only power your heaters/pumps, but will also power up these devices the instant you lose power and protect your devices from a surge.

 

[robn70]

A question for those of you that are using UPSs run pumps and heaters. What kind of run times are you getting?

 

[mgargiullo]

That all depends what you have on it. There are a bunch of calculators based on the draw of your tank.

The rating of UPS devices is in Volt Amps which converts 1:1 to watts.

Add up your tank wattage and then start UPS shopping.

Keep in mind that most consumer UPS devices are designed to run just long enough to safely shut down the computer. For example one of the 350va UPSs above will last 1.6 minutes at 200watts draw.

I use an older APC brand SmarUPS 3500 I salvaged and converted to use car batteries. It depends how much time vs $ vs rube Goldberg you want to go.

 

[aleonn]

Double post

 

[aleonn]

My backup plan for my 180 is this:

Heat: instant rechargeable heat packs placed in plastic bags (from Amazon)
Circulation: Vortech MP40 on battery backup power (lasts 24-48 hrs)
Aeration: Penn Plax automatic battery-operated air pump (turns on when AC/DC power is off)

I'd feel comfortable to go to work, or leave the tank overnight for short periods (8-12 hr) power outs. For long term power outs, I do need to get a portable generator.

For your situation, scooping water and mixing water would be fine. If the temperature is too hot, place ice cubes inside a plastic bag and float it on the surface.

 

[ChrisL1976]

Has anyone actually ran a powerhead from a computer battery backup unit?

MOST filter motors, power heads, etc. use magnetic drive meaning the impellers etc are driven by sealed coils. The issue is that unless you get into high dollar UPS units with true sine wave output, the motors on these devices just chatter or hum when driven with the stepped waveform from the standard UPS units

 

[firebirdude]

Most of your replies are worthless to him as of now. His power is already out and the timer on the tank is ticking.

If you can't find a battery powered airstone at a store locally (and quickly) scooping water around is about your only hope. Also, watch your temps! Add whatever ice cubes you have left into a plastic bottle and let it float in the tank.

In the future, gather plastic bottles, fill them with water and put them in the freezer. If this happens again, you'll be a lot better off.

 

[icecool217]

There are times where I have turned off the powerheads for feeding and ended up falling asleep. It's not too much of an issue for a few hours but perhaps do occasional stirring.

As for heat, that is your critical concern. Insulate your tank any way you can. Find some way to heat up the water. Make a bonfire to boil some water if you have to.

 

[mlott132]

The power currently just got knocked out due to a very bad storm that just rolled in. How long will 2 fish and 10 corals be able to last in a 100gal setup? I dont have any thing for an emergency like this because I never really thought about the power being out for more than a couple mins. But I now know what I need to start looking into...

Feel your pain. Our power just blinked from the same storm, but it was a wakeup call to me. Think I will get a battery powered airstone and maybe a UPS for powerheads. we had over 75mph winds in our area that really messed things up.

 

[sammy77]

We are still in the dark at work :headwalls:

 

[Cloudburst2000]

Most of your replies are worthless to him as of now. His power is already out and the timer on the tank is ticking.

If you can't find a battery powered airstone at a store locally (and quickly) scooping water around is about your only hope. Also, watch your temps! Add whatever ice cubes you have left into a plastic bottle and let it float in the tank.

In the future, gather plastic bottles, fill them with water and put them in the freezer. If this happens again, you'll be a lot better off.

Most of the replies are not useless. He has already been given ways to keep the system running while the power is out including things you also mentioned in your post. Why repeat the same information?

The newer posters instead of repeating the information from the first several posts are recommending ways he can avoid the same mishap in the future. That is not useless information.