Foul weather = me concerned over electric
- Thread starter carb850
- Start date
baldwinaquaman
New member
Well, my power at home stayed on all night, so i'm good, I worked an 18 hour shift, no I'm a juvenile corrrections officer.
Orr2003
New member
Good to hear.
After reading my last post it sounded kinda harsh. I didnt mean for it to. I hope everyone is safe, warm, and that you get power back ASAP if it is out.
I hope everyones tank is fine also.
Orr2003
New member
good to hear!
carb850
New member
Well, I think I know more people which have been without power than those with power for the past few days. Several have got power restored, several heard it could take up until Christmas before seeing it again.
I'm all but decided to get the Tunze backup device to hook up to a smaller 12V battery. It will cost me about $250 I guess (with trickle charger), but it would be completely automatic. Roger of Tunze said a 26amp/hour battery would last approx. 24 hours. I would still need to look into more of a longer run solution but I think this is a nice first step.
BTW, I been thinkign about the Vortech MP10 for my 30 cube. I guess I could get the Vortech batter backup for it, that is another $200....
I'm all but decided to get the Tunze backup device to hook up to a smaller 12V battery. It will cost me about $250 I guess (with trickle charger), but it would be completely automatic. Roger of Tunze said a 26amp/hour battery would last approx. 24 hours. I would still need to look into more of a longer run solution but I think this is a nice first step.
BTW, I been thinkign about the Vortech MP10 for my 30 cube. I guess I could get the Vortech batter backup for it, that is another $200....
Orr2003
New member
Mike
I think you would really be just wasting money on these battery back ups for a couple pumps. Sure they are automated which is great but how long are you away from home at any given time? 8 hours? at work? Nothing is going to die in that time anyways. By then you are home and can hook the generator up and have power to all kinds of things not just a couple Power heads.
I think you would really be just wasting money on these battery back ups for a couple pumps. Sure they are automated which is great but how long are you away from home at any given time? 8 hours? at work? Nothing is going to die in that time anyways. By then you are home and can hook the generator up and have power to all kinds of things not just a couple Power heads.
baldwinaquaman
New member
I agree....
carb850
New member
Really, 8 hours of no water movement you feel most corals and fish could survive? If so, then it would be wasted money for these automatic battery systems.
With a little one at the house, we haven't been away for any longer than 8 hours total. In the next year or so I doubt we will be going many places and if we do I can get someone to check on things. In those circumstances I could only get them to check every 24 hours but this will only be a handful of days during the year.
carb850
New member
Check out how many watts a fish tank uses per this chart. 
http://www.oksolar.com/technical/consumption.html
http://www.oksolar.com/technical/consumption.html
Orr2003
New member
Check out how many watts a fish tank uses per this chart.
http://www.oksolar.com/technical/consumption.html
LMFAO!
so basicly what that chart is trying to tell you is that a fish tank uses 4 watts an hour power comsumption. You have got to be kidding me if you believe that? Even a goldfish bowl with a air pump would use more than 4 watts and hours. C'mon Man
I dont know much more plain I can put it. GET A GENERATOR!
1 KW is 1000 watts
So the chart says 35KW a year used by a fish tank LOL
So 4 watts an hour would be 4 X 24 = 96 watts a day
96 watts a day X 365 days a year = 35040 watts a year
This is absolutely non sense
One of my MH bulbs uses almost 400 watts an hour by itself.
I have 4 of them. Now include 500w heaters 2 of them. Return pump skimmer pumps, Tunze PH's Closed loop pump Calcium reactor pump, CO2 controller, and I can go on and on.
Use this chart if you want to find out how much electricity you tank uses.
http://reefcentral.com/index.php/tank-electrical
Plug in the values and how much your electric charges are per KWH (Kilowatthour)
I believe ours KWH is something like .07 cents maybe a little higher or little less I cant remember right off the top of my head. Maybe some else will know.
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carb850
New member
I was looking up the chart to get an approximate idea how much power consumption my household appliances use. Just to see if I would get a generator how big of one I would need. So I'm adding up what all I want to run. I just happened to notice there suggestion for the fish tank hence the winky eye. However, the 3W makes me question the rest of the values they list.
If I had access to unlimited cash I would have one already.
However, I don't so we have to prioritize purchases. A generator has been on my list of things to get just not high on the priority list. I'm now thinking more serious about one but trying to decide whether to ge a $300 Acme Super El Cheapo sooner or save up to get a higher rated and higher quality unit later... one that would be used to power more than just my tank.
If I had access to unlimited cash I would have one already.
However, I don't so we have to prioritize purchases. A generator has been on my list of things to get just not high on the priority list. I'm now thinking more serious about one but trying to decide whether to ge a $300 Acme Super El Cheapo sooner or save up to get a higher rated and higher quality unit later... one that would be used to power more than just my tank.
Orr2003
New member
I was laughing at the chart you posted, not the fact that I was saying GET A GENERATOR. since your put them together as my quote.
I do understand about the cost of a generator. I was only trying to help you save the $150 -$200 on those battery backups and put it towards a generator.
I do understand about the cost of a generator. I was only trying to help you save the $150 -$200 on those battery backups and put it towards a generator.
carb850
New member
I'm figuring the following for my tank. This would be counting the flourescents but not the halides.
28w = Eheim 1250
65w = Eheim 1260
45w = Dual Tunze 6101 but alternating on wave controller
18w = Vortech MP10 (with list)
108w = dual 54W T5's on 120G
64w = dual 32w PC on 30G
13w = H&S Skimmer
200w = heater
20w = misc maxi jets
561W Reef Total
1300w? = Coffee Maker or Microwave one at a time
600w? = Refrigerator
100w? = 18" CRT TV
? = DirecTV receiver
? = Electric Range or Electric Oven
? = Heat
The big question is the forced air gas furnace. Like to run it rather than area heaters but no easy plug-ins on it being in the craw space. Would a new electric box need to be added so a generator could be plugged into it? If so, how much would something like that run? I been wanting to upgrade to a larger box anyhow. It would be expensive but nice to use the forced air furnce, overhead lights, and not deal with extension cords all through the house. If that is too cost prohibitive then I would be looking at a few electric heaters around the house instead.
28w = Eheim 1250
65w = Eheim 1260
45w = Dual Tunze 6101 but alternating on wave controller
18w = Vortech MP10 (with list)
108w = dual 54W T5's on 120G
64w = dual 32w PC on 30G
13w = H&S Skimmer
200w = heater
20w = misc maxi jets
561W Reef Total
1300w? = Coffee Maker or Microwave one at a time
600w? = Refrigerator
100w? = 18" CRT TV
? = DirecTV receiver
? = Electric Range or Electric Oven
? = Heat
The big question is the forced air gas furnace. Like to run it rather than area heaters but no easy plug-ins on it being in the craw space. Would a new electric box need to be added so a generator could be plugged into it? If so, how much would something like that run? I been wanting to upgrade to a larger box anyhow. It would be expensive but nice to use the forced air furnce, overhead lights, and not deal with extension cords all through the house. If that is too cost prohibitive then I would be looking at a few electric heaters around the house instead.
Altpers0na
ARS Caesar
the stack of batterys seems viable to me, at least to keep the water moving and the skimmer running. it dosnt have to be automatic, just needs to run 10? minutes an hour or so?
