Looking for Battery Backup For Tank

[yourcatch22]

Hey folks!

I am trying to select a battery backup/surge protector for my fish tank. I live here in Florida where the afternoon storms can cause frequent power outages and I want to protect my tank.

I intend to use it just to run a single powerhead or my hang on back filter (if possible) for a few hours to get oxygen flowing. My tank is pretty small, only 25 gallons, so I'm not looking for anything crazy here. I recently purchased 1000 VA, 600 Watts CyberPower battery backup for my system. Unfortunately, whenever I pull the plug to test it, the battery only supplies enough power to barely spin the powerhead at half speed and not enough to break the water's surface. I have nothing else running so it's a little surprising that it's so weak.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good battery backup that won't break the bank or, at the very least, explain why the one I purchased isn't doing the job?

 

[davehead86]

What kind of power head are you running? What else is plugged into the backup?


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[NeilFox]

Perhaps an inverter system.

 

[Timfish]

Some UPS don't make a true sine wave which is hard on pumps. They usually only run a couple hours irregardless of the load. Penn Plax makes a battery operated air pump that only turns on when power is lost. A friend on mine looked at several diffeent brands and the Penn Plax was the only one that ran on "D" cell battteries that consistantly turned on and also lasted the longest when power was turned off.

 

[Reeefer]

On my 29 gallon I have an MP10. Planning on buying the Ecotech battery back up for it. That's what I'm doing on my 81 gallon which I have backing up 2 MP40s. Pricey yes, but it's insurance for your tank.

 

[Mark9]

On my 29 gallon I have an MP10. Planning on buying the Ecotech battery back up for it. That's what I'm doing on my 81 gallon which I have backing up 2 MP40s. Pricey yes, but it's insurance for your tank.

+1 on the Ecotech battery backup.

 

[eastlake]

Does the back up you presently have run an aerator efficiently? If so you could just have that on the back up outlet.

 

[Sk8r]

Suggestion: instead of trying to provide full power for a transient power outage, get a Penn-Plax bubbler pump: they're small, cheap, and they can be rigged to come on to power an airhose and bubbler somewhere behind the rockwork. They'll last as long as you have batteries to feed them. For big weather problems, yes, a generator; and you're where there can be extended outage; but for the minor ones the little bubbler can keep fish breathing well enough. They're a good option for everybody to have, at least in the house.

Most tanks can go 8 hours with no power, no problem. Beyond that, things can get iffy, and among precautions for a long workday stint or a weekend at the beach, these might help, running on regular power most of the time, but switching to battery in a power-out. In general, bubblers aren't a useful item in a reef, and not something you want going on long-term; but if you live where power is a dice throw, and you have to be away for 3 days, this is a good bet. Just keep bubbles away from fish and corals as a rule.

 

[GimpyFin]

As mentioned, if you don't get a UPS that does true sine wave output, you'll have issues. The modified sine wave on basic UPS devices is hard on pumps and motors and causes them to behave erratically on battery power. Cyberpower does make a Pure sinewave series that works, but depending how much equipment you want to run off of it, the backup power doesn't last very long. (I had a Pure Sinewave 1350V/800W on my old tank and it would die after about 30-45 minutes with the return, powerheads, and heater (no lights.))

An alternative is an inverter generator for longer outages (Regular generators have similar shortcomings to basic UPS devices) or the battery powered pumps Timfish and Sk8r suggested are also good ideas.

 

[Tweaked]

Suggestion: instead of trying to provide full power for a transient power outage, get a Penn-Plax bubbler pump: they're small, cheap, and they can be rigged to come on to power an airhose and bubbler somewhere behind the rockwork. They'll last as long as you have batteries to feed them. For big weather problems, yes, a generator; and you're where there can be extended outage; but for the minor ones the little bubbler can keep fish breathing well enough. They're a good option for everybody to have, at least in the house.

Most tanks can go 8 hours with no power, no problem. Beyond that, things can get iffy, and among precautions for a long workday stint or a weekend at the beach, these might help, running on regular power most of the time, but switching to battery in a power-out. In general, bubblers aren't a useful item in a reef, and not something you want going on long-term; but if you live where power is a dice throw, and you have to be away for 3 days, this is a good bet. Just keep bubbles away from fish and corals as a rule.

This!!! I have 5 of the bubblers on my 5 displays and they come on automatically when power is lost - typically in overnight storms. For longer periods I roll out the generator.

 

[malx]

I use Ecotech Marine's Battery Backup. A bit pricey but I have two MP40s and a Vectra Return pump. Right now, it's hooked up to one of my MP40s but I'm considering hooking it up to the return pump instead since my MP40s are too low to stir up the surface.

 

[Subsea]

I set up a PennPlex air bubble on a 29G mixed reef in a dentist office. During an extended electrical outage, the pump ran 10 days on two D cell batteries. All things were good.

Ten years ago that pump was <$10. When power was lost at the receptacle, the air pumps switch turns on.