Running a battery backup with an Apex

[bradam]

Anyone run a battery backup with their apex? Like to run a Tunze pump or two?

If so how do you have it setup?

 

[rwsunrx]

check this thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1995032

 

[bradam]

hmm that wasn't what I was brainstorming doing, but after reading that thread that seems a much simpler/cheaper way to go.

Only question I have there is while the tunze's are running off the battery what mode do they go into? Or do they keep doing whatever the last command the apex gave them before it lost power was? Being that the apex wasn't connected the battery that is, I'm assuming that with the apex running off the battery it will run the profiles like normal?

 

[rwsunrx]

If you read back through my posts to the other thread you will see that I did connect my Apex to this same 12V battery and it works great. Last summer we lost electricity in San Diego for about 12 hrs and my battery backup / Apex / Tunze Streams worked perfectly. I had my Apex programmed to detect when running only on battery power and shut down all functions but the Tunze Streams.

 

[bradam]

So a regular car battery can keep 2 tunze 6105's up atleast 12 hours in other words?

Figure ole hurricane season is rolling up on us here, need something just in case i'm not home to start up the generator.

 

[RussM]

If you do buy a battery for this purpose, get a deep cycle aka marine battery rather than a car battery. Deep cycle batteries are better suited for this type of usage. In a nutshell, car batteries are designed to supply high current for very short periods, ie starting the engine. Marine batteries are intended to supply a smaller steady load for long periods.

 

[jrpark22000]

Here is another cheap easy solution.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1952652

 

[bradam]

Is connecting the apex power port directly to a boat battery a bad idea? Being the amps on the marine battery are oodles higher then the milliamps required for the apex?

 

[bradam]

Any ideas on if its bad to hook the apex directly to a 12 volt marine battery? Or should some kind of resister be placed inline? I imagene atleast a 1 amp fuse as well?