What is your emergency power outage plan?

[Sk8r]

Most important: oxygen. My tank survived 178 hours at 66.1 degrees, and the hardier fish and all corals lived. I had no pump, no heat. But the 66.1 was critical, and I oxygenated it by hand (pouring total tank volume) every four hours for days. THe lower temperature actually HELPED the fish and corals survive---because they use more oxygen at higher temperatures and the water at higher temperatures can carry less. That's worth knowing.
HOWEVER---you should just outright get a generator---one of the smaller, less expensive portables would suffice for the tank. If funds are too tight, at least get a propane indoor-capable (with ventilation) stove for heat, a good lamp, and a gallon pitcher.

 

[thelawnwrangler]

so jealous

 

[thelawnwrangler]

Most important: oxygen. My tank survived 178 hours at 66.1 degrees, and the hardier fish and all corals lived. I had no pump, no heat. But the 66.1 was critical, and I oxygenated it by hand (pouring total tank volume) every four hours for days. THe lower temperature actually HELPED the fish and corals survive---because they use more oxygen at higher temperatures and the water at higher temperatures can carry less. That's worth knowing.
HOWEVER---you should just outright get a generator---one of the smaller, less expensive portables would suffice for the tank. If funds are too tight, at least get a propane indoor-capable (with ventilation) stove for heat, a good lamp, and a gallon pitcher.

thanks for this synopsis

 

[1MP3R1AL]

Easy. 2 500 watt solar panels, inverter, and once power goes out I flip a switch downstairs at my fuse box and it powers all of my aquarium equipment for roughly 10 days or so. I have 4 optima deep cycle batteries. All of the lights in my house are led, and I have a fireplace. It works.

 

[d0ughb0y]

The longest I've been without power is 2 days. I have a small generator I got from costco. You only need to power 1 or 2 powerheads and a heater (in winter). The small generator rated 1000watt is barely able to handle the 300watt heater when it turns on. I've used the generator twice in the last maybe 4 years, so I think it already paid for itself. If you lose power in the winter, your house (ambient) temp will drop as well, so it might not be that easy to keep the tank at 66.1 degrees without a heater if the house is already below 60.

 

[billdogg]

We have not lost power for more than a couple minutes in the last 10 years or so. All out utilities are underground.

That being said - I have a handful of battery airpumps I keep in the fish room. My wife (gotta love this girl) is pushing hard for a whole house generator irregardless of the fact that we don't lose (haven't lost) power here in such a long time. We both like our AC in the summer, our heat in the winter, and lights year around, and considering the investment both in time and $$$ in the aquariums, we will eventually go that route.

 

[d0ughb0y]

when you lose power nowadays, you will feel like savages living in the dark ages because you don't have internet access. Well, you sort of will still have internet access from your smartphone until your phone battery runs out, then it's anarchy, specially if you live in a house where people can't survive a few minutes without checking their facebook account. your aquarium will be the least of your concerns.

 

[cheucklate]

i have a vortech backup battery and if i'm in the apartment i'll loosely put a drape over the tank for insulation.

 

[Sk8r]

One other inexpensive big help is a battery-powered pump from Plax. I got three of these AFTER the 8 day power outage, and haven't used them yet, but they can power a simple airstone as long as you keep changing batteries. Have a GOOD supply of batteries in the house. We were down to bare shelves, shut stores, even restaurants closed with no power, and we were using candles to help heat the living room with the two tanks. Food for yourselves is an issue. But do not feed the fish! They're exotherms, taking their body temperature from their environment, and they can't generate body heat enough to digest. They go very low-activity in cold, and because they're not eating, (nor could they without risk of food rotting in their bellies) ---they're not pooping; chemistry including bacterial is moving slower, so the tank is actually better off (and so are the fish and corals) by your not putting food in the tank AT ALL during the chill-down.

 

[Coelli]

Although we haven't had a power outage for more than a few minutes in the year since I started this hobby our area has very high winds in the fall/winter and, of course, there are earthquakes. I have two battery-operated air pumps (plus extra batteries) and a 900w generator that could handle the return and heater if the outage is extended. The plan is to use the airstones and if it seems like the outage is extended, the generator. And if worst came to worse there's an old Onan 6000w generator on our motorhome parked on the street outside our house that we could fire up - but that's a last resort!