What it take to survive this hurricane season...

[Kewlworm]

...for my fish tank. I had cichlid in my 125g last year and H. Wilma wipe almost 1/3 of it. I had no power for 8 days and no generator. I had to empty half my tank and put few buckets w/ a small hole drilled on the bottom on top of the tank and let the water drip into the tank to keep my fishes alive.

Now that my 125g is a reef and my cichlids moved into a 75g, I have to worry even more. Although I will have a generator this year, I can't have it on 24 hrs a day. So, I was wondering what I/we can do to keep our fish tanks and reef tanks alive this season at night?

I have a few things in mind:
1) get one of those battery operated air pump
2) ... ... ...

Ok I had one thing in mind

What else do I need to get for a reef tank?
Sorry for the long post.

Thanks in advance!
Gary

 

[saltwaterfishlover]

actually you are on a good start with several bubblers get a few sets of what ever battery they take too.... a turkey baster to help circulate water every once in a while.... an amonia gaurd or remover would help to.... make up a bunch of r/o water eithor buy a generator or a dc inverter for a car so you can run a pump off your cigaret lighter or a spare car battery....


airpump
when power goes out it goes on

 

[jenlovesty]

We live a condo and cannot have a generator. We used a bubbler for my ten gallon.

For the 55 gallon, my husband took the battery out of his suv, and hooked a inventor up to the battery. Then he pulled a little 2 watt pump to help with circulation. We were out of power for a week and all we lost was one emerald crab.

 

[Dactyl]

during hurricane katrina there were people who used a bilge pump you buy at walmart for boats really cheaply connected to a deep cycle battery (boat battery) you can also find at walmart. and they had 1 or 2 of those air bubblers. people were able to go away for 2 weeks and come back to a tank that was almost how they left it short of the corals being a little stunned from lack of light.

 

[Kewlworm]

Alright Thanks! I will have a spare used car battery and see if I can use a inverter to run a MJ900 (8.5watts) + the battery bubbly pump at night. And hopefully, it will last for the night.

Then again I hope we won't have a chance to use these stratergies this season...although the chances are small than clown fish fry.

 

[Bret61081]

I am going to go to Pepboys and get one of the 1200W generators for around 180$. I figured its enough to power the tank for a few hours a day...the rest it can go on battery powered air bubblers! If anyone needs D batterys....there is a great deal on amazon.com...60D(or C) Rayovac batterys shipped to you for 35$. if anyone wants the link...let me know! I ordered mine!!

 

[ek9vboi]

Good idea, I guess I will be going to the good old wal-mart to pick up some bubble makers as well as an inverter for use with a car battery.

One thing for sure is that I have TV no matter what! Good thing I went the extra mile and bought a TV for my car that has a TV Tuner with it. Saved my life when H. Wilma came around.

My list to get:
2 more bubble makers
D Batteries
Power Inverter
Maybe a deep cycle battery

LOTS OF WATER FOR THE FISH TANK!

 

[Dactyl]

the evolution of hurricane tank prep

with katrina i had an air bubbler and a large spoon =)

with wilma i had an air bubbler, boat bilge pump and my girlfriend's car battery sitting in a chair next to the tank with some jumper cables acting as an extension cord.

with whatever we get this year ill finally have a generator.

 

[Kewlworm]

Yeah, lots of people (including me) are finally getting a generator because of H. Wilma. We dodge quite a few bullets the past decade and after last year, we realized a generator is a must.

[Flashback]
I was standing next to a generator in pepboy last year really wanting to get, but didn't cause I figured I won't have to use it...I was wrong and should of bought it while I have a chance. I regret it everyday after I have met H. Wilma.
[/Flashback]

But won't make that mistake again.

 

[Dactyl]

which is why all hurricanes will steer clear of florida this year =P

just like how everyone thought katrina was going to be a weak tropical storm so noone put up their shutters