what kind of generator is ideal for a tank?

[JonnyJ]

hey all

i own a 34 gallon solana and im wondering what kind of generator is ideal for my tank? really thinking about investing in one but have no clue where to start.

 

[jackson6745]

Honda is best that I know of for small applications but IMO you don't need one for your solana. Get yourself a good UPS battery backup. I have one that will run my powerhead for 2 days. It was around $80

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Generators are great if you have the room. The exhaust is the same as a car. It contains Co and if kept in close proximity to your house or apartment (like on a fire escape) it can back up into the living space can cause co poisoning or death.

 

[Bob 1000]

Oxydator. O2 reactor.

 

[nyfynest22]

figure how many watts you are using for your tank. Add them all up and that would give you the total amount of watts needed then find a generator to accomodate that

 

[jaa1456]

Well give the generator enough watts to run the fridge also. And I would keep it at least 20 feet from the house, Like Chief said CO2 is bad news.

 

[Alex]

If the sole purpose of the generator is running your tank then there are other options:

A ups for power heads or air pumps
battery powered air pumps
oxydator

Maybe Tobin can post a little info for those that don't know about an oxydator

 

[NL146]

Maybe Tobin can post a little info for those that don't know about an oxydator

+1 (like myself)

 

[JonnyJ]

ok thanks guys, i have battery powered pumps but im more worried when im not home.
think i want to go with a ups just not sure which one to buy. i want to just set up my powerhead to it in case power goes off. anyone have any recommendations?

 

[KathyC]

There are a few different ways to go, some providing more peace of mind than others:

Generator - I am in LOVE with mine Mine is attached via a 2nd electric box that is wired for the exact circuits I want to have on if the power goes out. It runs all of my tanks, my fridge and my furnace. The downside is someone has to be home to turn it on if the power goes out.

Battery powered air pumps - 2 types
I keep the little battery operated air pumps in the stands of all of my tank stands (so I don't have to look for it in the event of an outage) and change out the batteries twice a year when the clocks change (easy to remember as there are always radio/tv announcements to change the batteries in the smoke detectors then too )
Again you need to be around to turn these on.

2nd type:
These guys are always plugged in and run off rechargable batteries. If your power goes off they automatically turn themselves on. Depending on how you set them, they can run from 10-20 hours.
Here is a link to both types:
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.c...attery-operated-air-pumps/ps/c/3578/3669/8044

UPS: get the largest one you can afford

There are many more suggestions on the Emergency Measures thread

 

[Wes]

Honda generators are supposed to be the best but they are about 3 x the price of their competitors.

I use a 5000w centurion from lowes. You want something with a good reliable motor. I suggest getting one that uses a Briggs & Stratton.


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[crxin]

battery backup is the way to go if you are just using it on the tank.

 

[ming]

I chose the honda generators because they use the least amount of gas. When power goes out, i have a limited amount of gas as gas stations need electric to operate, so with big generators, you will need to store a good amount of gas to run any significant amount of time. I only got the 1kw generator which is enough for power my tanks, minus the lights... maybe until my LED's get setup

 

[Wes]

I chose the honda generators because they use the least amount of gas. When power goes out, i have a limited amount of gas as gas stations need electric to operate, so with big generators, you will need to store a good amount of gas to run any significant amount of time. I only got the 1kw generator which is enough for power my tanks, minus the lights... maybe until my LED's get setup

FYI, many gas stations use emergency generators during power outages.


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[BZOFIQ]

I'd recommend one of these. They'll run for hours and hours if you only plug in a few power heads into it. If you plug in a heater it will run out in an hour or two. For most powerheads rated at around 12W i'd expect it to run over 24 hours. Matter of fact I have one at home so i'll just run a test with a coralia and post the results later.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101067&cm_re=apc_ups-_-42-101-067-_-Product

You can probably find cheaper UPS units but working in IT we've learned to stick with APC for their reliability.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I chose the honda generators because they use the least amount of gas. When power goes out, i have a limited amount of gas as gas stations need electric to operate, so with big generators, you will need to store a good amount of gas to run any significant amount of time. I only got the 1kw generator which is enough for power my tanks, minus the lights... maybe until my LED's get setup

They are some of the nicest generators but they are prohibitevly expensive. A decent unit will run about $2000.

You can buy a decent non-honda 4KW rated units for about $400-600.

 

[ming]

Got my honda 1kw generator for $600. Considering I would use it as needed once a decade or so, I like the fact its so small, about the same or slightly bigger then a car battery. If storage space wasn't an issue, I'd get the regular large generators hooked up to the whole house and stock up on some gas.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Got my honda 1kw generator for $600. Considering I would use it as needed once a decade or so, I like the fact its so small, about the same or slightly bigger then a car battery. If storage space wasn't an issue, I'd get the regular large generators hooked up to the whole house and stock up on some gas.

Again, you have a great generator...but if you wanted to plug the fridge and the tank to it it will overload and shut off (auto-protect). Most people will want to plug in their tank, their fridge and couple of other important appliances plus as with other things in life you don't want to run it at 90-100% load all constantly. I calculated that i would would be good to go with anything ranging from 2000-2400W max output.

Again, honda generators are very nice (GREAT!!), its just that its a HONDA and it comes with its premium price tag.

 

[rgun2515]

I see a lot of people talking about Battery backups. I could not disagree more. Battery backups are only good for a short time and for a small tank. Anything larger than a 50-75 gallon, you must have a generator. Look at the current situation. My power went out Saturday, and may not be back on till this Saturday. No Battery is going to last that long heating/cooling and moving the water in my system. If you have space, a generator is the only way to go. IMO...

And if you are going to get one, why not get one big enough to run other items in your house. I would get the biggest one you can afford. Better safe than sorry...

 

[BZOFIQ]

I see a lot of people talking about Battery backups. I could not disagree more. Battery backups are only good for a short time and for a small tank. Anything larger than a 50-75 gallon, you must have a generator. Look at the current situation. My power went out Saturday, and may not be back on till this Saturday. No Battery is going to last that long heating/cooling and moving the water in my system. If you have space, a generator is the only way to go. IMO...

And if you are going to get one, why not get one big enough to run other items in your house. I would get the biggest one you can afford. Better safe than sorry...

YOu are absolutely right. If your power will be out for more than 24 hours, generator is the only way to go.

I have these currently in stock for minor short term backup so that I can get a generator in case of long term outage.

Battery operated air pump (qty. 2)
APC UPS 1500 (qty. 1)
400W power inverter with access to at least 2 car batteries

The car batteries have way more capacity than what you'd normally find in any UPS unit so I'm expecting to be covered for at least 24-48 hours. I would of course source a generator if the power wasn't coming back within a few hours.