Me vs. the power outtage

[Aggie04]

We had a bit of a storm come through Houston the other night, and the power dropped for almost an hour at my apt. About 40min into the outtage, I checked on my tank things didn't look good!

The pisto shrimp which is always hiding (haven't seen him since I got him... dang he got big!) was swimming around the tank wondering what was going on.

The corals didn't look happy.

My hippo tang was lying on its side on the sand bed.

What to do!? Get creative!

I snagged a 3/4" line of tube and blew bubbles into the tank off and on for 15 min until the power came back on. A couple minutes into it, the hippo revived.

All is well!

Anyway, I really need a better system for how to keep my inhabitants healthy during an outtage. Any suggestions?

 

[Len]

The number one killer during power outages is oxygen depletion when circulation goes dead. That's what your animals experienced (glad they revived). There are cheap battery powered pumps available, but you need to be around the tank to install them when the power goes out. You can also put a powerhead or two on a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) that is often used with home electronics/computers. Some of the UPS output in square waves that aren't good for pumps, but it's still a good safeguard IMO.

There is an expensive pump - the Vortech - on the market that have a battery backup system.

 

[Anonymous]

There is the Penn Plax B-11 Air Pump. When the power goes off it turns on. All you have to do is run some rigid airline tubing into the tank and voila. I have two of them on my 150.

http://www.aquatichouse.com/Pumps_files/ppbatpump.asp

Best 11 bucks you will spend on your reef.