What is everyone doing for power backup?

[Anonymous]

With the cold weather here, I am curious what everyone does for power backup in case of an extended power outage? Everyone have generators? If not, what do you have? Are there any clever, inexpensive methods out there just to keep things alive for 1-2 days max?

 

[Anonymous]

I live in the middle of nowhere so I have a generator. I also bought 2 inexpensive 'live bait' air pumps that they make for fishing that run on 2 D batteries for like $17.00/each. One for the main tank and one for the sump. They say they will run 24 hrs per 2 batteries but I haven't had to use them (yet). I test ran them for 8 hrs, with lights out and no other aeriation in the tank and everything seemed okay. Of course, I only have maybe 25gallon total water volume so that idea might not work for a larger system, or you'd need more than two pumps. Stocked up on spare patteries too.

As far as heating goes, I've got 4 or 5 plastic quart milk bottles all clean and ready. If it comes down to it, I can fill those up with hot water and float them in the tank. Even if the generator isn't on, I still have propane so the stove will work to heat up water.

This winter is shaping up to be a peach, isn't it? I saw on the news another winter storm blowing in starting Monday night.

 

[Anonymous]

depends how cold the room with your tank gets. How wrong would it be to put a propane heater in there??

 

[liquid]

Here's a good article from the back issues of Advanced Aquarist:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... eature.htm

Shane

 

[Len]

Vortech on battery only. Circulation is the big thing. I have a generator in case of something big like an earthquake, but I figure if a quake knocks out the power for a long time, the tank probably is the least of my concerns

 

[Ben1]

Ive read stories about people trusting their vortechs on battery only and had all of their fish die. I think the power is reduced to a very low speed which in a larger tank wont give enough circulation to keep enough gas exchange happening.

 

[Anonymous]

My bigger concern in the cold (I am in Michigan). Battery air pumps are fine I think for aeration and circulation.

 

[Anonymous]

for my old tank(and future - I'm moving in two months) I have a couple of Network size UPSes that a friend salvaged from an office building...

 

[ChrisRD]

I use a large generator. I installed an outdoor plug and a manual transfer switch at the breaker panel in my house.

Basically, I plug the generator in outside (under the porch), throw a few switches in the basement, and the critical stuff is running on generator power (i.e. well, furnace, frig, fish tank, etc.)...

 

[Sea Turtle]

I bought a generator that is capable of powering the entire tank and then some including the lights. It's nice becasue I can use it for other things in the mean time.