It's stormy season, how do we prepare our fish tank?

[ljuhl]

It's stormy season, Just want to know how everybody prepares our fish tank in case of a long power outage? what is the minimum that we should do?

[hesstondc]

Minimum?
Buy a battery operated air pump and use blankets to keep the tank warm

Maximum
Buy a generator OR build a backup unit with a deep cycle battery like I did. When the current cuts out my pump then runs off of a deep cycle battery and power inverter on a timer. It is on for about 30 mintues then off for 30 minutes, until power is restored. Then the pump runs off electricity again and the battery begins charging with a trickle charger. This is a simple concept much like a CPU backup, but it will run alot longer due to the Marine Battery.

[Stanfill Reef]

I just bought a generator and I keep lot's of spare blankets on hand. Last year we lost power for 8 hours on a very cold night with no generator. We have battery operated air pumps that cut in when the power goes off (available at your LFS). So we just put 3-4 layers of blankets on the tank for insulation. The tank only went down 1oF in the 8 hours before the power came back on.

With the new generator we plan on getting a switch and hook it into the house power. So we will have heat and be able to run the fish tanks as long as I have gasoline.

Chris

[jlscrug]

Not to negate the value of your concern but think about how fish and coral are shipped. They can live for quite a while in less than superior conditions. Unless you are overstocked heavily and/or out of power for a significant amount of time, I don't think you have much to fret over. A 3 inch fish can live in 500mL of water for over 24 hours. I would think your stocking density is much less

[milhouse74]

They are sometimes pack with gases other then plain old air. battery operated pumps would be a good idea.

[hesstondc]

I guess you could let the tank sit and keep your fingers crossed, I prefer to hear my pumps running when the current is out. Makes me feel all warm inside..Like I am not going to be loosing any money on dead animals, even if I am not at home.....LOL!

Besides I built my backup system for about $175.00 and they are cheaper than a generator, but generators can be used in all sorts of places.

[ljuhl]

I was thinking like you. However, when I moved my tank 2 months ago, I put 4 fishes in a 18 gallon bucket w/o a powerhead overnight to wait for the water in the new tank to clear up (I have a deep sand bed), my favorite Flame Angel didn't survive. When I talked to a LFS about this, I learned that fish stores have to pump oxygen to all the fishes bags in prepare for shipping.
Getting a battery operated air pump is a great idea and it doesn't cost much. Thanks for your responses everybody.

[ljuhl]

oops! you beat me to it.

Originally Posted by milhouse74

They are sometimes pack with gases other then plain old air. battery operated pumps would be a good idea.

[milhouse74]

I am a nano guy, I will be using battery povered air, and some UPS for heat.

[hesstondc]

I have a UPS I will sell for $25 or trade for frags or something.

Just let me know, perfect size for a nano

[ljuhl]

@

[milhouse74]

I have many many ups

[mojo]

Keep in mind that while shipping conditions (oxygen deprived, cold, dark) may be similar to a complete power loss, that all changes when the coral reaches it's destination and is taken out of the bag and put into (hopefully) a clean environment. When the power comes back on from a power outage, they have to sit in whatever environment may have been cold, dark, or have a spike in nitrates, ammonia, etc...

As for me, I keep only my Tunze on a UPS. And hope for the best...

[emau]

what is a ups?????????
peace
e

[hesstondc]

Its a computer backup that switches a computer over to a backup power when the current goes. You can use them to power a pump if you want, but some say they do not last as long (depends on power storage in the unit)