Is your tank prepared for the LONG haul?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

This question is not about fear but a reminder to be prepared.

With the uncertainty of travel, shopping, shipping, etc. comes the need to be prepared! And of course since we're a saltwater aquarium community we need to talk about the challenges of keeping your reef tank healthy and prepared during these times. So I think it will be good to talk about what we will need if we are stuck in the house for an extended period of time. I would like to hear from you on what you might have stocked up on or what you think will be important to be ready for. Some of our members and friends had a pretty strong earthquake today in Utah and are without power. Couple that with what's already going on and it could present even more challenges that we need to consider.

1. How have you prepared or are preparing to to take care of your reef tank just in case you can't get supplied in the near future?

2. What are some things that hobbyists should think about and prepare for now just in case?

 

[TheHarold]

Well, I think people should have enough fish food, supplements, and salt for at least a month at this point for the Coronavirus situation. Non-essential stores are being shut down in several states, with stay-at-home orders either in place or pending soon (I think I am allowed to mention that? Lol). As in a legal, mandatory requirement.

 

[Mr Fishface]

I am very well stocked up by some fortunate chance. Guess it's just my natural habit! I always carry at least a full box of aquarium salt to make 200 gallons. I try to always have one opened box and one unopened at all times anyways. I have several packs of frozen foods mixed with different types of pellets and flakes - those packages tend to last a long time as is! The only thing I am not prepared for is if my power went out for more than a couple hours. In an ideal world I would have a generator handy but I just haven't made that move yet.

I live in SE Idaho; heard about the earthquake in Utah this morning. I'm surprised I didn't feel a thing! Hope you all are staying safe down there though.

 

[Oberst Oswald]

Ordered a 200 gallon bucket of salt, Triton Core 7 & chemicals, food and other supplies yesterday from BRS. Stocked up on a few packs of LRS food for the fish.

Picked up a large bag of Eukanuba dog food, 2 boxes of large Milk Bone biscuits & other treats for the dogs.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I have enough fish food for several months

mistakenly ordered 24 filter socks, so dont even need to wash them for almost 2 months lol.

Have a full box of aquaforest reef salt unopened.

3 spare heaters and several ac wave makers.

Dont have a spare return pump. so not 100% prepared.

Didnt plan this just happened lol.

 

[dank reefer]

If I run out of fish food, they will be eating rice and black beans...lol

 

[Greybeard]

Trident reagents, can't get the 6 month packs at all, I keep at least one 2 month on hand, and honestly, if I had to, I can do without the Trident.

Salt, a bucket will last me 5 months, and I generally buy a new bucket when I open one, so I've always got a new one on the shelf.

Water: I order replacement RO/DI filters as needed, don't keep a stock. Hey, there's something I should do... get a few sediment filters, some carbon blocks, to keep on hand. Especially considering that my RO filter is also our drinking water.

BRS Calc/Alk/Mag, I've got 6 months worth on the shelf.

Fish Food? I feed nearly all frozen. I've probably got 3 months worth in the freezer. Got dry pellet and flake, if I needed to stretch the frozen some.

Dog food? No way. We've got three Great Pyrenees with a combined weight of about 400 lbs. If the local feed mill quits producing dog food, I'll have to start poaching deer to keep the beasts fed

 

[KrisReef]

If food gets scarce I'm trying to figure out how to prepare Pufferfish.

If my socks get short I'm gonna reach out to @Gareth elliott to see if he can help me out?

Be Safe everyone!

 

[Lasse]

I have at least doubled all my pumps, have a spare Profilux 3.1 and other spare parts for the system. However - this is not because of the current crisis - It is my normal preparation. I have build up my reef for nearly 4 years now and things happens all the time. I can´t risk 4 years of growth - just because I do not have any spare parts or spare pumps. Food is no problems because it is always possible to do your own food for the system. I run Core 7. Have enough chemicals for around 100 days. Salt - only a small part - I run without WC.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[MTBake]

Good on food, salt, and additives for probably 2 months. Should really order some di resin though. Going to need to change my anion stage in about a month. I just took down my 10 gallon and 40 breeder, so I have lots of spare equipment right now.

 

[ca1ore]

My thoughts are here …..

How to Prepare for Staying Home for a While ....

I have no inside information and am not saying this will happen but how can I harden my tank against the possibility of a national quarantine? Family and neighbors before fish certainly, but doesn't mean I cannot think about the latter. As a supply chain guy I've long been trained to hope for...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Auquanut]

Unfortunately, in my job, it's very possible that I may be sheltering not at home, but at work. My working hours have recently increased dramatically, and I'm scrambling to to get my systems (as well as all of my domestic responsibilities) as close to cruise control as possible. I'm pretty well stocked for supplies, so not too worried about that. I guess we'll just have to see how events play out and go from there.

 

[Victor_C3]

Fortunately, my system is nearing the two month mark of the initial cycle. I’ve added 4x fish and a handful of crabs and snails. I don’t have anything that requires any sort of special food or additives. I have a giant thing of cheap flake food and my fish should be good for months on that. I have a 7-stage RO/DI system, which makes top-off water a nonissue. Barring a prolonged power outage, I’m great.

One of the things I’m working to make a priority is disaster mitigation. I just purchased an Apex with Trident testing module. I have 4x heaters, 2x EcoTech S2 return pumps, and a slew of cheap power heads in my horde of equipment. I just need to buy a propane powered generator and I’m set. For what it’s worth, propane is better than gas in that propane basically doesn’t go bad in storage while a tank of gas will degrade in a few months to a year.

 

[EJReef]

I have at least doubled all my pumps, have a spare Profilux 3.1 and other spare parts for the system. However - this is not because of the current crisis - It is my normal preparation. I have build up my reef for nearly 4 years now and things happens all the time. I can´t risk 4 years of growth - just because I do not have any spare parts or spare pumps. Food is no problems because it is always possible to do your own food for the system. I run Core 7. Have enough chemicals for around 100 days. Salt - only a small part - I run without WC.

Sincerely Lasse

Seems you're not prepared if you lose your saltwater then

 

[Pntbll687]

I made 5lbs of food back in January, should last a LONG time.

I also had just replaced and ordered filters for the RODI.

AND I had bought 12 boxes of instant ocean in december (should last until Dec 2020 or longer)

 

[Mark Gray]

I have extra pumps Light's Food Salt need to get some DI material. I think I am ready for the apocalypse

 

[EJReef]

Fortunately, my system is nearing the two month mark of the initial cycle. I’ve added 4x fish and a handful of crabs and snails. I don’t have anything that requires any sort of special food or additives. I have a giant thing of cheap flake food and my fish should be good for months on that. I have a 7-stage RO/DI system, which makes top-off water a nonissue. Barring a prolonged power outage, I’m great.

One of the things I’m working to make a priority is disaster mitigation. I just purchased an Apex with Trident testing module. I have 4x heaters, 2x EcoTech S2 return pumps, and a slew of cheap power heads in my horde of equipment. I just need to buy a propane powered generator and I’m set. For what it’s worth, propane is better than gas in that propane basically doesn’t go bad in storage while a tank of gas will degrade in a few months to a year.

Stabil

 

[Kyl]

I am prepared for that which cannot be named.

 

[Mikepaul75]

Only have a 20g cube. I have the following, any thing stand out that I should get?

Salt - 6 months work
RO/DI filter w/ replacement canisters
Frozen food, pellets, algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton, calcium - 3 months worth
Spare powerhead
Spare heater

Do not have a spare light or spare pump.

 

[mfinn]

I would have waited until next week ( when my check comes) to buy more frozen food, but see a post about this kind of made it seem a little more urgent in my mind. I just ordered about a 2 month supply.
I have a couple 2 or 3 months supply of salt if I spread it out a little.
I have 12 rolls of tp so that''s good for 6-7 weeks. lol