Power Outage Preparation

samnaz · Oct 25, 2017

My power went out for 15 seconds last night (and right across the street it's been out for over a day). Needless to say, I dodged a bullet there and I need whatever preparation equipment NOW for future power outages.

What does everyone use or recommend? Will a regular old generator do? Or is there something made specifically for aquariums that works better?

Also, if possible, I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars.

mtraylor · Oct 25, 2017

whats your setup

samnaz · Oct 25, 2017

mtraylor said:
whats your setup

Currently I have a 20 gallon tank, Current Orbit Pro, Jebao PP-4 powerhead, Cobalt 100w heater, hob skimmer and filter.

In a couple months I'm upgrading to a 30 gallon tank, 25 gallon sump, NanoBox Quad, Tunze ATO, 2x PP-4, not sure what return pump yet (leaning towards Jebao DC).

jpcrash1 · Oct 25, 2017

A generator definitely will work or a battery aerator.

d_adler · Oct 25, 2017

For such a small tank a battery aerator would be a simple cost effective solution

reefpaddy · Oct 25, 2017

MP10 (even pre owned to cut down cost) and their battery backup would be a good option. You could do without the skimmer and filter for a longer period of time. Heat would become an issue after an extended period but your not going to get a battery backup to help with that due to its power draw.

splix · Oct 25, 2017

I have all my stuff on a UPS that will give me probably 30-45 min run time. After that I have a 1000w inverter I hook up to the car and run extension cords to for the tank. Sort of a poor mans generator for on the cheap. We usually dont lose power here for very long, but blips are normal, so the UPS is worth it for me.

penguin_free · Oct 25, 2017

It's not a bad idea to have at least a small generator. Even the ones that run $150 at menards will run the 110 leg of your furnace along with the essentials on the aquarium, with some juice left over for lights. Downside is the small fuel tank runs dry every hour or so.
But being in MI, it sure is nice to have the ability to make the furnace work if we lose juice in the winter.
I had been putting it off up till that big outage we had in metro detroit area back in February... I got through that 3 day outage with the little gen, but picked up a bigger one that holds 8 hours worth of fuel right after.

d_adler · Oct 25, 2017

Another option is to get a deep cycle battery with a battery maintainer that would automatically kick on in the case of a outage. Cheaper than a ecotech battery back up and could potentially run 2-3 times as long depending what you have hooked up

samnaz · Oct 25, 2017

Thanks for the tips guys. I went ahead and got a 300w power inverter for my car and a battery aerator for the time being. I just had to get something right away for peace of mind. I plan on looking into other better options like a generator soon. But since all I need is power for one powerhead and maybe a heater, I think the inverter will do for now.

andrewkw · Oct 25, 2017

I understand not wanting to spend a lot, but if power outages of more than 24hrs are even semi common in your area long term you should look at a medium sized generator. If the power is off for days, you want to be comfortable too. I actually just ran mine yesterday for about 4 hours it can handle 7500 watts so I even have my lighting, auto top off, ect and fridge, freezer powered by it. Additionally I can watch tv, use the internet ect. The longest outage I've had was 37 hours zero losses in the tanks or the fridge.

I have my generator for my reef but even without it I think I'd still want one as I live in a rural area where power failures are common. Where I used to live all power lines were underground so a battery backup was fine since there were almost no power failures lasting more then 10 minutes.

samnaz · Oct 27, 2017

andrewkw said:
I understand not wanting to spend a lot, but if power outages of more than 24hrs are even semi common in your area long term you should look at a medium sized generator. If the power is off for days, you want to be comfortable too. I actually just ran mine yesterday for about 4 hours it can handle 7500 watts so I even have my lighting, auto top off, ect and fridge, freezer powered by it. Additionally I can watch tv, use the internet ect. The longest outage I've had was 37 hours zero losses in the tanks or the fridge.

I have my generator for my reef but even without it I think I'd still want one as I live in a rural area where power failures are common. Where I used to live all power lines were underground so a battery backup was fine since there were almost no power failures lasting more then 10 minutes.

Power outages are very rare. In the 8 years I've been living here, we've lost power a few times but only once or twice has it lasted longer than a few hours.

If/when it happens for 24hrs or more, I think my corals can survive without the lights on, as long as I can power the heater and powerhead. I actually enjoy when the powers out... I'm comfortable just reading a book in the candlelight. Can't be bothered to power my tv or have internet, and my fridge is always empty. Still think I need a generator?

Susan Edwards · Oct 27, 2017

We just got a generator with inverter--so I don't ruin my equipment--husband is an engineer and stuff like sine waves or such. We tried for some of the cheaper ones like Wen or Westinghouse but with all the disasters, they went out of stock overnight and jumped from 450 to 900 bucks! Talk about taking advantage... So we went iwth the honda--reliable and you can get parts. I also have a couple of battery air. My husband uses a couple of these at his work and they last.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ND19AE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am not willing to risk corals, and besides, it will run the fridge, TV or charge all the electronics!