power outage!?!
- Thread starter Reefrookie220
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reeffirstaid
Active Member
That all depends on what's in it. The big problem is that if there are fish present, fish take in o2 and release co2, so without water movement or an air pump, usable oxygen within the tank won't last long. If you have multiple fish, then within two hours you could start seeing problems. As for corals, they can last a while longer, even in temperatures down just below 70 degrees F. Once ph destabilizes and your bacterial filter starts dying, which gives rise to ammonia spikes, nitrite spikes, etc, etc - it's really a quick downhill ride to a total tank crash. The big bummer is often the extent of the problems aren't noticed for several days/weeks after the power outage, as biological systems within the tank fail. I recommend any marine aquarist have a gas generator back-up to use during power outages.
reeffirstaid
Active Member
It may help keep the tank warm. Honestly, temperature isn't the main concern during an outage. Many aquarists think it is, but fish can adjust to slowly dropping temperatures. If I were you, I would be mainly concerned about aeration at this point. Do you have a battery backed-up airpump? If not, how about a powered egg beater. Running an egg beater in the water can help generate current and create 02. This can also be manually done with a big mixing spoon. If I were you, and you're going to be without power for any period of time, I would consider going to Lowe's or a hardware store and getting a gas powered generator. I bought one from Wal-Mart years ago, for under 200 dollars that could easily back up a 29 gallon tank. It still runs fine today. A cheap investment when you consider the loss of a tank.
you can also use a cup and fill it up and empty it into the tank several times to help create aeration. If possible, you should do this a few times at least every hour if not 1/2 hour if you're able. If the tank gets too hot, you can put some ice cubes in to help lower the temp.
+1 Nice thing about that amount of water, you can manually move it, agitating the surface, and actually affect gas exchange.
