Question about power outage...

[sporeefer]

I was gifted a battery backup power supply. I looked up the power demands of my skimmer, return pump, and wave pump.

I rarely have power outages for more than a few hours (in fact, rarely have them at all)... but in the event of an outage the battery could run my skimmer AND return pump for just under two hours, or my gyre wave pump alone for 3.5 hours...

Would the wave pump oxygenate the water enough during that time or is it essential to run the skimmer (and thus the return pump)?

Am I on the right track of thinking, here?

 

[Hydrored]

Most important is your wave makers for surface agitation

 

[iambenfields]

In importance I’d rate them 1)Wave maker 2)return pump 3) skimmer (but tbh I’d say heater is way above the skimmer)

 

[Hydrored]

Heaters kill battery back-ups from the amp draw, most go in alarm if you even try. if anything I would be concerned with wave makers and return

 

[iambenfields]

Heaters kill battery back-ups from the amp draw, most go in alarm if you even try. if anything I would be concerned with wave makers and return

Good to know. I’m considering putting a 1kw solar system in to run the tank and know that unless the sun burns out it’ll run

 

[sporeefer]

Very helpful thanks all! I’ll go with the wave pump for max time. It stirs the surface pretty good.

 

[Hydrored]

Good to know. I’m considering putting a 1kw solar system in to run the tank and know that unless the sun burns out it’ll run

That type of back-up is on a different level, I was referring to the APC types.

We installed this 22kw in March, it’s been great and the 2 times we’ve needed it it has been flawless

 

[iambenfields]

Oh yeah I just meant as a total redundancy effort a solar system seems like the best bet. My dad has one of those 22kw generac’s on a transfer switch - amazing how fast it kicks over.

 

[JasonK84]

Very helpful thanks all! I’ll go with the wave pump for max time. It stirs the surface pretty good.

I run my return pump only. If the sump sits stagnant the bacteria will consume all of the oxygen and die. When all of that bacteria mass dies you get an ammonia spike. Once power comes back on guess what happens.
I feel it’s important to keep the sump water moving just as much as the DT so the return takes care of both.

 

[bevo5]

I'd agree on return - it's the best of both worlds. You're getting some water movement and the O2 exchange.

 

[ca1ore]

Ideally you’d continue to run the main return pump. Absent a generator, most batteries are going to peter out after a relatively short period of time. I think that’s why most battery solutions target the wave makers. I’ve multiple levels of power loss redundancy .... of which a battery backup on one of my vortech pumps is plan C.

 

[sporeefer]

Ideally you’d continue to run the main return pump. Absent a generator, most batteries are going to peter out after a relatively short period of time. I think that’s why most battery solutions target the wave makers. I’ve multiple levels of power loss redundancy .... of which a battery backup on one of my vortech pumps is plan C.

I realize a lot more can and should be done to be prepared for an outage. I’m just wondering how best to utilize the battery backup I received. I’ll be pretty much screwed if I lose power for more than a few hours.. so I’m wondering, for shorter outages of 2-4 hrs, what’s the best use of the battery backup. Would a sump die off in a few hours, necessitating the return pump?

 

[Hydrored]

What is the actual battery back-up? I agree return is over all best but if you are using a basic APC power heads go longer, last year I had a 5 hour outage and just had 2 MP40’s going and all was fine. Anything past that you can use an inverter from your vehicle. Living in North Texas my power goes out at least a few times a year and got tired of the scramble and bit the bullet on a whole home. BRS has a video on using battery back-ups

 

[Dkeller_nc]

One thing to realize is that UPS-type battery backups are designed for different purposes than we would want them to perform for a reef tank. Specifically, UPS battery backups are typically designed to power a computer for about 20 minutes so that they can be safely shut down, or to bridge the run-up period for a backup generator.

That doesn't mean that they can't be used to power various items on a tank, just that typically the power reserve isn't very long.

There's several other options in the battery-backup area. One is to purchase deep cycle lead-acid batteries that you can get at any auto store. The standard size is generally 85 amp-hours, and together with an inverter, it will power pumps on a reef tank for quite a long time (depending on the pump, of course). For example, let's assume your return pump is using 50 watts, which would be a reasonable estimate for a DC pump for a 50 gallon tank. With an 85 amp-hour deep cycle marine battery, you will get about 20 hours running that pump. That should get you more than enough time to get the generator out, start it and hook things up if the outage is anticipated to last several days.

By the way, anyone with anything but the tiniest nano tank should consider getting a small portable generator. The cadillac of these is a Honda EU2200i that runs about $1000. There are incredibly quiet, reliable and fuel-efficient. But there are also other brands of generators in the home store that you can pick up with one hand, supply about 2000 watts, are perhaps not as bulletproof as a honda nor as quiet, but can be had for about $400.