UPS Battery Backup for your aquarium

[Mark Derail]

I have an APC 1500 that I have the pumps and skimmer on the battery side and the heater, lights an on the surge side. It will run the flow for about three hours on my 75 gallon tank. I have plenty of time to get the generator up and running.

Just test it every six months, and battery upgrades are easy & cheap. I found at a local battery store a better battery pack for less than 50$ when my UPS couldn't sustain load for more than 5 minutes (after 2 years with stock battery). I brought the UPS to the store, we took it apart and in-store tried different sizes until one would fit it.

Turns out my "stock" APC was only half-filling the compartment, there was room for two batteries, the other half being foam-filled. Boom, doubled my capacity.
I have like 3 of these, so I upgraded them all every other month.

Then for longer periods of power outages - more than 1 hour - I lug the used car batteries, booster cables, the big inverter up from the basement.

 

[Instigate]

Sure, it's pretty straight forward actually. If you want something a bit more plug and play, you can get a transfer box like this one. Basically, one plug goes into the wall, the other goes into your inverter, and there's a single output into which you plug your aquarium equipment. When the plug that goes into the wall loses power, the transfer switch fails over and starts pulling from the inverter. It automatically switches back when the power comes back on. For my system, I've attached a battery maintainer to my deep cycle battery. When the power comes back on, the charger comes on too, and automatically tops off and maintains any power that was used during the outage.

If you're comfortable with a bit more DIY, you can build a transfer switch even cheaper (around $10) using a DPDT relay. If you're not familiar with how relays work, you may want to just get a ready-made switch like the one above. To summarize briefly, a relay switches power when its coil is energized. There is a common connection (COM), which you could think of as your output. Then, there is a NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed) connection. When there is no power going to the relay, NC is connected to COM. When the relay is energized, NO (normally open) is connected to COM. With the relay above, you would simply connect a female extension cord or outlet, which goes to your aquarium equipment, to COM. You would then connect your inverter's output to NC, because when there is no power and the relay is closed, you want to draw from your inverter. You would also connect your wall power to NO, because when there is power coming from the wall, you want to pull from the wall. You would also need to connect the relay's coil to the wall somehow to run the whole thing.

It's worth noting that you're playing with 120VAC if you choose to go the DIY route, which can easily kill you. If you don't have electrical experience or you haven't worked with relays before, I would strongly consider buying the ready-made transfer switch.

Oh ya I've got experience working with 120v AC systems. More with 12v DC though. Sounds simple enough. Thanks for the info!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Oh ya I've got experience working with 120v AC systems. More with 12v DC though. Sounds simple enough. Thanks for the info!

Ah okay. Then this should be a relatively simple project for you. That DPDT relay I linked will do, but you may want to find one rated for 15A for more capacity (that one's only rated for 10A). Just make sure the coil runs on 120VAC. Basically connect the live wires to one pole, the neutral wires to the other pole, and tie all the ground wires together. In my setup I fed the coil and the NO contacts with the same power cord from the wall to reduce the amount of wires.

 

[Bob Escher]

I can't really split things up like that, I have everything plugged into 2 EB8's with my Apex. I will just have to have it all on there, and in the event of a power failure I can manually shut off pumps and lights to save battery power.

If you go onto Neptune System Forum it will give you examples of how to use a UPS differently ways

 

[Gamma]

Invested in generator...have too many outages.

 

[don_chuwish]

I can't really split things up like that, I have everything plugged into 2 EB8's with my Apex. I will just have to have it all on there, and in the event of a power failure I can manually shut off pumps and lights to save battery power.

If you go onto Neptune System Forum it will give you examples of how to use a UPS differently ways

Exactly how my Back-UPS 1500 is put to use. In the event of power failure EVERYTHING except one Tunze 6055 is turned off, the Tunze gets turned down to minimum (30%). You need to get a 12v power supply for the Apex controller so it can sense when the power goes out - but it is kept alive by the EB8 plugged into the UPS.

Slides-from-the-Apex-Power-Monitoring-and-Management-presentation-given-at-MACNA2013

 

[JimFuller]

Just test it every six months, and battery upgrades are easy & cheap. I found at a local battery store a better battery pack for less than 50$ when my UPS couldn't sustain load for more than 5 minutes (after 2 years with stock battery). I brought the UPS to the store, we took it apart and in-store tried different sizes until one would fit it.

Turns out my "stock" APC was only half-filling the compartment, there was room for two batteries, the other half being foam-filled. Boom, doubled my capacity.
I have like 3 of these, so I upgraded them all every other month.

Then for longer periods of power outages - more than 1 hour - I lug the used car batteries, booster cables, the big inverter up from the basement.

Yep, but I get free batteries. I do Computer support. We had several systems that the batteries are rotated on schedule. But I am not too concerned. I only need to support the tank until my back up generator comes on line ;-)

 

[kyle jaquez]

I run a UPS. I have my return pump plugged into it and that’s it. So if the power is out at least the water won’t stay still. Last year power was out for maintenance for about 6 hours and pump ran the entire time. The total run time for my pump on the UPS is about 7 hours. I would never run a tank without one. I also only paid 150 for the UPS.

 

[Mark Derail]

Invested in generator...have too many outages.

What most people do. Considering how often you use it, oil changes and gas usage, and the price for a new 4 stroke generator (1k - 1.5k) that can run 24/7 for a certain time (as long as it is cooled).
A running generator is always active - it will throttle down when demand is low - and creates noise, usually about 2x or more of that of a car. Make sure the exhaust is downwind from you so you don't smell the exhaust.

Assuming a constant demand of 10 amps or less.

Versus

A Prius (bought used for 1k$ - 1.5k$).

• When used with a 1200w inverter connected directly to the 12v battery in the trunk, and the car is "ON".
• Thus can supply a constant 10 amps.
• The motor will not run 24/7, only every now & then to recharge the 220vdc traction battery.
• The traction battery supplies the 12v to the car when the motor is off, automatically, nothing to do.
• Since it is a car with a muffler, practically no noise when compared to the most silent of generators.
• Since it is using Atkinson cycle (5 stroke, burns exhaust twice) the pollution it emits, versus a generator or another car is 20x LESS, when the motor is running. Which isn't always.
• When I last did it, the Prius traction battery would drain every 20 minutes (I was pulling 9+ amps non-stop) and the motor would recharge the traction to 50% within 3 minutes.
• 11 gallons of gas lasted the entire week.
• No mandatory oil changes.
• A spare set of wheels. An extra car is an extra car, when your main one is at the shop.
• You can upgrade to a whole-house 30 amp capacity for maybe a 3k$ investment (including an electrician)
• I saw houses in FL USA needing two generators, with a third on standby, that a single Prius could have handled easily.
• They are butt ugly, uglier and bulkier than a generator, so you are making a fashion statement. This last line is to see who read all of this lol.

Hands down the Prius wins no matter how you dice it. Plus it has a good resell value, a used generator you lose 50% after using it at least once if you try to resell.

 

[Fudsey]

If rather have the noisier better looking standby generator in my yard than a butt ugly toyota Prius. I cannot stand those cars....

Although your points are valid

 

[Mark Derail]

If rather have the noisier better looking standby generator in my yard than a butt ugly toyota Prius. I cannot stand those cars....

Although your points are valid

ROTFL you read it all. The Prius gets tough love from America, even though it is the ugliest and slowest Toyota car. That's why I want a Lexus CT 200H - that's sexy.

 

[CurtnStac]

I run a UPS. I have my return pump plugged into it and that’s it. So if the power is out at least the water won’t stay still. Last year power was out for maintenance for about 6 hours and pump ran the entire time. The total run time for my pump on the UPS is about 7 hours. I would never run a tank without one. I also only paid 150 for the UPS.

What size UPS do you have?
This is exactly what I'm looking for, something to just run my return pump for short outages. I have a generator for long term.

 

[kyle jaquez]

What size UPS do you have?
This is exactly what I'm looking for, something to just run my return pump for short outages. I have a generator for long term.

It’s on amazon but it’s a

CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD Intelligent LCD UPS System, 1500VA/900W, 12 Outlets, AVR, Mini-Tower

 

[rkpetersen]

We get power outages where I live with ridiculous frequency, and have for the 25 years I've been here. Although we finally got a whole house standby generator a couple of months ago, I still run almost all of my display tank electricity through this UPS first. Nothing goes down even for a second when the power goes out, and then the generator restores outlet power 15 seconds later. Previously I had programmed my Apex to detect a power failure on the outlet using the power monitor feature, and if the outage lasted more than 5 minutes, it would shut down lights and other non-essential devices, and turn circulation pumps down to lower energy saving levels. However, even with energy saving, a fairly powerful UPS such as this still only supplies power for a few hours. You should at least have a portable generator, which I did, but that requires that 1) you're home and b) it works. The automatic generator is much more dependable, provides cleaner power, and has hopefully rendered that power monitor code obsolete.

 

[Jeepguy242]

i just picked up 2 tunze 6055's and sprung for the power doodad that lets me hook them up to a battery

looking at the youtube videos on a 12 volt deep cycle battery i should get 8-10 hours out of them using 80% power... even less if i dial them back.... plus i can use them for flow with the power on... WIN - WIN

i also got the link cable and a moonlight sensor.... total spent was less than 400 bucks....

 

[jwt1603]

I use one. Most of my equipment is plugged into the surge protection outlets on it. The only thing plugged into the the battery backup outlet is a single powerhead.

Same thing I do. I have a UPS on each tank running one power head per tank just to keep water moving. I also have a generator that can run the whole house that I turn on if power seems like the power will be out a while.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I used a big battery (class 4D) as a battery backup/UPS and it could keep my powerheads running for a few days.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have gone to ecotech backup units which have proven thus far to be reliable. I used to run an APC unit but it was subject to moisture and started to smoke and alarm. It still alarms if I plug it in, so I will not try it again as it is not designed for aquaria and moist area usage

 

[JMetaxas]

I needed my generator for our last 3 day Nor'Easter power outage. It's a 6000 watt / 8250 W *(start up) unit. It does not run my whole house without issue. I have 2 Fridges, a Freezer, two fish tanks with all accessories, and a deep well pump. More than once when everything fired up the Generator's breaker popped. I learned that I need to switch off non-essential items to run the well pump.

I finally installed the transfer switch too (a friend did it).

Living in the Northeast means this crap is common. I lost power 3 different times this winter. Once for 3 hours, then 8 hours, then 3 days.

 

[Fudsey]

When a well pump kicks on it draws a ton of amps then settles down. Mine used to do the same when I was running a regular generator if something else was drawing power at the same time, fridge, heat...