Using a UPS with a reef tank

[PedroYoung]

I live out in the boonies and as the last house on the power grid lose power frequently (maybe once a month). It's usually only for a couple hours or so. I have a generator for long term power outage, but it's kind of a pain to go through all the rigmarole if it's only going to be a couple hours. Just wondering if anyone has experience using a UPS for short term "get by". I'm running a 75 G with Apex, Mag 7 return and a couple 300W heaters (haven't actually had the second one come on in a long time). I considered getting the battery backup for my 2x MP40's to at least have some flow during the outages, but at $165 wondered if I could put that money into something a little more comprehensive. Your thoughts are appreciated.

P

 

[mitch91175]

Unless you have a large UPS, I wouldn't run heaters for sure. You can likely run the MP40s, Apex for the time you want on battery backup. The Mag 7 will drain the UPS faster.

 

[AshwinRavi]

I believe Apex is about to release a video soon on how to connect a controller through UPS, my setup is almost the same as yours and my thoughts are the same. I am waiting for the video from apex to move further

 

[PedroYoung]

I believe Apex is about to release a video soon on how to connect a controller through UPS, my setup is almost the same as yours and my thoughts are the same. I am waiting for the video from apex to move further

Are they going to release the video right after they release their alk monitor?:mad:

 

[dantimdad]

I have used them before and will use them again.

You can run heaters. You just have to size the UPS correctly.

The added benefit of a UPS is the power is much more filtered and makes electronic components last longer.

 

[ca1ore]

No expert on UPS, but wouldn’t one have to be huge to run even a modest tank for a couple of hours? I do connect my apex 2016 brain (but not any of the power bars) to one because it doesn’t like power interruptions and can behave strangely. Will be curious to see what Neptune have to say on the subject - doesn’t seem like a complicated connection.

 

[biophilia]

A UPS to run the return pump or a powerhead to keep dissolved oxygen up is a good investment, but if you're looking at running equipment like with much higher draw like heaters, you'd probably get a lot more bang for your buck DIYing something - such as buying an AC transfer switch, a big inverter, and a few large gel cell deep cycle batteries wired in parallel.

I have a small no-name brand UPS from Office Depot I believe that is connected only to the return pump on my nano for aeration. It works great during normal outages and will keep the pump agitating the surface for about 6-7 hours. You can find calculators online that will estimate the number of VoltAmps you need for a given load/run duration.

 

[RStanley]

The battery backup from Icecap fits the MP 10’s and has a better price tag of $109. Have it set up on a Red Sea Reefer 170, runs both for 17 hours (according to the manual)

 

[Ocelaris]

Apex makes a power sensing wall plug, so it can alert and react to the power outage. I have one eb32 on the ups to power the return pump and a single gyre. If it's more than an hour I fire yo the generator though. There are a few threads out there how to hook up the ups and program it with the Apex.

 

[ca1ore]

Apex makes a power sensing wall plug, so it can alert and react to the power outage

They do? Do you mean heartbeat?

 

[SuncrestReef]

You should review the attached file (below) from an Apex presentation on power management and UPS.

In a nutshell:

1. Plug your EB832 (or whichever Neptune power bar you have) into the UPS.
2. Purchase a 12v auxiliary power adapter for the Apex
3. Plug the 12v aux adapter into a regular wall power outlet
4. Enable Power Management on the Apex
5. Whenever the wall power outlet dies, the Apex will know it's now running on UPS power.
6. For any outlet you want to shut down during a power outage, add the following code to that outlet:

• If Power Apex Off 000 Then OFF

(the 000 indicates the number of minutes to wait after the power failure to actually shut off the outlet)

​

You'll want to shut down heaters, and even lights if you want to really preserve UPS battery life.

 

[Tastee]

I recently added a 1500VA CyberPower UPS to my 65g RSR 250. This tank is Apex controlled and I control the main heater, return pump, wavemaker and skimmer by the Apex. My other equipment including a backup heater are just connected to mains power.

During a power outage I only run the pumps, and leave the heater off. I keep all three pumps (return, wavemaker, skimmer) on for 30 mins and then switch to a ‘keep alive’ mode, running them 5 mins out of every 15. This gives me around five and a half hours runtime out of the UPS.

Here is my Apex program including the code for power outages.

Oh, and whilst I think about it may I please say thank you to all the forum members from another forum who helped me with great suggestions when I was planning my installation!
I’m sure some are common to this forum too.

[ATOPump]
# Outlet for the ATO Pump connected to the FMM
# No point trying to run this during a power outage as the PMUP is powered from mains power
#
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If ATOLo OPEN Then ON
If ATOHi CLOSED Then OFF
When On > 020:00 Then OFF
If Time 13:00 to 11:59 Then OFF
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then OFF
Defer 000:10 Then ON
Defer 000:04 Then OFF
Min Time 120:00 Then OFF

[AutoFeeder]
Set OFF
If Outlet V-Feed = ON then ON
Defer 1:00 then ON

[EmailAlert]
Set OFF
If Power Apex OFF 000 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = ON Then ON
If Power EB6_1 OFF 001 Then ON
If Error ATOPump Then ON
If ATOHi CLOSED Then ON
If FlrLk CLOSED Then ON
If Outlet SumpLow = ON Then ON
Defer 000:02 Then ON

[MainHeater]
Fallback OFF
If Tmp < 25.0 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then OFF
If Tmp < 20.0 then ON
Defer 000:20 Then ON
If Tmp > 25.2 Then OFF
Defer 000:20 Then OFF

[PowerOutage]
# VO to indicate a power outage
# Strictly speaking this is redundant but it improves the readability of other code
#
Set OFF
If Power Apex OFF 001 Then ON

[PowerOutLong]
# VO to indicate a power outage has gone beyond the first threshold
# Used to turn off/reduce use of less important devices to extend life of the UPS
#
Set OFF
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then ON
Defer 030:00 Then ON

[ReturnPump]
Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/005:00/010:00 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = OFF Then ON
If FeedA 000 Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF
If Outlet V-Feed = ON Then OFF

[Skimmer]
Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Outlet ReturnPump = OFF Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF
Defer 1:00 Then ON

[SumpLow]
# VO to detect if the sump water level is low
#
Set OFF
If SumpLo OPEN Then ON
Defer 001:00 Then ON

[V-Feed]
Set OFF
If Time 19:00 to 19:09 Then ON

[WaveMaker]
Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/005:00/010:00 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = OFF Then ON
If FeedA 001 Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF

 

[Ocelaris]

This is the Power "sensing" device, it's just a 12v power supply that when it loses power you can trigger on it.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/12v-power-supply-neptune-systems.html

 

[ca1ore]

Ok, it’s not a power sensing device per se, just a regular wall wart. You can configure apex so that it knows that the brain has lost mains power. I use one of those into my UPS so the brain never loses power. My standby generator has a 30 second delay so the UPS doesn’t have to do much .

 

[Ocelaris]

I use the term lightly for people to understand the purpose. It however does not power the Apex. The Apex gets its power from the eb32 or similar. That DC power supply has only one function, sense power on the line its plugged into.

 

[PedroYoung]

I recently added a 1500VA CyberPower UPS to my 65g RSR 250. This tank is Apex controlled and I control the main heater, return pump, wavemaker and skimmer by the Apex. My other equipment including a backup heater are just connected to mains power.

During a power outage I only run the pumps, and leave the heater off. I keep all three pumps (return, wavemaker, skimmer) on for 30 mins and then switch to a ‘keep alive’ mode, running them 5 mins out of every 15. This gives me around five and a half hours runtime out of the UPS.

Here is my Apex program including the code for power outages.

Oh, and whilst I think about it may I please say thank you to all the forum members from another forum who helped me with great suggestions when I was planning my installation!
I’m sure some are common to this forum too.

[ATOPump]
# Outlet for the ATO Pump connected to the FMM
# No point trying to run this during a power outage as the PMUP is powered from mains power
#
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If ATOLo OPEN Then ON
If ATOHi CLOSED Then OFF
When On > 020:00 Then OFF
If Time 13:00 to 11:59 Then OFF
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then OFF
Defer 000:10 Then ON
Defer 000:04 Then OFF
Min Time 120:00 Then OFF

[AutoFeeder]
Set OFF
If Outlet V-Feed = ON then ON
Defer 1:00 then ON

[EmailAlert]
Set OFF
If Power Apex OFF 000 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = ON Then ON
If Power EB6_1 OFF 001 Then ON
If Error ATOPump Then ON
If ATOHi CLOSED Then ON
If FlrLk CLOSED Then ON
If Outlet SumpLow = ON Then ON
Defer 000:02 Then ON

[MainHeater]
Fallback OFF
If Tmp < 25.0 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then OFF
If Tmp < 20.0 then ON
Defer 000:20 Then ON
If Tmp > 25.2 Then OFF
Defer 000:20 Then OFF

[PowerOutage]
# VO to indicate a power outage
# Strictly speaking this is redundant but it improves the readability of other code
#
Set OFF
If Power Apex OFF 001 Then ON

[PowerOutLong]
# VO to indicate a power outage has gone beyond the first threshold
# Used to turn off/reduce use of less important devices to extend life of the UPS
#
Set OFF
If Outlet PowerOutage = ON then ON
Defer 030:00 Then ON

[ReturnPump]
Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/005:00/010:00 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = OFF Then ON
If FeedA 000 Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF
If Outlet V-Feed = ON Then OFF

[Skimmer]
Fallback OFF
Set ON
If Outlet ReturnPump = OFF Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF
Defer 1:00 Then ON

[SumpLow]
# VO to detect if the sump water level is low
#
Set OFF
If SumpLo OPEN Then ON
Defer 001:00 Then ON

[V-Feed]
Set OFF
If Time 19:00 to 19:09 Then ON

[WaveMaker]
Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/005:00/010:00 Then ON
If Outlet PowerOutLong = OFF Then ON
If FeedA 001 Then OFF
If FeedB 000 Then OFF

Great info, thanks for all the replies. I love our community!!!

 

[kswan]

I modified a UPS to use 2 large deep cycle marine batteries. The Apex will sense an outage and turn off everything except the return pump at a low setting. I also programmed the heater to kick on if temp drops more than a few degrees. Should last a long time but it hasn't been tested.

 

[Ocelaris]

I modified a UPS to use 2 large deep cycle marine batteries. The Apex will sense an outage and turn off everything except the return pump at a low setting. I also programmed the heater to kick on if temp drops more than a few degrees. Should last a long time but it hasn't been tested.

Can you give more details on that? I would love to cannabalize my old ups instead of buying the mini batteries.

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

There are 2 other users who are dead on. Follow Apex's instructions for connecting the power adapter to the brain, and reconfigure in Fusion. I also have coding that shuts down everything unnecessary and even lowers my pumps, with a Jebao DCS-10000 at 65% and wave makers down to 30% I can get over a hour with my UPS, its a 2200VA with a 1980 watt inverter, that I can externally connect large batteries to. I highly suggest searching around for a older user large UPS model and replace the batteries with either a replacement pack, or doing it yourself, you'll save a ton. It amazes me how many high end UPS are thrown away simply because they batteries died.

 

[Ocelaris]

I think not all ups can be salvaged in that way. I have an old apc 2 battery unit that measures the battery size and is not happy when new or different batteries are put in and you have to reset it with a console cable. So if you have some examples of ones that have been tried and tested I'd like to hear.