What happens if the electric goes out?

gemini9 · Apr 1, 2014

I just thought of something today and was wondering what everyone else does with their aquariums when there is an electrical outage. I live in an area with lots of trees and the electric tends to go out on occasion, especially during the winter months when there is ice on the limbs. Power is usually restored within an 8 hour window, but has known to go out longer during severe snowy/icy weather. So I was thinking today, no electric, no heater. I'm sure the fish would be fine without the filter running for awhile, but the temp of the water worries me. I'm wondering what everyone else does in the event of a power outtage? What's worse, is that sometimes these outtages occur while I am at work. Should this be a concern? How quickly will the water temperature drop and how cold is too cold... for how long?

Reef Pets · Apr 1, 2014

The best thing is to have a generator. Even something small that will run a heater and your return pump or circulation pump.

redfishbluefish · Apr 1, 2014

Yep, you should be concerned. As you add more and more to your tank and start to scratch you head and add up the dollar value, you realize you need a little security. I have a relatively small generator that not only runs my entire tank, but also the refrigerator, house boiler, the TV and a few lights. The best $300 I've spent. Just in the food in the refrigerator/freezer, it's paid for itself. Ran it for over seven days when Sandy hit NJ.

stunreefer · Apr 1, 2014

Oxygen depletion is the first issue during power outages, quickly followed by temperature fluctuations.

IMO a generator is key when keeping a reef aquarium. There are various ways to be alerted of a power outage while you're away (Drop-Cam is my method). In a pinch battery powered air pumps will keep oxygenation occurring, however will not help with temperature issue. Penn-Plax Silent Air B11s will turn on automatically when power is lost... you plug them into the wall and when they sense loss of power they turn on (the plug does not charge batteries so they should be replaced every six months).

It's difficult to determine exactly 'how long' you'll have until issues occur based on your bioload, ambient room temperatures, etc. Generally speaking anything over four hours should be a concern.

Decent generators can be picked up for <$500, which is more than reasonable for most aquarists based on the amount of money dropped into our tanks.

gemini9 · Apr 1, 2014

I don't have much to run. I'm setting up a small 30 gallon tank and the only thing in there is a 100w heater and a Marineland/Penguin 350 filter. I could probably invest in a generator but if the power goes out while I'm at work, I won't be at home to turn it on. Winter months, it can get cold quickly here. This year was bad for sub zero temperatures. Has to be dangerous for the livestock. How long does it take for the water temp to drop to a dangerous point?

golfnut1232 · Apr 1, 2014

Following along. Been thinking about this lately.

bearjohnson · Apr 1, 2014

Just for such an occasion.

gemini9 · Apr 1, 2014

The Air B11 looks like a nice thing to have and for 11 bucks, would be an easy pickup. But the temperature.... what are the chances of finding a battery operated heater? Nice little setup for your generator btw, redfishbluefish. You've really got that organized. I just might have to take that photo to Lowes and tell the salesman, "gimme this"

cdness · Apr 1, 2014

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/ge...rticles/98443-reacting-loss-power-cdness.html

Bad Company · Apr 1, 2014

A typical home loses at most about a degree an hour during a power outage in winter. If you keep your home at a reasonable temperature, a power outage less than 8 hours shouldn't really be a temperature concern. Oxygen however on a fully stocked aquarium could be a problem much sooner.

gemini9 · Apr 1, 2014

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm looking into some of the ideas and seeing what works best for me. I'm a lowly warehouse worker on a lowly paycheck so I can't spend too much. The UPS batteries seem decent or a small generator. or both.

myownlife · Apr 1, 2014

You panic like I did when an ice store hits and then you throw 5 blankets over it to insulate it like I did. Then you realize that you have an outlet that you can plug into your car that will only power a 10w heater and powerhead on a 60 gallon cube and pray....lol Luckily I was able to keep it at 76 degrees this way for 2 days even thought it was below freezing

Velodog2 · Apr 1, 2014

For a small tank a power inverter or two connected to your car are ideal.

NanaReefer · Apr 2, 2014

I gave 3 battery powered air pumps & keep 5g's of RO/DI on the ready.

garias · Apr 2, 2014

bearjohnson said:
Just for such an occasion.

I have the eu3000 love that thing its quite

bearjohnson · Apr 2, 2014

Super quiet, and light enough to toss it around. What's also nice is I can twin two of them together if ever need the extra juice.

When we had an outage I was able to run 2 tanks my refrigerator and a few lights with no problem

fishes2889 · Apr 2, 2014

During hurricane sandy I was out if power in Pa for 9 days. Lost a lot of coral all fish survived, worst week I ever had as a reefer. Eventually 5 days into it I finally had the opportunity to buy a generator cuz they were out of stock everywhere. If you put a lot into it make sure you have a backup plan. At my local fire co. Almost a year later, I won a 5900 watt champion generator off a two dollar ticket !!! Lol

Waters · Apr 2, 2014

I have lost power twice this winter for over 9 hours each time in back to back weekends. I did not have any fish at the time (only coral and inverts) but everything surprisingly survived. The tank temperature dropped to the low 60s and I did not have any circulation. Needless to say, I now have a generator so I am guaranteed the power will never go out again and the new generator will remain in the box forever lol.

Mike in CT · Apr 2, 2014

First thing is a battery powered air pump. I thought my tank would be fine overnight without power, woke up to a tank of dying fish. A 15 dollar pump would have avoided it. I have the automatic ones but only set them up when I am going to be away for an extended time. I also have a small generator for extended outages . If you can't swing that then like previously mentioned, an inverter you can hook up to a vehicle, or a charged car battery you have on a trickle charger. You don't have to run everything either... Just one or two power heads and a heater will keep you good for a while.