Power Outage

[CrazedAce]

This morning around 7am the power went out down my road. I am definitely not eager to see the impact it has on all my fish. I'm sure my overcrowded guppies are already dropping from lack of oxygen.

 

[nick_76]

as good an arguement as any for battery operated air pumps. what happens when you lose power while youre gone? if youre comfortable working with electricity, its not difficult to use a relay as a switching device to automatically power on your battery operated pump when you lose power. (the circuit must be open when the relay is energized, when de-energized it closes the battery circuit for the air pump)

 

[CrazedAce]

Spoke with PUD, apparently its a cable underground. Not what I wanted to hear. I wonder how many more hours...

 

[nick_76]

i recently saw battery operated air pumps at petco...just when i had given up looking for them...if you can get some time away from work? over lunch? i woke up to a tank full of dead fish recently<not power related, but asphyxiation is asphixiation> i wouldnt want to wish that on any aquarist...or more importantly , their fish

 

[CrazedAce]

I don't work, but I've been busy with legal matters lately, and that's what is taking up my time and money. I don't have gas to spare.

When I got home the power was back on, and no dead fish, thankfully!

 

[Anonymous]

Hopefully it didn't kill too much of your bacteria in your filters. If you don't cycle, you've learned a baseline for how long your bacteria can make it.

 

[plaamoo]

I had a wind related power outage of 11 hours a while back with no issues at all. Except of course for my worrying all night!

 

[Cory]

For people with more than 1 tank. I recommend a battery backup for a computer. When you're only plugging in air pumps to it, it'll go for days.

 

[Anonymous]

The battery back up for a computer is what used for awhile. They aren't cheap tho

 

[Jay]

You can actually get some pretty affordable generators too. I mean if you live in an apartment it isn't worthwhile but if you have a home, a small one is always helpful. We lost power for 3 days once and lost almost everything in a 150 gallon. I learned the hard way....

 

[Madness]

Generator is my next purchase, looking for a 9000 watter. Costco has a great deal on 2 different types for around $500.

 

[Anonymous]

Our power went out for 2 hours at 2am last night. Then at 4, KA-WHOOOSH, and all our filters come back on. Sigh. Least it was only 2 hours, and in the middle of the night.

 

[Anonymous]

Or you get a car battery and a power inverter like this one. BTW its NOT my item. Check on ebay yourself. You can just plug essentials like air pump and filter. And if you multiple tanks get a 3way plug. Hook only essentials air pumps and filters. You saved your aquatic friends. If it was on a cold weather just wrap a blanket around the tank and plug only essentials. Heater will drain that battery quick. I live in maple valley we had a lot of black outs last winter lasting to 1 to 7days. Oh when I say get a battery. Get a new battery not the one in your car. 1: chemicals leaks out from the used car battery. 2: you might need to drive your car some where.