Battery backups!

[Kingsley_Reef]

first snowstorm and small power outage this morning tank didn’t drop temp much but really got me worried bout future outages what do you use for battery backups ? How long do they really last? What do you run just powerhead and heater?

 

[dugthefish]

Following. Average winter lows are in teens and single digits in my location, considering buying a small generator for the occasional several-hour power outages we experience.

 

[Kingsley_Reef]

generator would be nice but definitely not a option for my situation yet

 

[Daniel Waters]

Maintaining some sort of flow is the first priority for a tank in a power outage. I use a vortech battery backup for my MP40's. It recently had to run 18 hours for a power outage due to a storm in my area. This occurred while I was on vacation! The temperature on my tank went from 78 to as low as 73 during that time period, but I did not suffer any losses.

To deal with an extended power outage that might last say 24 to 36 hours, I also have an inverter available that I can run off my car battery. I would obviously need to be at home to use this. For more extended outages, you really need a generator. Even a small generator can be a life saver for a tank. Return pumps typically don't require that much wattage, so a generator could keep your pumps going very easily. If you want something to maintain your lighting systems and heat, you would need a little larger generator as those systems require a lot more wattage.

I guess a lot of it really depends on where you live and the likely scenario you might encounter as far as length of power outage. I'm in an area that I don't really have to worry about earthquakes, hurricanes, or snow storms, so a power outage of more than a day for me is less likely than other areas of the country.

 

[AlexG]

Battery operated air pumps are my first line of defense for a power outage. Everyone at my house knows how to deploy them during a power outage as a first step. I also have a backup propane generator that gets deployed in the event of an extended power outage. If you have water flow pumps that accept a battery backup they are also an option.

 

[krash7172]

How long can a typical reef tank go without water flow (oxygen)? I know this is a subjective question but I've had all water flow turned off for well over an hour while fragging and no problem. I got a DeWalt power station for Christmas. I'm testing it now. I can get about 5 hrs with basic pump, light and heater and high capacity batteries. I'm thinking pump only will be about double. This is not a gas generator. It uses standard 20v Dewalt cordless tool batteries. It's silent and works indoors.

 

[krash7172]

We could also use a cheap timer like this one to run our battery backup periodically rather than 100%. Run the pump/air stone 30 mins on and 30 mins off for example would double the battery life. A heavily stocked tank may need like 90 mins on and 30 off or the opposite for a lightly stocked tank. In any case this might help save a tank.

 

[Daniel Waters]

How long can a typical reef tank go without water flow (oxygen)? I know this is a subjective question but I've had all water flow turned off for well over an hour while fragging and no problem. I got a DeWalt power station for Christmas. I'm testing it now. I can get about 5 hrs with basic pump, light and heater and high capacity batteries. I'm thinking pump only will be about double. This is not a gas generator. It uses standard 20v Dewalt cordless tool batteries. It's silent and works indoors.

Hmmm....I have no exact idea. Obviously stocking levels will impact the time quite a bit. I've had tanks off for 3 or 4 hours with no issues. I wonder if the impact to the fish is first or possibly to the biological filter (i.e. aerobic bacteria)?

 

[krash7172]

So maybe using a simple timer could greatly extend backup battery life? It would have to run long enough to replenish oxygen levels ofc. And this is emergency scenario...

 

[Dom]

I have 3 deep cycle marine batteries, each with their own trickle charger. They are connected in parallel. they hang off a 5000 WATT inverter with a 110 volt auto transfer switch. I get about a day out of them with everything running. But when the heater comes on, it will shorten the life of the battery.

After that, it is a Honda 3000 generator.