Hurricane Preparation Help

[DJ Monty]

I'm a noobie on the east coast close to Cape Canaveral in Florida. Hurricane Mathew is just around the corner & I have been wondering what I should do in the event of power failure for a few days.. Hopefully we will not lose the roof so power is my main concern. have a 220 gallon DT with 55 gallon sump/refugium. Fortunately I only have 7 small fish in there. Would anyone who has been through something like this care to give advice ?
Thanks..

 

[G8trBait16]

If you can find a generator I would get one. I am outside of Orlando and I have been trying to find a generator for 2 days and none to be found. If you can't find one get a few battery powered air pumps and extra batteries. I went ahead and got a 150w power inverter to plug into the 12v outlet in my truck to run the return pump and 1 of my MP40's. What you really need to worry about is getting oxygen into your tank, whether it be by air pumps or surface agitation, by the pumps.

 

[Duke4Life]

I'm close 2 the coast of NC and picked up 2 bubble wands to attach to a couple battery operated air pumps. Fish can do without lights and flow but getting oxygen in the water is vital.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

+1
If you put the airstones in a pvc pipe the air will draw the water up the pipe and blow it out the top. creating water flow while also adding oxygen.

 

[Snookster]

Best option is a generator, that way you can run your refrigerator and some lights/fans too. After that a couple of UPS. Use an aerator when the power goes out to maximize battery life. At the time of this writing, I hope you're not too close to the shore, looks light the eye may come ashore near you and may be end up with more than a few days without power. Be prepared and be safe.

 

[re76]

Also along the lines of not being able to find a generator, a deep cycle marine battery and an inverter would be a good choice to keep a handful of airstones running for a long time.

 

[clownfish chris]

Last case resort if you are unable to do any of the above, scoop and pour as much water as you can as often as you can around the clock. A few times every 15 minutes and you may be able to save everything.

 

[Brew12]

I would even bet that using a whisk to agitate the surface of the water on a regular basis would help more than you may expect. Just don't let the fish too close!

 

[clownfish chris]

I would even bet that using a whisk to agitate the surface of the water on a regular basis would help more than you may expect. Just don't let the fish too close!

I have never thought of that.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Fill up your cars with gasoline, if you can. Purchase an inverter, if you can find one. With a long extension cord, you can run the car to power the inverter and keep the battery charged. The inverter, depending on wattage, can be used to power critical flow and oxygenation systems.

The best advice is to get a generator, but I understand the predicament you're in and that may not be possible right now. Inverters, however, may still be available at radio shack. :)

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Also, if you have any spare 12V batteries (riding lawmower, motor cycle, boat, car, etc.), charge them ahead of time. They could also be used with your inverter to ride out the power outage.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Fill up 2-liter coke bottles with water and freeze them. They can be put into the sump to keep the tank cool while the A/C is out. The ice also comes in handy for food preservation.

 

[cypherljk]

F.Y.I. Mr Saltwater Tank sent out his emergency tank checklist this A.M. as well.. http://www.mrsaltwatertank.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Emergency_checklist.pdf

 

[DJ Monty]

Thanks for all the help guys.. I just got lucky.. One of my neighbors is evacuating & gave us use of their generator so all is well.. We are on the river less than a mile from the beach so this could be a bad one for me.. I have been trying to get a generator for the last few days with no luck so this has really saved the day... Hope everyone stays safe...

 

[cjd]

As a fellow Floridian and a direct impact hurricane Charlie survivor ( no power for over three weeks ) no fresh water for about that long also. Every home in Florida needs a generator , doesn't need to run the whole house, even a small one you would take camping is fine. Even if you don't have a tank , its a night and day difference when you are sitting in a house with no A/C and not even a fan to cool off even a little bit. Survival of a reef tank for extended outages with just battery operated air stones is grim . A power inverter from a car is an option for short time, but let me tell you how difficult it is to get gas. Just don't think you are going to run up to the nearest gas station and grab some. The lines will be long and as you sit there waiting and everybody is getting impatient and tempers are flaring you hope that the tanks don't run dry before its your turn. Yes gas stations run empty in these situations. So traveling to a less impacted area to just get gas might be your only option and with that you need gas to even get there. My suggestion is a generator if you can find one (everyone waits till they need one then all stores sell out for miles) been there done that! GAS CANS ( you really cant have enough ) FILL them all before the storm is even close , you will thank me later. Water !!!! You need it to survive , plus count how many times a day you interact with water , from brushing your teeth to flushing a toilet . You need to fill everything up with water , bath tub's any buckets /bins anything that can hold it. I f you have a pool that's a huge bonus. Buy as much drinking water as you can. Remember if you don't have power stores don't either so debit cards are useless, take out all your cash .I would make up a large amount of fresh sea water in case you need to do a huge water change if things take a turn for the worst. Best of luck and your safety is more important then keeping a tank alive.

 

[gar732]

If you have a vortech that will be all you need providing temps don't swing too much one way or the other. During hurricane Irene up in CT I was without power for 4 days and during a freak October snow storm I was without power for 5 days. I hooked up the vortech to a dry cell car battery and it lasted all 4 days and still had juice, in the October storm I charged in between just in case. I lost nothing in my tank. Since you have access to the gene I agree with what's been said, buy gas now! If you wait until afterward it'll be a nightmare trying to get gas.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Fill up 2-liter coke bottles with water and freeze them. They can be put into the sump to keep the tank cool while the A/C is out. The ice also comes in handy for food preservation.

In case it wasn't clear, I meant to put the bottles in the sump with the caps tightly fastened, not to pour the cold water directly into the sump :)

 

[locito277]

Thanks for all the help guys.. I just got lucky.. One of my neighbors is evacuating & gave us use of their generator so all is well.. We are on the river less than a mile from the beach so this could be a bad one for me.. I have been trying to get a generator for the last few days with no luck so this has really saved the day... Hope everyone stays safe...

Stay safe. This is a big one. Are you in a mandatory evacuation zone? I think the vortech will be all
You need. If it takes long to restore power the temp will be an issue

 

[DJ Monty]

In case it wasn't clear, I meant to put the bottles in the sump with the caps tightly fastened, not to pour the cold water directly into the sump :)

I figured that but thanks for looking out for us...

 

[DJ Monty]

Stay safe. This is a big one. Are you in a mandatory evacuation zone? I think the vortech will be all
You need. If it takes long to restore power the temp will be an issue

We are in a mandatory evacuation zone but we are staying.. Have animals to take care of & of course the tank.. Luckily we managed to get a generator so that will help.. If things get too bad we have another house just up the street thats not on the water & a little more sheltered so hopefully we will get through this.. Many thanks to everyone for the help with all this.. We are as ready as we can be..