Life saver during outage

[deedubz]

I'm sure it's been touched on many a times but here goes...

Here in Maryland, and much of the country for that matter, we had a Noreaster over the last few days. I am currently doing ttm on some fish and didn't have a practical backup, nor does my little nano. I do have battery backups on my 55g though. Anyway, our power started to flicker on Friday. I made trip to PetSmart to see if they had battery powered air pumps...and they did! Long story short, I didn't need them but my sister called to tell me that they(and the fluval Evo I bought her) did lose power. I gave her one of the pumps I bought, some air line, a check valve and some stones. She said that one set of D batteries(it takes two) lasted the nearly 15 hours that they were without power. One could argue this $14 device saved her fish, her coral, her tank. A more permanent solution would obviously be better but, in a pinch, I'd argue this is a must have

 

[brandon429]

Peroxide can help in limited amnts in some systems that have reached a critical o2 loss, it's a quick oxidizer for water columns if fish were indicating via increased opercular activity or surface hovering. Sometimes benthic micro animal upward migration also indicates critical oxygen mass... brittle stars, all micro stars, even pods.

Adding too much would cause a loss cascade, but there's about a million online examples of adding it to tanks now in the correct doses, ergo using it for its specific and brief action has a place in the power outage Rx field bag where indicated. It's part of the final tank triage moves

Known by lfs owners sixty years



For long term support in the outage yes to those battery pumps, I'm getting over three days per set of two d lithium batteries. One of those is plumbed into my system ready for outs, my critical hardware.

Anyone in a power outage prone area should not practice old school filthy sandbed technique....safest practice is today's detritus free sandbed and sump in order to have a competitive chance with biological oxygen demand control at the most critical moment. How one reefs before the event matters massively.

If it's a known fact that both dirty sandbedding and clean sandbedding work and have online examples of producing coral mass, then people in outage areas can hedge safety big-time by reefing with less stored organics aerobic bacteria substrate. When they say a dirty sandbed is a ticking time bomb, they should also add that it's an oxygen hungry beast ready to outcompete all your Anthias... we didn't have to concern about N and P solely, add O

 

[brandon429]

Consider the strange method of removing fish, if possible, before a known outage.

Try to keep them alive elsewhere, not in the system, a tax to both at the critical time. In an outage, the tank isn't helping your fish and your fish aren't helping the tank, for the new most limited resources set for all. Separate them in big money setups or at least re house the big fish. Frankly you'd care for them better in rubber maid containers not lined with organics which interact with emergency oxygen remedies just like peroxide.

The larger system automatically gets a multi day sustenance boost in the stilled condition than the same system with its bioload in place. Removing the fish right before the event to other holdings will be much easier anyway then dealing with the lot of dirty sandbeds, hedge what we can in prep for all outages. Am aware people's fish are precious and moving is stressful, but separation in tanks that allow it literally gives both groups of animals the best chance. Some tanks are small and just have a few clowns and a goby, pull em, hedge your time. Other six hundred gallon systems with hundreds of fish? Better be reefing clean.

 

[brandon429]

Kudos to Atoll for mentioning something in another post: The Oxydator.

Number one mechanism to have in a power outage (due to no known sensitive organisms to their use) is not their top selling point, but there's no other machine I'd rather have for a large investment. Algae screens become a tax when power outed, but not Oxydator.

Do web reading on them if not familiar, an item that's been around decades and longer in Europe than the States. There's tons of online back and forth about them but one thing is for sure, they're a portable respirator for a reef tank. Best I know.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

i get a larger paddle and stir

 

[cmcoker]

They also have these battery bubblers in the fishing area of Walmart type stores, helpful since many are open 24hr.

I have a couple baby bubblers that run on AA for my nanos, and the regular sized ones for the display. Extra line, rigid tube and stones all together in a tote for power outages. I like some rigid tubing to hold the air stone lower in the tank

 

[rosshamsandwich]

what the name brand of the walmart battery bubbles?
what use is it in fishing?

 

[HawaiianReef]

What about running a UPS. The ones to back up computers and generators?

 

[cmcoker]

what the name brand of the walmart battery bubbles?
what use is it in fishing?

These are the brand I have, they also carry another brand.
It's used to bubble live bait buckets

 

[Forsaken77]

What about running a UPS. The ones to back up computers and generators?

Those types of UPS's typically don't last more than a few hours. They're designed for less power hungry computers to backup in a quick emergency, not really for sustained use.

Some people use a car battery as well. I have those battery operated air pumps for emergency use, but they are the noisiest things you'll ever have the displeasure of using. It's better than losing livestock, but you'll probably drive them crazy with all the noise, lol.

 

[HawaiianReef]

I'm considering plumbing one of the newer jebao dc pumps on a new build Im doing. Those pumps pull about 5 watts on a low setting. I'm thinking of having it as a back up and power it with a deep cycle 12 volt instead of the power supply. Has anyone tried this?
Also I take it temp drops are not too concerning? I dont see anyone mentioning heaters.

 

[cmcoker]

I'm considering plumbing one of the newer jebao dc pumps on a new build Im doing. Those pumps pull about 5 watts on a low setting. I'm thinking of having it as a back up and power it with a deep cycle 12 volt instead of the power supply. Has anyone tried this?
Also I take it temp drops are not too concerning? I dont see anyone mentioning heaters.

Heaters suck so much power. If dont have a generator, Better to wrap the tank. Can use hot water bottles if have gas stove, also a way to use calcium chloride in a water bottle to raise heat but you'd have to have quite a bit on hand I'd think.

 

[ca1ore]

Also I take it temp drops are not too concerning? I dont see anyone mentioning heaters.

O2 levels are much more urgent, but it the power outage last long enough temperature becomes problematic as well. I lost power for almost 36 hours this time, and a portable generator saved the system. Low temp only became a problem after about 24 hours.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

These are the brand I have, they also carry another brand.
It's used to bubble live bait buckets

thank you for your explanation!!!! honored!