EMERGENCY, advice please.

[johnny5]

I live in florida and theres a +50% chance frances is going to hit hard here. And I live in an apartment complex so a generator is not allowed.. Does anyone have advise on keeping the temp down in my tank? It bakes here 85-90 degrees during the day. Its only a 46 bow with a small refuge.
I am going to pickup an ice chest of dry ice for food and etc, does anyone think that a diy chiller would be effective? My basic idea is to buy some vynal hose and run it with a pump thru an icechest of dry ice.. 1, does anyone think this would even be effective? and 2, are there any negative effects to chilling water with a vynal hose and dry ice (maybe copper from home depot would be a better idea)?
I have several computer ups power backups for my computers that I will use to run circulation and such, Im going to make a couple trips a day to recharge them off a friends generator.
My apt faces west so I dont think wind will be much of a problem, Im just worried about the power being out for a week or more.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated, I have about 24 hours to get all my ducks in a row.

 

[michael7979]

I have heard that the ice chest will work but use airline tubing(lots of it) and go to a fish store buy a battery powered airpump and lots of batteries. (lots of batteries)

 

[bang guy]

Battery operated fan

 

[salty cheese]

Disclaimer: This is just an idea, I have no experience with your situation.
Ok, now that’s out of the way here’s what I would do. Buy one really big cooler or two smaller ones, mix up some salt water and do a water change (Depending on the amount of time you have the more extra water you have the better), don’t throw the water out put it in the cooler(s). Use any ice you have to cool the water in the coolers and use that to change out the water from the tank to the cooler(s). Just keep switching the water between the cooler(s) and the tank and you may be able to keep the temp. down.
HTH Salty

 

[rangermonroe]

lotsa luck bud!
I'm sweating nickles, here in Sav, Ga.
If it get's me, here'e my plan:
1. My wife and kids live.
2. I live.
3. My house and stuff can keep my wife and kids alive.
.... fish.
If I get grazed, and lose poewr for a few days, a big cooler with a power head should keep some. it will also moderate temp.
A bat.op fan will help, as will a bat.op air pump (for live bait), even swishing the water often with your hand (no power/no TV..what else is there to do but swish water?) will add aeration.
Water will sour quickly in a cooler, so monitor quality. I will put my fish and inverts in separate containers.
Good luck,
rangermonroe

 

[lovethesea]

This thought ran through my mind awhile back when our area lost power for several days. Fortunately ours came back after several hours.
BUT in the time it was off, it was an oven in the house and I started to worry about the temp. My "thoughts" were.......
Keep these things just in case
1. Frozen cubes of RO water. Or is that too cold too fast?
2. Keep those frozen plastic blue things and place in a ziplock bag into the tank as needed. Or is that too much too?
None of this is has been done, but while we sat for several hours in the heat and dark while it poured outside too much to open the windows, I worried about the tank.
But this all goes out the window if they tell you to get out!!!
You must be safe for yourself and family first.

 

[lovethesea]

Originally posted by rangermonroe
swishing the water often with your hand (no power/no TV..what else is there to do but swish water?) will add aeration.

plus its amusement for the fish..:yes:

 

[stuckinfla]

Im here to, have lost power in the past. I have tons of Ice in my garage freezer. Its broken down in pakets. I float them, also have a battery powered airpump. Good luck!

 

[judyk]

I didn't think of the ice packets. Great idea. I'll start making some today. This storm has just got all of us so stressed out, it's hard to think about everything to do. Too any decisions. Stay, leave, take all pets, leave some pets. Oh no! Two more dogs and a cat coming here with Grandma. I guess, staying. Hope for the best.

 

[bot587]

good luck!

 

[johnny5]

Thanks for the tips everyone, I have decided that a chiller may be too much work for right now, other priorities have slapped me in the face. This thing is aimed right for us! I do have all the supplies ready incase I need to build a chiller after it hits. Thanks for the tip about copper, I was thinking that would be better since metal is a better conductor.
First thing I did was drain the tank into rubbermaids and moved the entire tank to the floor in the bathroom. I got a few battery operated fans (thanks bang) and air pumps, and I have a few computer ups's and some 12 hour timers so I can run some of the pumps for a few minutes every hour. I think thats about all I can do, I called a few of the areas fish stores but they all said they had their own fish to worry about. so well take it hour by hour for the next 48..
Again, Thanks everyone! We will need all the luck we can get.. If a mandatory evac comes we are going to drive inland to a friends house.

 

[big pete]

hmm

 

[lovethesea]

good luck. be careful chosing where you head inland also.
Be safe and let us know how you are after all settles.

 

[streetdoc]

Hey Johnny, Just an idea. I bought a Marine deep ceel battery today. I have an 800 watt power inverter that I will attach to it ond plug my pump to it. I have an automotive battery charger connected to the battery. I have to go to work Friday morning and may not be home until sometime Sunday or Monday so a generator is not an option. It works like this... The charger is hooked to the battery, the battery to the inverter, the pump to the inverter ($55.00 by the way) as long as power is on, the charger charges the battery and runs the inverter/ pump. Power fails and the battery runs them. Power comes back on (hopefully soon) the chatger goes back to charging the battery and running the inverter/ pump. I am a little worried about the heat but then again the lights will be off and they are the biggest factor for the reef set up. Good luck my east coast brother and stay safe.
Alan

 

[streetdoc]

Just an out of the blue thought Johnny, but how much stuff do you have? I have 210 that just finished its cycle a few weeks ago and a 50QT that only has 3 damsels at this point to keep it going. You and your family are welcome here in Naples if you want. Let me know

 

[stuckinfla]

You opened a can of worms, everybody with tanks in Dade, Broward & PB will be there in the morning!!!! Ill bring the chips

 

[streetdoc]

Hey, Sounds good to me. I have a total of 355Gal (not including sumps and fuges) available plus my house and a 2/2 condo. The more the merrier. we'll have a hurricane/ frag/ trade party!

 

[kimc]

We lost power for 4 days when hurricane charley went through. I used an inverter for water flow. I purchased the inverter at a discount auto store and ran it off a car battery. You can't run it continously because the battery loses the charge. I only have a 12gl nano cube. My clown made it but the royal gramma perished. I read a post were someone floated ice in a zip lock bag. We now have a generator and flow shouldn't be a problem this time. I will try the ice in the bag though. I am now fighting hair algae and can't seem to get rid of it. Store up as much water as possible for water changes... that will help.

 

[torpedo200]

:jumping: Hope everyone is doing ok by now in this area we lost power was wondering what people where doing with fish babies...necessity is the mother of invention...The guy at the pet store lost most of his suppppply ouch...generators are hard to come by in tampa area...now its the mosqitos again ...how many things can you grill on the fire...just about anythng by now...