Power outage!!!

trouble93

trouble93

Member
I realize this may be a day late and a dollar short for some hobbyists. I live in South East Ohio and about a week and half ago most of this part of the state was without power...I was without power for almost 3 days some people around here went without for six days or more. I was lucky I only lost one fish and that was only because I couldn't find him in the dark. I kept my tanks on life support the whole time. My question is for some of the more advanced hobbyists, what would you do in times like this? How do you keep your tanks going...And let's not pick the easy one(generator). I think this well help the new hobbyists in the long run.
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
a generator is the most logical and smartest thing to have on hand, you don't need a big heavy duty one, I bought a smaller one for 350 at home depot and i just mantain it when im not using it so when i need it, all i gotta do is plug in my stuff. you need a power source regardless or you will be sitting at your tank day and night with a cup oxygenating the water which is more stressful.
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/2949924
a generator is the most logical and smartest thing to have on hand, you don't need a big heavy duty one, I bought a smaller one for 350 at home depot and i just mantain it when im not using it so when i need it, all i gotta do is plug in my stuff. you need a power source regardless or you will be sitting at your tank day and night with a cup oxygenating the water which is more stressful.
O.K. good point but our gas stations where with out power as well so you my have enough gas to run for 8 hours or so but what about after that?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Depending on tank size, it is a good idea to have an inverter that runs off your car cig lighter...I have 2...One that runs off my car cigarette lighter, that will maybe run a small pump, and a BIG one that actually hooks up to the car battery..That would run a few things....don't need gas, but need a car...LOL
And I also have a generator...I just keep 2 5 gasl jugs filled
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2949935
Depending on tank size, it is a good idea to have an inverter that runs off your car cig lighter...I have 2...One that runs off my car cigarette lighter, that will maybe run a small pump, and a BIG one that actually hooks up to the car battery..That would run a few things....don't need gas, but need a car...LOL
And I also have a generator...I just keep 2 5 gasl jugs filled
This is along the lines I wanted this thread to go. I used one of the inverter myself.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by trouble93
http:///forum/post/2949970
This is along the lines I wanted this thread to go. I used one of the inverter myself.
LOL...the one thing I have learned is the threads NEVER seem to go where the OP intends...
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Seriously how many new hobbyists add a generator from the start? What about that man or woman who just cycled there, just added a cuc and/ or a fish or two. They wouldn't know how detrimental it would be for there tank to be without power.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
True I have always had fw fish, and that is the reason I had the cig lighter thing...We got the generator BEFORE the additions of sw after we had no power for 8 days in 2000 and were stuck in the house with 4 kids...NO POWER
BUT now that I have one, I have made sure that I have enough extension line, and plug ins for the important items...
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2950005
True I have always had fw fish, and that is the reason I had the cig lighter thing...We got the generator BEFORE the additions of sw after we had no power for 8 days in 2000 and were stuck in the house with 4 kids...NO POWER
BUT now that I have one, I have made sure that I have enough extension line, and plug ins for the important items...
O.K. what would you do if the generator went out? besides the 12volts from the cig lighter? I feel like a reporter trying to get to the bottom of a braking story.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Well I always have the other inverter that hooks straight up to the battery...and if the generator goes out, and I can't use either of the inverters....I guess pray...
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/2950024
Well I always have the other inverter that hooks straight up to the battery...and if the generator goes out, and I can't use either of the inverters....I guess pray...

Again, what does a person do when they have never had the power outage experience while having a SW aquarium. Without the initial experience they arent usually thinking along the lines of { gee, Im gonna need power backup just in case}. Lets take the generator and inverter off the table for now. What would 1 do if nothing like this was available? Just because we are all human and dont think ahead of ourselves at times.
 
ajer

ajer

Member
Drain your canister filter, if you have one, maintain your tank's temp with tap RO water or heat RO water on a gas stove of some sort or other heating system and add that.
Generators REALLY help, I had a power outage as a really new reefer, but luckily, I had a HUGE generator I bought before a hurricane in hit in NC, where I have lived in the past.
So the fish were warm and aerated, I was freezing.
But personally, I would rather get sick or uncomfortable than my fish.
 
ajer

ajer

Member
OK, here is Ajer's practical solution! When your generator runs out of gas, rip the generator (electrical motor) off the gas motor, and make a small paddle wheel out of wood, and put it in your sink, attached to the generator. Then crack out your voltage regulator, and hook that up to the generator leads. then hook the regulator up to the outlets on the generator, giving you water pressure powered electricity.
You'll be happy till you see your water bill at the end of the month.
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by Ajer
http:///forum/post/2950064
Drain your canister filter, if you have one, maintain your tank's temp with tap RO water or heat RO water on a gas stove of some sort or other heating system and add that.
Generators REALLY help, I had a power outage as a really new reefer, but luckily, I had a HUGE generator I bought before a hurricane in hit in NC, where I have lived in the past.
So the fish were warm and aerated, I was freezing.
But personally, I would rather get sick or uncomfortable than my fish.
This is what I was looking for!!!!!!!! My wife and I took water out of the tank 5gal at a time and heated it on the gas stove, we kept that up until the temp got up to the desired range. Every couple hrs we did this until the power came back. I had a battery powered air box which is used for bait that kept the airation going. Believe me I wouldve much rather have had a generator
but that wasnt an option for me at the time. I didnt mean to seem like I was being a bully about it, I was just looking to see if I could get an alternative answer that didnt involve a gen/inv..
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Why didn't you just post that then....you could have put what you did and than asked what others did that was different.
 
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