Still not there yet! Power failures?

[aquiman]

Hi all. Putting finishing touches on a custom stand I'm making and have a few questions. I've seen posts suggesting painting the outside back of the tank black and am considering it. Since now is the time before I fill it, is this a good thing to do? If so, is flat black the best way to go?
Question about losing power: In 90 G FOLR tank I'm concerned about having a power failure and how long for the power to be out for you to have to start worrying about the affects on your cycle and other issues. Do you guys typically plop down large sums of cash for generators to protect your investments or do you roll the dice? I'm thinking the answer is yes on more $$...
Thanks as always for the guidance!

 

[zacheyp]

My advice is as follows: if you are in this hobby invest in a genartor!!! I had put thousands of dollars into my tank only to lose everything to one down power line. It does not take a long time without power to mess up a tank.

 

[travelerjp98]

Quote:
Originally Posted by zacheyp http:///t/392385/still-not-there-yet-power-failures#post_3484110
My advice is as follows: if you are in this hobby invest in a genartor!!! I had put thousands of dollars into my tank only to lose everything to one down power line. It does not take a long time without power to mess up a tank.
Welcome zacheyp to the forums!
OP- For you just starting out, don't sweat it... even a day and a half w/o power will not affect you much, it's happened to me a lot of times before.
When you start to invest a lot of $ into the tank and you start to keep the more sensitive stuff, then it's definitely something to invest in.

 

[meowzer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392385/still-not-there-yet-power-failures#post_3484112
Welcome zacheyp to the forums!
OP- For you just starting out, don't sweat it... even a day and a half w/o power will not affect you much, it's happened to me a lot of times before.
When you start to invest a lot of $ into the tank and you start to keep the more sensitive stuff, then it's definitely something to invest in.
WHAT???? Thati s sooo not right
after a few hours at most you should have some way to create water movement in your tank....if you do not have a generator available, I suggest an inverter....either one you can plug into your car, or hook up to a car battery.....it will run at least a couple of powerheads for a while
also.....if it is cold you will need to keep the tank warm....or if it is hot...you will need to keep it cool
I WOULD NEVER leave my tank for 36 hours with nothing running.....after 4 I start hooking stuff up

 

[snakeblitz33]

Ive let some of my tanks go for 24 hours before i start to worry a lot. Ive used "the wooden spoon method" before during a bad power outage. I do have a generator i can use if it is longer than 24 hours. If you have a small solar panel that puts out 20w then you can use one of hose 8w koralia powerheads to blow water across the surface. That would do until the power comes back on. With a fowlr tank, there isnt as much respiration going on as in a reef tank.
Yes, flat black is perfect. Spray paint is good too. Tape everything off. Takes 24 hours to completely dry and one week to cure.

 

[travelerjp98]

I was taking the assumption that he was starting off with a FOWLR. Without power there are ways to temporarily oxygenate the tank, as well as temperature control if needed.

 

[aquiman]

Hey thanks for all the good feedback. With the cold winters in the Northeast, and the occasional storms that can knock out power, I think I'm going to lean toward playing it safe and getting a generator. For about a grand, I can get one that will power my tank, fridge, some lights and furnace. Pretty easy to have casualties add up to a grand. At the same time I can also save a freezer full of meat! Thanks all again!:hi:

 

[travelerjp98]

good idea! better be safe than sorry!

 

[geridoc]

Don't forget that the generator isn't the entire cost. To do the job properly you need a transfer switch, or your utility company may refuse to work on repairing the lines in your neighborhood - a sure way to make friends with your neighbors. During the last outage our utility had a contractor riding around the area stopping at houses that were running generators to verify that they were safely connected.

 

[travelerjp98]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/392385/still-not-there-yet-power-failures#post_3484912
Don't forget that the generator isn't the entire cost. To do the job properly you need a transfer switch, or your utility company may refuse to work on repairing the lines in your neighborhood - a sure way to make friends with your neighbors. During the last outage our utility had a contractor riding around the area stopping at houses that were running generators to verify that they were safely connected.
Wow... thats crazy... I've never saw that. Ever.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Well, I'm not endorsing it - but in order to add some temporary o2 back to the tank in a FOWLR after stagnation, you could add a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to help relieve oxygen issues temporarily.
A generator as a good idea, however.

 

[aquiman]

Thanks again all. I have been looking into the generator and transfer switch for a while now. FYI... A 10,000 (surge rating) watt generator will run my furnace for heat, my central air, some appliances and my tank. You can get one for under $1K on ebay and Costco. I agree the transfer switch is important. For this size generator, the transfer switch could be in the area of another $500 plus an electrician to wire it in if you need one. Once I get my tank established I think I'll get one.... Then put in the transfer switch a bit later on. Thanks again.

 

[travelerjp98]

We currently have a 1,000 watt generator that we bought for around $150 on the ebay. We're about to upgrade to a 4,000 watt one for about $300/400 on the bay.