Don't rely on a cheap UPS!

[ShanerBock888]

Had a power outage this morning for a couple hours... My emergency plan is a few sponge filters powered by battery operated air pumps, and all my heaters are hooked up to an Uniterruptible Power Source. Filters worked fine, but it turns out that the UPS never charged in the first place! My tanks are in my basement, which is cool, so the temperature was dropping like a rock. Luckily, the power company's estimation of 12 hours with no power was wrong and it was back after a couple hours. I was freaking out!

Already in the process of shopping for a new UPS, will never go cheap again!

 

[takagari]

Do some math on that.. Those UPSs are not designed for power, depending on the wattage of your heaters, you could spend hundreds for 30 minutes of heat backup...

 

[skjl47]

Hello; The heat loss from a tank is a slow process. Water holds heat fairly well and loses it slowly. During a power outage one winter of several days my tanks got down into the 50's F. I managed to keep the house in the 50's with a propane heater. I heated the tanks back up gradually when the power was restored and all the fish were fine.

If the tanks are stocked heavy, then aeration becomes a critical issue. Battery power to run air pumps can keep things going.

Do not feed during a power outage as uneaten food can decay and take oxygen from the water.

My solution after many years is to stock my tank lightly. With light stocking densities tanks can go for many days without aeration.

 

[AquaLeo]

UPS shattered a 20 gallon tank I ordered once.

 

[takagari]

UPS shattered a 20 gallon tank I ordered once.

Not sure if trolling or.... lol

 

[skjl47]

Already in the process of shopping for a new UPS, will never go cheap again!

Those UPSs are not designed for power, depending on the wattage of your heaters, you could spend hundreds for 30 minutes of heat backup...

Hello; A battery backup to run air pumps makes some sense. I happen to have a fishing boat and a deep cycle battery. I could run battery powered air pumps from the deep cycle battery for many hours.

To run heaters, lights and all, then perhaps an emergency generator should be considered.

 

[duanes]

Power outages were very common for me a few years ago, so I started putting 2" styrofoam on 3 sides and the bottom of all tanks that needed warmth, and had an already cut piece for the front when a power outage occurred.
My outages sometimes lasted for 3 days during snow storms.
And agree with skjl47, stocking lightly, and not feeding during outages are the way to go.
When tropical fish get cool, they have a harder time digesting anyway, healthier not to feed.