Gonna probably lose power, any ideas how to keep tank warm?

[we4wieners]

I have a 110g discus tank. I have a finnex heating stick heating the tank. I have a black and decker jump box for my truck. Any ideas as to how to keep the tank running? I can get a car battery and hook it up to the box.
1. will it make it a power supply
2. what can I do to the battery, splicing cords, etc?

 

[krichardson]

I can't give you any advice with those items and all I can really suggest is for you to haul A to a hardware store and grab a generator...not sure how conditions are in your area but it's not bad at all here..yet.

 

[spiff44]

I have nothing for you but an idea I've been toying with... little floating candle holders where the candle is deeply sunk into the contraption, offering extra metal surface to absorb flame heat and radiate it into the water. Would take some experimentation to get it right.. also remains to be seen if surface area allows for enough candles to do the work.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

portable gen....I wouldn't use a jerry rigged car battery in the house,especially to a jump box you'll have to hardwire to the heater, but thats just me. I'd catch my carpet or curtains on fire.

 

[we4wieners]

portable gen....I wouldn't use a jerry rigged car battery in the house,especially to a jump box you'll have to hardwire to the heater, but thats just me. I'd catch my carpet or curtains on fire.

I agree, don't really want to do that either. ALL GENERATORS ARE SOLD OUT !!! EVERYWHERE!
My neighbor just designated an extension cord for me run the tank. Just have to run a cord to their house. Raking their leaves just paid off.

 

[S4Detroit]

Good thing the neighbor helped out. The heater for fish tanks are run off of 110 volt and car batteries on put out 12 volt so it wouldn't have enough juice to power the heater unless you went and bought a power inverter that turns the 12 volt into 110 volt. Good luck with everyone on the east coast. I live in Michigan so we lucked out on the snow.

If something happened to the power get some 2 liter pop bottles and fill them with hot water and float them. Your hot water tank will stay hot for at least 24 hours plus and if it's gas it Should continue to run. You can also heat water on the stove and float bottles of heated water from the stove. Don't boil the water just heat it to about 120 any hotter and it will start to melt the plastic. Also hope you have some battery operated air pump ready too.

 

[xraycer]

If something happened to the power get some 2 liter pop bottles and fill them with hot water and float them. Your hot water tank will stay hot for at least 24 hours plus and if it's gas it Should continue to run. You can also heat water on the stove and float bottles of heated water from the stove. Don't boil the water just heat it to about 120 any hotter and it will start to melt the plastic. Also hope you have some battery operated air pump ready too.

+1. If you can't use the stove, propane gas grills are another option to heat water containers. Cover tank with blankets or sleeping bags to conserve heat, and skip all feedings until power comes back

 

[krichardson]

I agree, don't really want to do that either. ALL GENERATORS ARE SOLD OUT !!! EVERYWHERE!
My neighbor just designated an extension cord for me run the tank. Just have to run a cord to their house. Raking their leaves just paid off.

Yeah I guess they flew out the doors along with the rock salt and shovels days ago..Was it you who posted about a similar dilemma a year or so ago?

 

[mudbuttjones]

Buy a heavy duty 12v/110v DC inverter for your car's cigarette lighter port in the higest amp/watts you can find.

Turn your car into a super expensive inefficient generator!!

Now just Run an extension cord to your house.

Idle your car for days and use tons of fuel and save your fishies!

Sent from my SCH-R950 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Big Jay]

Wrap the tank in blankets. That will help to insulate. I live in an apartment so a generator is a no-go for me. Thankfully, my parents have a standby generator and I have an inverter/battery. My plan is to run the tank for 2 hours, then off for 2 hours; while I re-charge the battery at my parents. That's if I lose power.

Back up plan for you would be a battery powered aerator and a lot of blankets. Wrapped in blankets it would take quite some time for that tank to cool down.