Power outages

ZrC · 10/07/2007, 04:41 PM

I have been running a FOWLR setup for years now and had my fair share of scares when the power went out, sometimes even for 8 hours. Since I work in the IT field it hit me like a brick wall to use a UPS for the pumps. Now when there are random power outages I can get a good 4-6 (even 8 if I cut the load to just the wet dry pump) the hours of run time for the pumps which is usually enough until the problem is fixed by the power company.

My question is how is everyone else handling the issue of power outages?

jdkackley · 10/07/2007, 05:15 PM

Just lucky I guess.

Lotus99 · 10/07/2007, 05:23 PM

We have a UPS to run the pumps, in case power goes out. We may get a generator eventuallly. Luckily there aren't many power outages here.

loosecannon · 10/07/2007, 11:13 PM

Zrc,what is a ups? I have lost fishes in the past!

thejamesvolta · 10/07/2007, 11:44 PM

UPS

loosecannon · 10/07/2007, 11:50 PM

Tanks, Thejamesvolta . Now were can I get one?

cd77 · 10/08/2007, 12:27 AM

Virtually any retailer that specializes in computers. Try ZipZoomFly.com - they usually have very competitive prices.

When shopping, consider that nicer UPS units will output a true sine wave whereas others will use a stepped sine wave.

You probably don't want to expose these things to salty humid environments, and I would think they need to be fairly well ventilated (just guessing) but I wouldn't recommend putting it in a tank stand.

Quote:

Originally posted by loosecannon
Tanks, Thejamesvolta . Now were can I get one?

MalHavoc · 10/08/2007, 04:41 AM

I use a combination of things to deal with power outages. First, my powerheads are on a UPS, as has been mentioned. I don't worry about lighting or heaters for that sort of thing - corals can go a few hours without light, and water retains heat nicely and a heater will drain a UPS battery very quickly. I choose powerheads that use minimal power, like the Tunze ones, to make sure my UPS can power them a long time.

A generator is a good idea. A big one will run you a few hundred bucks, which may sound like a lot of money but it's not much compared to the investment you've made in your livestock. When hurricane Juan hit Halifax, Nova Scotia 5 or 6 years ago, I lost power for 8 days. My generator saved my tank.

Some people go with automatic whole house units that run on propane and can go for days without needing a refill. Those cost serious money, but they'll even start on their own if you're not home when the power goes out.

rkelman · 10/08/2007, 05:24 AM

Generator here...

HDAlien · 10/08/2007, 11:38 AM

Honda generator, UPS.

blaze98 · 10/08/2007, 11:40 AM

UPS work fine for me, I got mine from Circuit City

ilovetrains · 10/08/2007, 12:56 PM

I like the idea of a UPS, and may add one at some point. For now, here is my approach:

With the exception of a freak power outage during summer due to some kind of line problem, our only real threat of power outage comes during ice storms. In the past 10 years we have experienced roughly 15 power outages, all but 2 were less than 30 minutes. The other 2, were 4 and 8 hours respectively. However, we were lucky, houses we could see were out for days.

I plan to get a fairly heavy 12 volt inverter. My daily driver is a diesel truck. It burns roughly 1 gallon of diesel at idle every 4 hours at 32 degrees farenheit. 1000 watts should run the tank minus the MH lights.

Hopefully I don't have to find out if this works or not anytime soon.

loosecannon · 10/08/2007, 01:02 PM

Thanks Cd77.

Young Frankenstein · 10/08/2007, 01:07 PM

Special design separate power-heads 12vdc in 4 fish tanks, with battery backup for 30 days. Miami Florida here. Power goes out for weeks in hurricane season.

zotzer · 10/08/2007, 02:32 PM

Best $15 you can spend:

http://www.championlighting.com/prod...cat=421&page=1

Tracy

netboy · 10/08/2007, 02:39 PM

Isnt there a big issue about UPS made for computers used on a fish tank? Has something to do with AC/DC and the type of motor in the pump. I posted a long time ago about using an ups and someone bit my head off about it.

cd77 · 10/08/2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by netboy
Isnt there a big issue about UPS made for computers used on a fish tank? Has something to do with AC/DC and the type of motor in the pump. I posted a long time ago about using an ups and someone bit my head off about it.

Not all devices can/should be run using a stepped (artificial) sine wave. Unless you had a kick *** UPS device (or preferably a generator) I wouldn't run the entire setup through UPS; just the critical components that can safely be run. It's also not a bad idea to choose a UPS device that is rated for far more than what you plan to run on it -- many UPS devices are only built to maintain power for a brief period of time (many computer UPS systems have an computer interface to instruct the system to shutdown safely), and they lose a bit of efficiency having to convert from DC to AC.

Unless your system absolutely requires uninterrupted power, or you're in a location where power outages are very frequent (hopefully short lived) I'm not too sure a UPS device would be at all necessary for a typical home aquarium. 6-8 hours every once in a while shouldn't cause too many problems -- O2 would be my first concern, and zotzer's post covered that perfectly.

I'm not a veteran, but given that coral reefs occasionally suffer loss of lighting from small events such as eclipses to large events such as volcanic explosions, I'd imagine they shouldn't have too hard of a time with an eight hour power loss. The other two issues would be flow and filitration -- though I've seen enough setups to know that most tanks can certainly go without skimmer for a day or three..

MalHavoc · 10/08/2007, 06:36 PM

Actually, if any sort of UPS was going to produce a clean sine wave, it'd be a computer UPS, because it's designed for sensitive electronic equipment. My old Powermate Coleman generator really produced a harsh DC current - I could see my fluorescent bulbs flickering on it, and my Velocity pump ran pretty rough.

If I may offer one other point - for those of you who use the Osmolator, the pump turns on each time the Osmolator's power is unplugged/replugged. I have a nano tank, and I have to be careful about that - if my power flickers, my osmolator can end up dumping quite a bit of extra water in the tank. I make sure it's on a UPS protected outlet.

Lotus99 · 10/08/2007, 09:10 PM

Our little power outage this summer was only on one circuit. It meant that all the power was off to the tank. It's lightly stocked, but we came home to all fish hiding, and one dead. I guess the power was out for about 10 hours. Even losing one fish was bad enough

johng723 · 10/08/2007, 09:19 PM

I've been wondering how people deal with power outages that can last for days. What kind of wattage does the generator need to be to deal with an aquarium up to 150 gallons? I was thinking of investing in one and although I only have a 24 gallon right now I'm planning on upgrading to a 150 gallon in a year or so.

cd77 · 10/08/2007, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by johng723
I've been wondering how people deal with power outages that can last for days. What kind of wattage does the generator need to be to deal with an aquarium up to 150 gallons? I was thinking of investing in one and although I only have a 24 gallon right now I'm planning on upgrading to a 150 gallon in a year or so.

It will depend upon your power requirements. Chillers, lighting, pumps etc.. can all have fairly high demands. a 72" MH+CF fixture can pull 800+ watts. A 1/3HP chiller can pull 800+ watts too not including the pump. An amp clamp (or maybe one of those Kill-A-Watt devices) would help you determine what you need.

Here is a generator that will give you ~10 hours at 2,750W on a single tank.

Brad Black · 10/08/2007, 10:23 PM

I went to Home Depot and got a 3500W (peak) gas generator on sale for around $600 after a big outage earlier in the year. It can run my furnace, my fridge and a light and my pumps in the tank. Money very well spent. Now...no worries.

MalHavoc · 10/09/2007, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brad Black
I went to Home Depot and got a 3500W (peak) gas generator on sale for around $600 after a big outage earlier in the year. It can run my furnace, my fridge and a light and my pumps in the tank. Money very well spent. Now...no worries.

... provided that you're actually home to switch everything over when the power goes out. My power outages always seem to happen when I'm away for a few days.

kevin2000 · 10/09/2007, 09:54 AM

I use a generator ... but I also have an inexpensive battery powered air pump that comes on automatically when the power goes out .. stop gap that comes in handy if your at work or sleeping.

ZrC · 10/13/2007, 06:52 AM

Seems a lot more people are running generators then I thought, since I live in an apartment that option is not available to me.
We dont have extensive power outages where I live, but long enough to cause stress on the fish. If anyone is looking for the best bang for the buck UPS you should check this one out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16842102006
Only downside is the thing weighs in at nearly 80lbs, so its really not move friendly.

10/07/2007, 04:41 PM	#1
ZrC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Jersey Posts: 26	Power outages I have been running a FOWLR setup for years now and had my fair share of scares when the power went out, sometimes even for 8 hours. Since I work in the IT field it hit me like a brick wall to use a UPS for the pumps. Now when there are random power outages I can get a good 4-6 (even 8 if I cut the load to just the wet dry pump) the hours of run time for the pumps which is usually enough until the problem is fixed by the power company. My question is how is everyone else handling the issue of power outages?

10/07/2007, 05:15 PM	#2
jdkackley Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Carpentersville, IL Posts: 63	Just lucky I guess. __________________ Bills travel at twice the speed of checks! Current Tank Info: 55 gal mixed reef. 12 gal eclipse in progress. 20 gal freshwater angel's

10/07/2007, 05:23 PM	#3
Lotus99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,398	We have a UPS to run the pumps, in case power goes out. We may get a generator eventuallly. Luckily there aren't many power outages here. __________________ "So long, and thanks for all the fish" Current Tank Info: 125g reef, gobies, cardinals, softies and LPS; 36g Neo Nano tank; 10+ FW tanks

10/07/2007, 11:13 PM	#4
loosecannon Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: port kent Posts: 1,292	Zrc,what is a ups? I have lost fishes in the past! __________________ I like getting WET! Current Tank Info: 44gal. 40 gal. 75 gal. 30gal. and working on a 75gal. rigt

10/07/2007, 11:50 PM	#6
loosecannon Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: port kent Posts: 1,292	Tanks, Thejamesvolta . Now were can I get one? __________________ I like getting WET! Current Tank Info: 44gal. 40 gal. 75 gal. 30gal. and working on a 75gal. rigt

10/07/2007, 11:44 PM	#5
thejamesvolta Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: chandler, arizona Posts: 84	UPS

10/08/2007, 04:41 AM	#8
MalHavoc Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 10,850	I use a combination of things to deal with power outages. First, my powerheads are on a UPS, as has been mentioned. I don't worry about lighting or heaters for that sort of thing - corals can go a few hours without light, and water retains heat nicely and a heater will drain a UPS battery very quickly. I choose powerheads that use minimal power, like the Tunze ones, to make sure my UPS can power them a long time. A generator is a good idea. A big one will run you a few hundred bucks, which may sound like a lot of money but it's not much compared to the investment you've made in your livestock. When hurricane Juan hit Halifax, Nova Scotia 5 or 6 years ago, I lost power for 8 days. My generator saved my tank. Some people go with automatic whole house units that run on propane and can go for days without needing a refill. Those cost serious money, but they'll even start on their own if you're not home when the power goes out. __________________ Jason "Empathy, he once had decided, must be limited to herbivores or anyhow omnivores who could depart from a meat diet. Because, ultimately, the empathic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated." -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick

10/08/2007, 05:24 AM	#9
rkelman Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Belleville, Ontario Canada Posts: 3,438	Generator here...

10/08/2007, 11:38 AM	#10
HDAlien Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 476	Honda generator, UPS. __________________ ¡ʞuɐʇ ʎɯ ǝʌo1 ı Current Tank Info: 220 gal. reef

10/08/2007, 11:40 AM	#11
blaze98 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Seat Pleasant, Maryland Posts: 127	UPS work fine for me, I got mine from Circuit City

10/08/2007, 12:56 PM	#12
ilovetrains Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lee's Summit, MO Posts: 127	I like the idea of a UPS, and may add one at some point. For now, here is my approach: With the exception of a freak power outage during summer due to some kind of line problem, our only real threat of power outage comes during ice storms. In the past 10 years we have experienced roughly 15 power outages, all but 2 were less than 30 minutes. The other 2, were 4 and 8 hours respectively. However, we were lucky, houses we could see were out for days. I plan to get a fairly heavy 12 volt inverter. My daily driver is a diesel truck. It burns roughly 1 gallon of diesel at idle every 4 hours at 32 degrees farenheit. 1000 watts should run the tank minus the MH lights. Hopefully I don't have to find out if this works or not anytime soon. __________________ Your help to a newbie is much appreciated!! Current Tank Info: 155 gal bow front

10/08/2007, 01:02 PM	#13
loosecannon Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: port kent Posts: 1,292	Thanks Cd77. __________________ I like getting WET! Current Tank Info: 44gal. 40 gal. 75 gal. 30gal. and working on a 75gal. rigt

10/08/2007, 01:07 PM	#14
Young Frankenstein Moved On Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami Florida. Posts: 3,842	Special design separate power-heads 12vdc in 4 fish tanks, with battery backup for 30 days. Miami Florida here. Power goes out for weeks in hurricane season.

10/08/2007, 02:32 PM	#15
zotzer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 346	Best $15 you can spend: http://www.championlighting.com/prod...cat=421&page=1 Tracy

10/08/2007, 02:39 PM	#16
netboy Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 304	Isnt there a big issue about UPS made for computers used on a fish tank? Has something to do with AC/DC and the type of motor in the pump. I posted a long time ago about using an ups and someone bit my head off about it.

10/08/2007, 06:36 PM	#18
MalHavoc Infinitely Prolonged Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 10,850	Actually, if any sort of UPS was going to produce a clean sine wave, it'd be a computer UPS, because it's designed for sensitive electronic equipment. My old Powermate Coleman generator really produced a harsh DC current - I could see my fluorescent bulbs flickering on it, and my Velocity pump ran pretty rough. If I may offer one other point - for those of you who use the Osmolator, the pump turns on each time the Osmolator's power is unplugged/replugged. I have a nano tank, and I have to be careful about that - if my power flickers, my osmolator can end up dumping quite a bit of extra water in the tank. I make sure it's on a UPS protected outlet. __________________ Jason "Empathy, he once had decided, must be limited to herbivores or anyhow omnivores who could depart from a meat diet. Because, ultimately, the empathic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated." -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick

10/08/2007, 09:10 PM	#19
Lotus99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,398	Our little power outage this summer was only on one circuit. It meant that all the power was off to the tank. It's lightly stocked, but we came home to all fish hiding, and one dead. I guess the power was out for about 10 hours. Even losing one fish was bad enough __________________ "So long, and thanks for all the fish" Current Tank Info: 125g reef, gobies, cardinals, softies and LPS; 36g Neo Nano tank; 10+ FW tanks

10/08/2007, 09:19 PM	#20
johng723 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 85	I've been wondering how people deal with power outages that can last for days. What kind of wattage does the generator need to be to deal with an aquarium up to 150 gallons? I was thinking of investing in one and although I only have a 24 gallon right now I'm planning on upgrading to a 150 gallon in a year or so.

10/08/2007, 10:23 PM	#22
Brad Black Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cleveland-proper Posts: 465	I went to Home Depot and got a 3500W (peak) gas generator on sale for around $600 after a big outage earlier in the year. It can run my furnace, my fridge and a light and my pumps in the tank. Money very well spent. Now...no worries.

10/09/2007, 09:54 AM	#24
kevin2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,805	I use a generator ... but I also have an inexpensive battery powered air pump that comes on automatically when the power goes out .. stop gap that comes in handy if your at work or sleeping.

10/13/2007, 06:52 AM	#25
ZrC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Jersey Posts: 26	Seems a lot more people are running generators then I thought, since I live in an apartment that option is not available to me. We dont have extensive power outages where I live, but long enough to cause stress on the fish. If anyone is looking for the best bang for the buck UPS you should check this one out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16842102006 Only downside is the thing weighs in at nearly 80lbs, so its really not move friendly.