Managing without power or battery backup

[jscarlata]

So thanks to Irene, I have no power, no generator and no battery backups for my tank. Luckily i have no fish in the tank, just coral (mostly lps) and some shrimps. What I have been able to do is power my filtration system and tunze pumps by using the AC output on my wife's car. It's not enough juice however to run even half of my T5. My temp has remained stable, ph a little low but I got the huge light on.
I'm not able to run the tank 24hrs a day like this, but an hour or two at a time with a few hours in between.
Is this ok? Nit that I can do much else! Lol

[Kabuto]

Don't worry about the lights. You need to worry about circulation and temp. Everything can do fine without lights for a few days or more. An air pump with an air stone or just stirring the water by hand will help.

[Agu]

Skip the lights, you can go a few days without lights (although you may have to reacclimate if it's more than a couple of days.)

Scoop out a few cups of water and pour it back in the tank every time you walk by. If you have a sump scoop it out of the sump and pour it into the main tank.

Good Luck ............

[jscarlata]

Ok cool. So if I have to go to work tomorrow, I can setup my car with an ext cord to run the tunzes and an air pump with air stone in the tank till I get home. Then I can run the skimmer and return off her car for a while. The whole setup, skimmer, return, tunzes fuge light, all worked perfectly of her car for hours today. We went out to dinner, and when I came home set it up again, just plugged in the outlet to her car and it worked. Then later she shut her car off without telling me, but when informed it back on I couldn't get anything to work and gave up. J plugged everyhrin back into my dc8 in case I get power tonight, cha right! Not gonna happen! Hopefully everything will be ok in the am, and I'll start over... Generator going on a short list if stuff to get for this place!

[Mr.Kook]

get a deep cell marine battery and a power inverter a 700w one would do you good and you should be able to run your pumps and skimmer off that and you will be good for a few days as long as it dont get to hot. Like said before dont worry about your lights your corals will be fine and lights make HEAt and thats the worst thing for your tank rite now. i know i was in central FL in 04 and we had 3 storms in around a month. The deep cell battery should last all day with just your return pump and skimmer. And if you have jumper cables you can recharge it at night.

[jscarlata]

That's a great idea I'll see what I can find, there aren't any boat stores by me anymore, would car parts places gave them? What about a car battery?
Also, I'm running my tunze's now at full blast pointed to the surface to get some agitation, but can't run the main pump or skimmer. My wife us going to leave and then have to shut my car. Te tank will sit most likely all day with no movement or air...am I looking at deaths soon? Corals all seem in their typical night/dark modes, ie retracted etc. The torch seems the worst it's not retracted 100% and kind I droops. Shrimps are all scurrying around as normal. Too afraid to run a heater without a controller, tank is in my basement and temp seemed stable at 78-79. I'm afraid of a heater boiling everything without being controlled.
Last question, if the corals start to die, will the bacteria/live rock go too?

[Uncle Salty 05]

Believe it or not just filling a pitcher with tank water and pouring it back into the tank from about 10" to a foot from the surface can do a lot to keep the tank aerated.

[curlykid]

uncle salty and agu are spot on. no need for a battery.

[jscarlata]

Thanks, thats great to know. But I'm not there till this eve and my wife could give 2 $hits about the tank O she ain't gonna do it...
I guess I'll see how it is when I get home...

[Uncle Salty 05]

Got a good neighbor that has a key?

[James77]

Originally Posted by jscarlata

That's a great idea I'll see what I can find, there aren't any boat stores by me anymore, would car parts places gave them? What about a car battery?
Also, I'm running my tunze's now at full blast pointed to the surface to get some agitation, but can't run the main pump or skimmer. My wife us going to leave and then have to shut my car. Te tank will sit most likely all day with no movement or air...am I looking at deaths soon? Corals all seem in their typical night/dark modes, ie retracted etc. The torch seems the worst it's not retracted 100% and kind I droops. Shrimps are all scurrying around as normal. Too afraid to run a heater without a controller, tank is in my basement and temp seemed stable at 78-79. I'm afraid of a heater boiling everything without being controlled.
Last question, if the corals start to die, will the bacteria/live rock go too?

Are the Tunzes you using controllable? Ie 6055, 610x, 620x? If so, they can be connected directly to a 12v battery with a Tunze safety connector. That provides a fuse between the battery and pumps, it can be run without th connector with a risk. Maybe ask Roger in the Tunze forum how to connect them directly ato a battery without the safety connector.

The only thing I would worry about is the water movement. Forget the skimmer. Heating is a problem, but as long as the tank stays in the 70s, you should be ok. If the corals die, I would be more worried about the pollution taking out other corals than the bacteria in the tank.

[jscarlata]

Thanks again, yes I have 6055's, i was looking at the safety connector this morning. Problem is no stores near me have that gear, I'd have to order it...something to think about though. I think the plan I am formulating for future disaster recovery is an inverter/battery combo. This is if I do not buy a generator tonight...I hear that some nearby towns are getti g power restored so hopefully I'll have power today/ tonight

[Uncle Salty 05]

One of these is worth its weight in gold.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/p...elid=EU2000IKN

[Vinny Kreyling]

Jake- Run 2 or 3 air stones in the tank, you will be surprised how much they help with water movement and getting the water oxygenated.

[DeepSeaBeauti]

How are you making out today. Ive lost one fish so far from the power outages. Well it jumped out when the power surged and i did not notice until this morning. Im one of the lucky ones to have a generator. My power is still out as of now.

[Mr.Kook]

yes a car battery would work. a deep cell would just last longer

[jscarlata]

I'm screwed. No power, no generators in any stores (no cash to buy one either) and tank temp is dropping, it's at 75 now. The inverter in my wife's Acadia is shot now, thanks to me...so I have the one off my 4runner but it's weak, I can either run 2 tunzes full blast or 1 small heater..
I have the heater going now and transferred about 8 gallons from the sump to the tank. Sitting in my wife's car charging my phone while my car idles away.
I'm going to go into work late tomorrow, see if I can find a battery and inverter to use. I'm so bummed. My 4 year old is going batshit, my wife us ready to kill my 8 year old, and she hates me cause I'm bummed about the corals in my tank. Thankfully I don't have fish pooping everywhere! Effing lipa can suckit, they blow. You can t even get a person on the phone no matter what. People all around me have power, heck the other SIDE of my street has power, not me!
This sucks!!!!!!!!!

[ssegal104]

run an extension cord from your neighbors across the street....I'm sure they would help if you tell them the need.

[James77]

I really would not worry about the temp at 75, most coraldo fine at 72-78. I'd connect one of the Tunzes to a 12v battery, even without the safety connector if you have to. Better to replace one pump than a bunch of coral.

Running a cord to one of your neighbors is a good idea as well if they are close enough. Throw them a twenty if you have to. I was on the lucky side around here, having my power back the same day. Many people I know are having to wait for a week if not more. Ugh.

[jscarlata]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice and encouragement, it helps. I'm just aggravated watching this thing go down, i started it only a few weeks ago after my 46 broke over July 4...and that being two weeks after having back surgery. So while I kept my coral and rock alive, it took the errrr part of 6 weeks to redo my basement shop, purchase the new gear and get it setup all because of my back and needing help every step...in the last two weeks of the hold my fish got sick an died one by one...so it's killing me to finay have a well setup tank that is healthy and stable only to go thru this. Lesson learned though...batteries, inverters generators are all on a short list now!