# Battery back-up or emergency generators for tanks?



## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I'm petrified I'm going to have a power loss that will endanger my fish. I have a battery-powered air stone for each, but that doesn't seem like enough. I'm looking at gas and diesel-powered generators and extension cords just to the tanks (who needs lights?). It seems somewhat complicated to me (I'm very unmechanical). I can't seem to find a battery back-up (not temporary battery) but something that would last a bit and be able to be recharged. Any thoughts out there in handling power outages?


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

Do you have power outages often ? If you're only without power for a short time the battery powered air stones should be fine. If you think you'd have days without power then you can either get a generator or maybe something that will use solar power.


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## Cali (Mar 21, 2007)

I've wondered about this myself. What about an Uninterable Power Supply for a computer? I use to be able to run my desktop P.C. for an hour or 2 with mine, and that took gobs more power than a few hob's or air pumps. I'd think they could run a couple pumps for a day or two (and it would be completely automatic). I've noticed my battery pumps don't pump nearly as much air as my regular ones.


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## loose_change_1999 (Nov 14, 2005)

I went and bought a generator after I my power was out for about 2 days. About a year ago I was doing some remodeling and some how I tripped the power strip for the tank and didn't realize it untill the next morning. By that time I lost half my fish. It made me realize though the generator is only good if you know the power is out. Their to many times I am away from the house for 14-16 hours and if the power were to go out while I am not home the same thing could happen again. So as soon as I figure out what size battery back up I would want I am going to get one of those as well. So I guess what I am saying is it is good to have both. A battery back up and a generator is still alot cheaper then it would be to replace everything.


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

I've had ups-es on my tanks. However all batteries are dead by now. They unfortunately don't last forever. Replacing the batteries was rater expensive so I did not do that. Recently we had an apache helicopter fly into our power grid which caused a two day blackout in a ceratin area... A ups would not cover that anyway. I am going to buy a generator. Can get a 2KV on for 200 euro...


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## vfc (Feb 13, 2007)

Just buy a car AC adapter and an extension cord. Last year we lost power for 8 hours. I used the AC adapter I bought to power my son's laptop during long trips. I plugged the adapter in the cigarette lighter and ran a 100ft extension cord to the basement. I kept one HOB running in four tanks. Every few hours I would start the car to change the battery. Didn't lose a single fish.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

VFC -- very interesting option. I'll look into that. One end goes into the cigarette lighter and the other end has a three prong plug for an extension cord?


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## Aura (Oct 29, 2005)

Last year we had a two day power outage in the middle of December. I was totally unprepared, but even with water temperatures in the mid 50s and no filtering, I only lost two fish (fry) out of 11 tanks. I know I was really lucky to have so few losses.

This year I am better prepared. We went out and bought a generator and recently had an electrician come out to do some work with the wiring. Now when the power goes off, which happens a lot around here, all I have to do is go out to the breaker box and turn the main power off, then turn on a switch that will power certain selected circuits, including the ones that my tanks run on. He installed a special outlet to the outside of the house where the generator will plug right in, so there will be no need to run extension cords all over the house. :thumb:


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

If you're going to go the car adapter way you might be better off getting one that connects to your battery. I THINK you can usually get them to power more things than the ones that only plug into the cigarette outlet.

Here's an example. I'm not sure how much you'd want to spend or how much power you need for your tanks but this was the highest watt power inverter Home Depot had on their site.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... =100387890


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## nick a (Apr 9, 2004)

That's about the best method possible Aura. :thumb:

Until I get 'round to it..... :roll: ....I picked-up one of these

http://www.theinverterstore.com/the-inverter-store-product.php?model=pwrinv800w-top-rgb

And one of these:
http://www.derbycycles.com/cgi-bin/eShop/index.cgi?pid=2601

and a spare battery for my truck. The battery tender keeps the spare battery fully charged at all times. When the power goes out I plug my air pump into the inverter. If the outage was to last for a long time, I'd be able to switch batteries from truck to fishroom and recharge the fishroom battery by running the truck.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Here's an option that's not cheap, but is still an option and may be cheaper than replacing fish. Runs on your natural gas supply and kicks in automatically if the power goes out. Depending on size, they'll handle 8 - 16 circuits, so added benefit of powering much of your house at the same time it's saving your fish.


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## vfc (Feb 13, 2007)

Hollyfish2000,
Here is what I use. $64.99 at Best Buys. It has one standard AC plug in the end.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... ductdetail


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Thank you! These are great suggestions. I'm going to look at the gizmo that attaches directly to the battery. More expensive, but it should easily run three tank heaters and filters that way. I'll need a loooooong extension cord, though . . .

Is there anything that hooks directly to some sort of rechargeable battery that I can have in the house?


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

I'm not sure how long a heavy duty truck battery would last running the tanks if it wasn't actually hooked up to a vehicle to recharge it. It would be expensive but you could buy a few batteries and just set them up in the house until the run out then recharge them. I'm not sure if that's a good idea though, but it is an idea.


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

lead acid batteries that are found in cars or in a UPS generally are best for intermittent usage where the charge never drops below something like 75%. If you're completely draining the battery then recharging it and draining it again you'll end up with a battery that won't hold a charge pretty quickly. If you're going to run an inverter off of your car battery that's fine, but there's a good chance you'll need to buy a new battery afterward. It's your call, a battery is cheaper than a generator, but you can take a generator camping, or use it where an extension cord won't reach in the back yard, or run other appliances like your refridgerator when the power goes out. I don't live in a part of the country where a prolonged power outage is very common so I don't stress out about it too much. I have a UPS that I switched from the computer to aquarium when the power went out a few weeks ago, about the time I got everything connected the power came back on. If I was concerned about power outages I'd save the money for a generator instead of trying to save a dollar here or there and end up having to spend on a new car battery, pay for gas to run the car engine in the driveway to charge the battery (a generator needs gas but will use much less,) replace the food in the fridge along with whatever other losses I may suffer. An approprately sized generator will let you heat water, cook meals, and do many of the other day to day things you'd normally do, a battery and an inverter will do all that but only for a very short amount of time.


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

Luckily I live on the same power grid as a major hospital (a minute from the hospital, on the same street) so I never worry about a power outage.


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## CHBGator (Oct 5, 2006)

Try this, Someone else posted asking the same question but I cant seem to find the thread. 
1) Inverter/charger
http://www.topsalesdepot.com/1000.html
2) Dry Cell Deep Cycle Battery
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/opt ... ations.asp

The 2nd link also shows you how to determine the size battery you'll need. It's really very simple. The inverter/charger is plugged into your AC wall outlet and your filter heater are plugged into the inverter/charger. The Battery is also hooked up to your inverter/charger But while the power is on the filter and heater run off the AC power then when power goes out it switches to the Battery. When the power Comes back on your Filter and heater switch back over to AC power and the I/C charges the Battery or Batteries back up for the next power outage. Here is the important part tho. The battery has to be a *Dry Cell* battery. Normal lead acid car batteries gas off hydrogen sulfide which you don't want inside your home. Its a little pricey but If you have a lot invested in your fish then its also a good investment.


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## ercnan (Aug 13, 2006)

5 gallons of gas and a 1000w portable Honda runs the entire tank (including lights, and heat), the 'fridge, and a table lamp for approx. 24 hrs. 5g's of gas a day.
Add gas ~every four hours and have no dead fish or spoiled food as long as the gas station has power. I not drive 'till you find one that does.
Inverters work, (still use gas to keep the car batt. charged, and the car may need gas = no power to the tank while refilling the car).
UPS's sort of work in a minimal "survival mode", but go dead like the car battery if not re-charged), and, to me, these are PITA's.
Dollar for dollar in the long run, and maybe in the initial setup cost as well, a generator is the most cost effective, easiest to use/maintain, option available for running an aquarium, and other things, in the event of a prolonged outage.
Though I've not checked prices, I'd venture to say a UPS or inverter large enough to run the entire tank (everything included) for 4 hours is gonna cost a **** of lot more than a three dollar gallon of gas and the price of a 1000W generator.
The generator never needs new batteries, only maybe a cheap spark plug and quart of oil every year. Plug in the 'fridge, or a lamp to either a UPS or inverter, and listen for for dreaded "over current" alarm.
Unless you want to surf with the computer while the tank slowly dies, and the food slowly spoils, buy a generator, It's more than worth it. Been the other routes, won't go back.


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

I was just doing some research and found that supposedly Marine batteries last longer (Boat batteries).


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## ercnan (Aug 13, 2006)

Yellow-Cichlid said:


> I was just doing some research and found that supposedly Marine batteries last longer (Boat batteries).


They might, depending on the amp/hour rating, but they still discharge during use and need recharging by some means.
Living a block from a hospital means really nothing either, as they most always have huge diesel back-up generators to run essential epuip. for days on end 24/7, as well as a predfined re-fuel schedule.


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

Yes, I know they have generators but they still try to get this grid running first because of the hospital.


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## hekeim (Dec 6, 2006)

I simply use a car battery with power inverter like many of the others. When it comes down to power outages, I look at it like camping for the fish. They're going to have to rough it a little bit. I don't worry about plugging the heaters in as those use the most power from the battery. I simply wrap my tank in a couple of blankets. I'll also only run my one main filter, and bring the outlet of it to the top in order to splash the water for oxygen. Simply running one canister filter doesn't use much power from a car battery. I ran one for a day and a half last winter without interruption. The temperature of the 90 gallon tank only dropped from 80 degrees to around 67 or 68 while the temperature of the house dropped to about 50. The way I looked at it the fish were warmer than I was. I only lost one fish in this tank, and he was already pretty stressed out from other conditions before the power went out.


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## Yellow-Cichlid (Dec 15, 2007)

How long doe the car battery last you when using the inverter ? I assume you recharge it with a trickle charger or something once the power comes back on ?


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

The generator idea seems problematic for me personally, as I do more research. It's not just storing the thing and storing the gasoline, but apparently you have to fire it up once a month to ensure that when you need it, it will work. They are also bulky and heavy, noisy and not always easy to start up. I'm a woman and not very mechanical and that seems far more trouble than I can easily cope with. Plus, I couldn't care less about the fridge -- I'll just throw the food out. I just want enough power to keep the tanks functional.

I'm looking at the car battery inverter and the battery thingees that can both jump your car and run appliances and can be recharged through the car's lighter. The Duracell DP-600HD is one of the latter and it provides something like 450 continuous watts and doesn't need long extension cords snaking from my car into the second and third floors. I could get three -- one for each tank -- and recharge them periodically. I'm unclear how long they would last, though, but I could probably stretch the charge by running them only intermittently. It seems like the easiest solution to me at this point in my research . . .


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

You don't have to run them each month. Bulky ? 50cm*40cm*40cm for a 2KV generator. Noisy ? 60db. And they are available with electric starters.

With an inverter you're going to need to run your cars engine to keep juice in the battery. The jumpstart boxes only last for about an hour.

Whatever you choose, make sure you know how long it lasts and what you have to do to get it powered up again.


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## lestatak (Feb 3, 2007)

I just got a large 300 gallon saltwater setup and looking for a generator in case the power goes down. It seems you can buy a 2000 watt generator for under $200.00

That seems reasonable especially when some saltwater fish cost $100-200.

Sportsman 2000 Watt Sportsman Portable Generator is $177.
I think this one would run all three of my tanks and my refrigerator.


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## Awugod (Mar 10, 2006)

This is what I want to do. If done with two batteries you'll never run out of power for your tanks (so long as you can start your car).

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/doity ... mpower.htm


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## nick a (Apr 9, 2004)

A very simple additional control feature can be added to the battery/inverter arrangement:
use a DPDT relay to control the source of power (even when you're not home). Normal position is 110 from house. When power goes out, the relay automatically switches to the inverter 110.


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## JessiLou (May 31, 2008)

I live in an area where we lose power often. I now have a generator that is big enough to run everything in my house. I even have all the stuff needed so that it will come on when power goes off. Now I just need someone who knows how to do it lol. Until that day comes or if it ever comes, I just use a lot of extention cords and power strips. It is on wheels, so it is easy to roll out of the garage and it has an electric start. After spending 23 days with no power in the middle of the winter (upstate, NY) most people I know own the same setup.


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## Doane (Jun 19, 2007)

Please don't get me wrong, I think all of these are great ideas, but lets assume your power is out for 24 hours and you are actually home. Wouldn't a battery powered air stone and frequent water changes be more than enough to preserve the tank. I mean with enough batteries wouldn't I be able to go days? I mean I get that gas powered backup and stuff like that are convenient but I live in MD like the original poster and I loose power for a few hours once a year. I mean, in that even a water change every 4 hours and a battery powered air stone would be plenty right?


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## lestatak (Feb 3, 2007)

When dealing with a large 300 gallon saltwater tank, water changes are expensive. This wouldn't apply to freshwater. Plus the generator would be used for more than just the fish. Small appliances, refrigerator...etc.


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## AnthonyB (Jul 6, 2008)

Or in some cases water changes means pumping water if you live out in the country a bit.. Power out means water out for us.. This is something I have been thinking a lot about since we started planning a new house and large tank.. Still not sure what our solution is, deep cylce batteries do work well even with heavy draw down as we use them for other purposes out here.. Generator is probably our best bet or putting in a solar system with batteries in a sequence..


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

We had a 12K whole house generator permanently installed a few years ago. We also have well water & when the power goes out, we can now still have water as well as heat in the winter. It wasn't cheap but it is well worth the expense, both for the fish & our own comfort. I don't regret the decision at all. The automatic transfer switch guarantees that even if we aren't home or are sleeping, the generator comes on after a two minute power loss.

The longest outage we have had so far is 5 hours and of course this was during the winter months.


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