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Does anyone have any reccomendations for a battery backup for an aquarium when the power goes out?

I was looking on the net, but it just got confusing. Most I found were like air pumps to keep an airstone going for oxygen in the tank. Even though that's nice, I was wanting something to keep the heater going after a power outage. Something to keep both the heater & filter going would be a perfect solution though.

I found a nice cabinet looking thing that would keep many things going but it was so expensive that it didn't even give the price! I need something NOT expensive, that would run for a day or two. Is there such a thing? Probably not, but any & all suggestions would be appreciated.

After recently being without power for the last week & loosing most of my fish, I don't want to get anymore till I can get something to help protect them in case it ever happens again. With all the knowledgeable people on this site, I thought somebody might be able to point me in the right direction. Many thanks in advance, as this is something I consider to be a necessity now.

A battery backup that runs all your equipment is expensive. Mine were around $50 each and only run the heaters and filters on a 55g for around 3-5hours. I suppose you could get one just to plug a heater into and then have some battery operated air pumps. You can also buy extra batteries, charge them seperately, and plug them into the system when the first runs out. Extra batteries of that type usually cost nearly as much as the sytem itself though. My mom does have one that can keep all the computers in her office running for 24hours but I don't know what she paid for it. Try searching UPS systems on office supply sites like quill.com and see if there's anything that will work and fit your budget. Mine are APC brand.

My question would be "How much are you willing to spend?"

Take into consideration, what it would cost to replace all of your fish and in many cases your plants if you were to lose them all to another outage. Also the time to again set up and cycle your tanks, etc..

Many times these costs would be greater than spending the money for a backup system, such as a small generator, or a battery system of sufficient size to last several days. It wouldn't take a very large generator to run a few pumps, filters and heaters and you might be surprised at how inexpensive a small one can be.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Thanks sham. You're right, they are expensive, & only run for a matter of hours.

Thanks OldTimer, but I looked at a lot on the net in the way of batteries & generators & what I would want cost too much, for us. Hubby said something about an inverter & a car battery. There are instructions on the net about making your own battery backup. I think that's the route we'll take.

I sure would love to have one of those that cost a couple thousand. They will keep your whole house going. That way we could stay at home with all the animals, instead of deserting them in freezing weather. There's nothing like reality hitting you, to make you realize just how vulnerable you are & that you could at least save your fish tank if you are prepared. I think most of us have to learn things the hard way though.

as said, best would be to get one of the gas powered generators that would have enough power to run all the fish equipment and also needed items within the house. and some of these are not that expensive... depending on where you live. just check around online

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Like monkeyboy said I brought a 2000 watt gen for around $100.00 at a tool show it will run 8 hours at full load.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v91/bruce187/fish/trops/

and of course most will run for as long as you keep fuel in them

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Well now, that $100 one sounds like a good deal.

Hubby has a dry cell battery out in the shop. I think he still plans on that.

I read that after a disaster a lot of people want to sell their generators they had bought. I will keep a look out around here for one of those. It would be nice to have something that would run a heater in the winter, to try & keep one room half way warm.

If we ever get a place of our own, I would like to have a pot bellied stove! Some people here still have them. They will keep you from freezing & you can also cook on them.

We have a propane camping stove that we dug out the next morning without heat & it was so nice to have a cup of hot coffee from that & then later to cook oatmeal on it. If we keep at it we may be able to survive the next blackout without leaving home.

Hi,
Please be careful of having open fires in a home.
Usually disasters cause us to close up the house
to conserve heat. That can be deadly. Only use
open fires like a propane camp stove with the
windows open. Fireplaces and potbellied stoves are
great because they are properly vented outside.

We have a soapstone, wood burning, stove up at the house.
Toss some wood in it and 24 hours later, you still can't
comfortably put your hand on it, it is still giving off
heat.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks Frank. Your warning is very real. A couple of people have died here already cause of running a couple of open flame heaters during the blackout. I think you call it carbon monoxide poisioning?

We didn't run our propane stove for heat. It was too cold for it to do any good anyway.
I wasn't surprised to hear you have a wood burning stove! Being up there in all that cold & snow I figured you would be smart enough to have an alternate source of heat like that.

When I first moved here & stayed with relatives they were temporarily without any power at all. No heat, no water & freezing weather. I remember walking to to nearby stream & lugging back containers of water to put on the potbellied stove to boil & drink & take a "bath?" with. Cooking on it was quite an experience too! But it did save us, so I have a soft spot for pot bellied stoves now.

Hi Patty,

Yes, our location is rather unique. Our home is at 10,000
feet inside the Colorado Rockies. There are only two
power feeds into the county and we are surrounded by forest
meaning that fallen limbs cause frequent outages.
Generally they are short duration but "pesky."

Our biggest problem is with the miles and miles of power
lines and the lightning storms. Each lighting strike
or nearby strike can induce large voltage spikes
that travel through the lines and can wipe out
unprotected electronic equipment, even the control
board for the furnace ( I had to repair mine.)

Within the next couple of years, along with the other work
we are doing, we will be installing a propane fired "No
Break" power generator, just in case.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

even still,it mite be a pesky little problem,but irekon thats a small price to pay to be able to live 10000feet into the rockies,that would be sweet,COLD,but very sweet indeed,just out of curiosity,how far is your LFS frank.for some reason after reading the posts above about the poles falling down and whatnot,i have this picture in in my head of a cabin rite smack bang in the middle of mountains and heaps of trees,weird a?

You're right on the ball aren't you Frank! I bet your wife feels safe with you around. Stranded like you are, you need that extra protection.

I read up on soapstone, to see what it was. Nothing but the best for you guys, huh!?

HOKESE- He only goes up there on the week-ends, weather permitting. He lives & works somewhere else. I imagine the LFS is in the town he really lives & works in.