Kingumar January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Im just wondering if anyone has a backup or generator of some sort. Its snowing pretty bad and my power went out two times for a minute or so and that got me worried. Is there anything cheap out there to have as a backup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowsingle January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I think you can buy a back up battery from ecotech.....they are not cheap though and could only support a powerhead or two for a few hours....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingumar January 27, 2011 Author Share January 27, 2011 Yeah I have a vortech and was thinking about buying the backup. I was wondering if there is something else people use that's probably batter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Have an understanding and mechanically savvy wife!! I am currently at a friends house, with the power out at home in Purcellville. Wife shoveled a spot and started up the gen. I sat for 2 hours on rt 7 tonight without moving, before giving up and crashing with a friend in leesburg. Hopefully power will be on soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Alot of members use generators in case of a power outage. Not exactly cheap, but I use mine when we go camping at nascar races where the "campground"(field at most places) doesnt have any electric hook-ups. So for me i justified the cost of buying a nice generator. One of the most simple things to use, and cheap, is to get some battery operated air pumps. This will put some oxygen into the tank. As far as maintaining heat, you try to insulate the tank with blankets. if the temps get too low you can always place some containers with warm water to float in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Compared to the contents of most reef tanks a generator is a wise investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt LeBaron January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Battery backup for the Vortechs is only $160 too. Been considering it for a while and I think I might pick one up for my MP40 before next winter just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I have been without power since 7 pm last night. I bought a generator last year when this happened. Best investment I have made. My house is a balmy 55 degrees, but my tank is doing great. It would be a total loss by now if not for the generator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I hook my gas furnace fan into a run on my generator along with several other items in the house. Generator is a must and many 1000w units can be had for less than $200 and easily power a return pump. My 5500watt unit does so much, including infuriating my neighbor that a love so much. Seriously, a 1000watt generator is a fantastic investment for those not willing to spend for a big unit and are not too loud or large. Stabil is a must for all gas used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterDog January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I have a battery backup air pump that I can hook two airstones to for a really long time (150 hours I think the box said), which I used last night when our power went out. I also have a small power center that can power a powerhead for about 5 hours. What I do is I leave the powerhead on for about 20-30 minutes to get flow into the tank, then leave it off for an hour or so to conserve power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I am more worried about the lack of a heater during the power outages. My house is just under 60 degrees. if i didn't have a generator to power my 300 watt heater along with everything else, my tank would be really cold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankyf January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I knew I guy once who purchased a used forklift battery fairly cheap and put it in his garage. He had a solar cell on the roof to keep it charged and a 2000 or so watt inverter to power his esential items. I believe he said he could get 2-3 days out of it. Also, FWIW, I will be listing my generator in the for sale section shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I just got power back about an hour ago, was off for 10 hrs. No generator, tank 71.5 degrees, house 59 degrees. I wrapped the frag tank in blankets to keep it a little warmer last night, now I just keep my fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surf&turf January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Battery backup for a korilla Mag 5 and a wood stove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I bough a generator today. Walked into Home Depot at 6am when the doors opened. Expecting to pay about $500. They were stocking all the generators. There was one all by itself in the middle of the aisle with no price. I did not see any others that were the same model and asked why it was there.The guy said it will be the first to guy and I asked why. He said it is left over from last year and is a model they no longer carry. It was originally $499, marked down to $199. I asked the guy to get me a cart because I was afraid while I went to get one someone would grab it. He said he could not because the manager called all employees for a meeting.(I did hear that call) I ran and got a cart andit was still there. Must have been my lucky day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 List for power outages Wood in the fireplace. Blankets on the tanks Battery powered air pumps. GET THE GENERATOR FIXED! Managed to get by for about 10 hours this time, but I want my generator back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Lost power for about 8 hours last night... bought a generator about 1.5 hrs into it and it's made me a happier person during outages and more comfortable about losing power in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamReefs January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I bough a generator today. Walked into Home Depot at 6am when the doors opened. Expecting to pay about $500. They were stocking all the generators. There was one all by itself in the middle of the aisle with no price. I did not see any others that were the same model and asked why it was there.The guy said it will be the first to guy and I asked why. He said it is left over from last year and is a model they no longer carry. It was originally $499, marked down to $199. I asked the guy to get me a cart because I was afraid while I went to get one someone would grab it. He said he could not because the manager called all employees for a meeting.(I did hear that call) I ran and got a cart andit was still there. Must have been my lucky day. man you are so lucky. i saw generators aleast above 1000$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I keep a generator just in case we lose power. In the 13 years we've been in our house, we've only lost power a few times, normally for just a few minutes. The longest has been an hour. Doug's lucky - his wife knows how to set the generator up and to start it. If I'm not home to do that, I'm afraid that my wife would be lost having never done that. That's a hole in my plan that needs fixing. I do have my display on Vortechs with battery backup, but I have nothing for the heaters or the auxiliary tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 This storm was the first time I lost power for more then an hour. It was out for 14 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overklok January 28, 2011 Share January 28, 2011 I was without power for 18 hours, I have a 8600 watt generator. I ran all aquarium equipment plus tv, phone and internet. It is a hassle hooking up the extension cords and disconnecting aquarium equipment to plug into the generator. Everything ran without a hitch. I will be getting a whole house unit in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller January 28, 2011 Share January 28, 2011 I will be getting a whole house unit in the future. I've priced these things out before, two estimates. Well NOT worth it to me and IMHO, most people either. These are not cheap to run, let alone maintain them routinely as required. Look deep into them, well past the "cool to have" factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller January 28, 2011 Share January 28, 2011 I have a side run set up nest to my usual run just for these type of issues and can be up and running simple items in 10 minutes and few cords. Pull it outside, fire up generator and plug into generator 2 pre wired side runs. Extra cords for things we decide on the fly to have hooked in. I also have a single devise plug in for neighbors on either side of me if they have cordage to reach me. Helps keep peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankyf January 28, 2011 Share January 28, 2011 I had one for about a year and never installed it, ended up selling it. The gas company wanted about $700 to dig up the gas line at the street and install a high flow valve so it would function properly, and I believe some other work at the meter was required to change the pressure. There is definatly more to these than meets the eye and considering how often power really goes out around here, probably not worth it. I ended up with a 10 circuit transfer switch and a portable generator. Most portables can be converted to natural gas or propane for $200-$300 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore January 29, 2011 Share January 29, 2011 I have a side run set up nest to my usual run just for these type of issues and can be up and running simple items in 10 minutes and few cords. Pull it outside, fire up generator and plug into generator 2 pre wired side runs. Extra cords for things we decide on the fly to have hooked in. I also have a single devise plug in for neighbors on either side of me if they have cordage to reach me. Helps keep peace. This is my approach too. I have two, a 7500 and 9000 watt. A primary and a backup. I had one for about a year and never installed it, ended up selling it. The gas company wanted about $700 to dig up the gas line at the street and install a high flow valve so it would function properly, and I believe some other work at the meter was required to change the pressure. There is definatly more to these than meets the eye and considering how often power really goes out around here, probably not worth it. I ended up with a 10 circuit transfer switch and a portable generator. Most portables can be converted to natural gas or propane for $200-$300 as well. I keep telling myself this, and think as you and Chip do. But our neighborhood seems to always lose power. Amazingly, our row of houses are the only few with power in the entire neighborhood this time, the entire 200+ house area is out until Sunday night they say. My secondary gen is already lent out to a neighbor. So I keep thinking seriously about the whole house generator, mainly for the auto transfer switch- in case we're not home when it goes out. Even though by installing one I pretty much guarantee the power won't go out for 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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