Are you ready for a Power Outage?

[untamed]

Originally Posted by Jason McK

Would this work?
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/tls/476745940.html

I think that it would work to drive your pumps only. If you needed to drive your heaters at all, it might be too much for that particular model.

[Jason McK]

Ya I guess your right. So what would you consider the lowest Wattage generator to run the bare minimum.

Hammerhead Pump return max watt. @ 400W ouch

J

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

If you are in an apartment, what I would do is this:

Get 2 300w battery backups from Canadian Tire. (use one, charge the other - usually power outages are localized so you should know someone with power still). Use these powerpacks for your Hydor Koralia/Tunze/Maxijet 1200 type powerheads.

If you have a bbq or better yet, a bbq with a side burner, use the side burner to heat water to heat up tank water or fw that you then pour into sealed containers to float in your tank.

Have a battery operated air pump & airstones for added circulation.

Throw thermal blankets over the tank to retain as much heat as possible.

PRAY hard! and keep a close eye on things.

Hope this helps.

I know it sounds like a lot but we have so much tied into our tanks that I think its worth the extra effort.

Anthony

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

If you are in an apartment, what I would do is this:

Get 2 300w battery backups from Canadian Tire. (use one, charge the other - usually power outages are localized so you should know someone with power still). Use these powerpacks for your Hydor Koralia/Tunze/Maxijet 1200 type powerheads.

If you have a bbq or better yet, a bbq with a side burner, use the side burner to heat water to heat up tank water or fw that you then pour into sealed containers to float in your tank.

Have a battery operated air pump & airstones for added circulation.

Throw thermal blankets over the tank to retain as much heat as possible.

PRAY hard! and keep a close eye on things.

Hope this helps.

I know it sounds like a lot but we have so much tied into our tanks that I think its worth the extra effort.

Anthony

Yeah these are really good ideas Anthony! I think I will head out this weekend to CT and get a few of those. Are they around $200 if I remember correct?

[mark]

Using a 800W PA generator.

More than enough to power my basement return pump for aeration/circulation (Iwaki drawing 262w and pushing 1000gph) and a heater. Have tested without problems.

The fish and corals will go without the MHs and will just have to pretend there's a storm and rely on light through the windows.

[MikeP]

I have the same gen as Mark. It's still in the box but at least it's in the garage. I can't remember the last time we lost power for more than a few minutes, but it was cheap and you never know.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

On special, my powerpack300 at CT was around $70+tax.

[cprowler]

Originally Posted by Jason McK

Ya I guess your right. So what would you consider the lowest Wattage generator to run the bare minimum.

Hammerhead Pump return max watt. @ 400W ouch

J

I talked to my electrician buddy. Motors usually draw 125% of the wattage to get them started and if a generators is rated for say 1000 watts, 80% should be usable. So I would say a 1000 watt would get you by with out any trouble, it would allow you a heater or something else possibly.

That problem I was taking about starting my pumps (in another thread) was because I was using them through my DJ power switches not because of lack of wattage. I knew I didn’t have any problem last year.

[mark]

Originally Posted by cprowler

I talked to my electrician buddy. Motors usually draw 125% of the wattage to get them started and if a generators is rated for say 1000 watts, 80% should be usable. So I would say a 1000 watt would get you by with out any trouble, it would allow you a heater or something else possibly.

And generators are normally spec'd with their continuous rating and there's a allowed peak load (not that I would run one though at it's maximum continuous rating).

[cprowler]

I got mine at Costco last summer on sale for $300. Tank of gas lasts 8hrs, I had half the house running off it.