New England Storm Cuts Power
As a New England early morning storm passed by Thursday. It left us without electricity for two hours.
During this time all I could think about is will my aquarium make it through this one? After checking my aquarium for the sixth time making sure my check valves and battery backup were working properly. I decided this will be a good opportunity to discuss the importance of being prepared for any extended power loss that can affect your own aquarium.
As a long time hobbyist and from working in the aquarium trade, I have seen and tried just about anything that is out there to help maintain my own tanks. Unfortunately most of my success in surviving a power loss comes from trial and error. If you own an aquarium that you have invested a lot of time and money in, then you probably want to protect that investment to help avoid losing all your hard work due to an unexpected power loss. What is worse than finding out after adding that expensive coral or fish that it didn’t make it due to something that was out of your control.
A simple battery backup can save you a lot of headaches in the future. If you have a small pump or any hang on the back filter, most home computer back up power supplies will work for a long time. For more advanced systems there are larger power inverters or outdoor generators that are used. Even if you have a small air pump, it is always a good idea to get a battery operated version just in case you need it. A battery backup works by plugging in the pump that you want to continue running into the backup power supply. When the electricity goes out the backup switches to battery mode and keeps your aquarium running. To get the most out of your battery system it is a good idea to only plug in your vital life support equipment. For most systems this will be your main pump or hang on the back filter.
If the power goes out in your house, are your aquarium inhabitants safe?