1 million with out power, snow/ice/rain mix. Good night to stay home. Be safe DRC members.
While you have power it would be a good idea to review your emergency plan. Not sure for yourself and your family, but for your tank to! With in a couple hours of no power the oxygen can get low enough in a tank to start to significantly stress your fish.
With all the fantastic gadgets out there you can spend a pretty penny to get battery back ups, but don’t think even the small solutions wont work. I bought a $20 battery air pump and split the line in 2, one on each side of the tank, for hurricane Irene. I went 20 hours no power and the air stones helped alot, not 1 single death.
Another cheap solution is to have a large water change ready when a storm comes, I’m talking 30-40%, and when power fails you can take a pitcher and churn the water to oxygenate it and then pull 5g’s at a time out and replace it every 2 hours by pouring it up high to aerate the water some more.
I got my generator and 2 real long HD extension cords just for the tank :
: and couple cords for the rest of the things I need to run. I’m ready
Ok, Tim. There was a coral scientists that said air pumps do nothing of oxygenation in a marine environment, but that’s ok you know better I’m sure.
Glad to hear your set set Bill. Don’t need any setbacks with as much time as you have invested in your tank. Great minds think alike.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:4, topic:4792”]
Ok, Tim. There was a coral scientists that said air pumps do nothing of oxygenation in a marine environment, but that’s ok you know better I’m sure.[/quote]
My tanks not dead after 20 hours of just bubbles in the tank. Results are results.
If all tanks were created equal that might be good enough, but they are far from it.
the prob is that power can go outwhen you are away from home w/out you knowing it.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:4, topic:4792”]
Ok, Tim. There was a coral scientists that said air pumps do nothing of oxygenation in a marine environment, but that’s ok you know better I’m sure.
Glad to hear your set set Bill. Don’t need any setbacks with as much time as you have invested in your tank. Great minds think alike. [/quote]
I’m not sure whether or not a battery driven air stone contributes directly to gas exchange but I know for a fact that it adds water circulation to the tank. I think you’ll agree that gas exchange from the surface would be better distributed in a tank with circulation than without. I think you’ll also agree that corals and fish require water movement to survive. Let the man have his airstones. ;D
Would love to see who said that. Its pretty easy to prove that adding an airstone aids in gas exchange and oxygenation with a simple PH test.
The simple fact that the air stones create turbulence at the water’s surface, which promotes gas exchange by it’s very nature, would prove the unmentioned expert incorrect. I’ve read that opinion before and didn’t agree with it then either.
While battery back-ups and generators would be ideal, and maintaining the same circulation as when you had power would be perfect, I think a battery powered air stone would provide enough movement and surface agitation to keep a tank alive for many many hours.
From what I have read it is not that they don’t work at all just that they are not very good at it.
you may find that just using an airline without a diffuser may provide more movement both in current and breaking the surface tension.
[quote=“moliken, post:7, topic:4792”]
the prob is that power can go outwhen you are away from home w/out you knowing it.[/quote]
Not the case if you have a net module or similar device.
Doesn’t the net module work off you’re wifi?
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:13, topic:4792”]
Doesn’t the net module work off you’re wifi?[/quote]
Yeah, here is a link to how some guys do it.
http://www.forum.digitalaquatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6544
Its creative and not a very expensive way of knowing whats going on when not home.
Another somewhat cheap option is to get a wireless IP addressable camera, I have this one http://foscam.us/products/foscam-fi8918w-wireless-ip-camera-11.html?gclid=CKOBwK6PkawCFeQ65QodLB11nQ
basically when I am not around I can check on my tank from my iphone or any computer, came in handy when we had the earthquake and I wanted to see if my tank fell over. Basically if the screen is blank I know I either dont have power or my cats managed to unplug it.
We can install a whole range of back up measures. Budget dependant. But the very basic batter backup air stone does oxygenate the water with the bubbles. and the bubble flow to the surface circulates tank water from the bottom near the oxygen sucking sand bed and rock, to the surface, where it can cast off its bad gasses and also absorb more oxygen. I mean we have used UG filters alone for a century to run a fresh water tank on air stone circulation, and reef tanks for that too, not too long ago.
So set your budget, and pick a backup plan that seems reasonable for you .
Hey, little battery air pump/air stones have been keeping bait minnies alive in the bucket for a long time.
Hook em if you got em!
Bubble rail coolers for bait are fantastic!
You reminded me of my first salt tank Ken… a 55 with an undergravel filter, two lift tubes with wooden air diffusers. Ran it like that for 6 months… Man, when i finally got two powerheads on there and hob biowheel filter i thought i was high tech :
:
[quote=“hondacbr600rr, post:12, topic:4792”]
[quote=“moliken, post:7, topic:4792”]
the prob is that power can go outwhen you are away from home w/out you knowing it.[/quote]
Not the case if you have a net module or similar device.[/quote]
[quote=“hondacbr600rr, post:14, topic:4792”]
[quote=“JustSumGuy, post:13, topic:4792”]
Doesn’t the net module work off you’re wifi?[/quote]
Yeah, here is a link to how some guys do it.
http://www.forum.digitalaquatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6544
Its creative and not a very expensive way of knowing whats going on when not home.
Another somewhat cheap option is to get a wireless IP addressable camera, I have this one http://foscam.us/products/foscam-fi8918w-wireless-ip-camera-11.html?gclid=CKOBwK6PkawCFeQ65QodLB11nQ
basically when I am not around I can check on my tank from my iphone or any computer, came in handy when we had the earthquake and I wanted to see if my tank fell over. Basically if the screen is blank I know I either dont have power or my cats managed to unplug it.[/quote]
So that net module is no help if the power goes out and you do not have a battery back up on you’re router. unless you get the can not connect to module error code then you know.
if you are set it up for internet access and have access to off site servers you could setup your own monitor with alerts you could also get an app for your phone that monitors and alerts, though they would just be checking the connection so all you will really know is that you lost the connection to the router but that would at least give you something and you could call your tank caretaker
[quote=“Chris_Barb, post:9, topic:4792”]
Would love to see who said that. Its pretty easy to prove that adding an airstone aids in gas exchange and oxygenation with a simple PH test.[/quote]
That was Dr. Eric Borneman, there used to be a video on reefvideos.com of his research.
Also this may help http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic102135-9-1.aspx