Well, we are just getting through a big snow and ice storm and the power stayed on!!! How nice!
We are anticipating some more bad weather, and really, this is not the point. EVERYONE goes through bad weather from time to time and has to deal with the power being off, sometimes for a day or two (or even longer !!!)
I know you folks out there have thought, and worried about what to do in such situations. As I become more invested (mostly emotionally, but also some $$$ on these fish and tanks), I wonder how everyone ELSE thinks about dealing with these issues. I would just love a genvac, but no, I did not win the lottery, or even buy a ticket.
IS anyone willing to share their plans or ideas on how to get your fish through such a potential disaster? MY sister insists that I buy a generator.
I would love to here other people's thoughts!
power outage plans....does anyone have one???
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Jim Powers
- Posts: 5208
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
We have a generator -- and had to use it last weekend (again -- power here in the boonies goes out a lot) We have the circuits the tanks are on wired for the generator, along with our pump (well water) fridge and a few lights.
Mr. Cloudhands just got a power alarm to alert us when the power goes out if we are sleeping, but we haven't found one with a time-delay, so it will wake us everytime the power just flickers
Oh well
And have a few battery operated air pumps, in case. The UPS battery is too old to run the tanks, according to Mr Cloudhands, but perhaps we should fix that.
The problem with the generator is it is loud.
There is another thread from a month or so ago I started about power outages -- I was having trouble getting the generator going, and was wondering how lng the filters would last without. Consensus was to at least open them up, and if the power was out for a while put the media in a shallow container with water and "fishless cycle" it to keep it going, while using airstones, waterchanges, chemicals or whatever to keep the fish ok. We heat the water for waterchanges on the woodstove in the winter, anyway, so that isn't a problem (actually the stove is gas, too)
Mr. Cloudhands just got a power alarm to alert us when the power goes out if we are sleeping, but we haven't found one with a time-delay, so it will wake us everytime the power just flickers
Oh wellAnd have a few battery operated air pumps, in case. The UPS battery is too old to run the tanks, according to Mr Cloudhands, but perhaps we should fix that.
The problem with the generator is it is loud.
There is another thread from a month or so ago I started about power outages -- I was having trouble getting the generator going, and was wondering how lng the filters would last without. Consensus was to at least open them up, and if the power was out for a while put the media in a shallow container with water and "fishless cycle" it to keep it going, while using airstones, waterchanges, chemicals or whatever to keep the fish ok. We heat the water for waterchanges on the woodstove in the winter, anyway, so that isn't a problem (actually the stove is gas, too)
For power outages I do have a generator, but I found out that's not failsafe either if I'm snowed in.
Recently I had 10" of insulation sprayed in my attic to keep the house warmer. Also had insulation put on the walls in my crawl space. The house stays so much warmer now. I also tape some panels of foam insulation all around the aquariums.
To get surface agitation in the aquarium, I built a water change / misting system that's connected to the houses plumbing. I can also drip in warm/hot water into the tanks to keep them warm.
I suppose hot water bottles could also be used to help keep the water warm. It's also possible to build an aquarium heating system that works directly with the homes gas hot water heater. Johnaton TheFishGuy heats his 1,200 gallon main tank that way, but I'm not sure if he needs electricity to run it. I'll need to ask him someday.
When the power is off, I'll also need to do some rescue work on my filters. I'll empty all the canisters of dirty water, then rinse the sponges with clean dechlorinated water, and keep them moist until the power is back on.
Recently I had 10" of insulation sprayed in my attic to keep the house warmer. Also had insulation put on the walls in my crawl space. The house stays so much warmer now. I also tape some panels of foam insulation all around the aquariums.
To get surface agitation in the aquarium, I built a water change / misting system that's connected to the houses plumbing. I can also drip in warm/hot water into the tanks to keep them warm.
I suppose hot water bottles could also be used to help keep the water warm. It's also possible to build an aquarium heating system that works directly with the homes gas hot water heater. Johnaton TheFishGuy heats his 1,200 gallon main tank that way, but I'm not sure if he needs electricity to run it. I'll need to ask him someday.
When the power is off, I'll also need to do some rescue work on my filters. I'll empty all the canisters of dirty water, then rinse the sponges with clean dechlorinated water, and keep them moist until the power is back on.
Another advantage of keeping your fishtank at a major metropolitan hospital: if the power goes out, emergency generators kick in, even if you're not there.
At home we do have a generator, but only because I got it when I lived out in the boonies, and kept it when I moved to civilization.
At home we do have a generator, but only because I got it when I lived out in the boonies, and kept it when I moved to civilization.
Carpe Didelphis!
In store they new york asian escorts were giving out the incorrect rebate form
($10 off, not $25 like Macy's website said). Macy's website was not
working to print out the $25 rebate form yesterday, and no new york asian escort
one with the 1-800 customer service line will help.
Does new york escorts ANYONE have the $25 Pandigital rebate form from Macys that
they can send me? It was for this past weekend's sales
new york escort
($10 off, not $25 like Macy's website said). Macy's website was not
working to print out the $25 rebate form yesterday, and no new york asian escort
one with the 1-800 customer service line will help.
Does new york escorts ANYONE have the $25 Pandigital rebate form from Macys that
they can send me? It was for this past weekend's sales
new york escort
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cloudhands
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:15 am
- Location: Vermont
- Contact:
Last week we were gone, visiting family halfway across the country, when our state got hammered with snow and high wind. We had casually discussed the fish and generator with our across the street neighbors before we left, but of course the power usually doesn't go out.
We had been following the forecast and conditions, and knew there were high winds and snowy branches back home. I had been calling the answering machine to see if it picked up. I stayed up until midnight the windy night, calling home just before I went to bed. The answering machine didn't pick up. It was 2am at home, too late to call the neighbors. I jangled in bed knowing the temperature in the house and tank were dropping fast, fliters were off.
When my cell rang at 5 am, I knew it was the neighbors back home. Kate's phone was off, and they did some funny early morning detective work to find my cell number. We got them set up with the generator.
Unfortunately at that hour I forgot to tell them that one outlet that the heater for the 40G tank uses is not connected to the generator.
They called me a few hours later. That tank has an alarm on it (luckily that was the tank that had the alarm), and they noticed it was still going off. The temperature was still dropping. I told them which plug was the heater, and they found an extension cord for it. I asked how cold that tank was -- 61 degrees. That tank was the almost-ready (observe but probably don't need to medicate) batch of new fish. 8 Cardinals, a couple of Batik loaches, a couple of those brown khulis (Doria? Angularis?). We did lose a single congo tetra from that tank, and the little clown kili that had survived the Q tank also didn't make it through. Amazingly, the cardinals were just fine.
In the 20 G tank, the khuli tank, everyone seems to be a bit more prone to hiding. I think this tank probably got even colder than 61, with less water volume. I think the cherry red shrimp is missing. The rummy nose tetras in there seem much more skittish. Khulis hiding under their shelf a lot (they had been the most gregarious and frisky kuhlies I've ever seen). I think everyone there is basically fine.
In the 120G everyone is perfectly fine. It's good to have so much water volume. Also, I was glad that I put styrofoam under the tank and (spraypainted black) around the back and one side. I'm sure that helped.
I did ammonia tests on all the tanks, and it seems the canister filter bacteria have survived a cold night of no power. I would not have guessed it could have turned out this well. I'll keep testing, but it's already been a handful of days.
The power was out a total of 22 hours, but 16 or 17 of that had the benefit of the generator. The neighbors, who we owe big time, went through $27 worth of gas in the generator, not counting the few gallons in the can when we left.
A few more gray hairs, pretty much the same number of fish, still keeping on.
We had been following the forecast and conditions, and knew there were high winds and snowy branches back home. I had been calling the answering machine to see if it picked up. I stayed up until midnight the windy night, calling home just before I went to bed. The answering machine didn't pick up. It was 2am at home, too late to call the neighbors. I jangled in bed knowing the temperature in the house and tank were dropping fast, fliters were off.
When my cell rang at 5 am, I knew it was the neighbors back home. Kate's phone was off, and they did some funny early morning detective work to find my cell number. We got them set up with the generator.
Unfortunately at that hour I forgot to tell them that one outlet that the heater for the 40G tank uses is not connected to the generator.
They called me a few hours later. That tank has an alarm on it (luckily that was the tank that had the alarm), and they noticed it was still going off. The temperature was still dropping. I told them which plug was the heater, and they found an extension cord for it. I asked how cold that tank was -- 61 degrees. That tank was the almost-ready (observe but probably don't need to medicate) batch of new fish. 8 Cardinals, a couple of Batik loaches, a couple of those brown khulis (Doria? Angularis?). We did lose a single congo tetra from that tank, and the little clown kili that had survived the Q tank also didn't make it through. Amazingly, the cardinals were just fine.
In the 20 G tank, the khuli tank, everyone seems to be a bit more prone to hiding. I think this tank probably got even colder than 61, with less water volume. I think the cherry red shrimp is missing. The rummy nose tetras in there seem much more skittish. Khulis hiding under their shelf a lot (they had been the most gregarious and frisky kuhlies I've ever seen). I think everyone there is basically fine.
In the 120G everyone is perfectly fine. It's good to have so much water volume. Also, I was glad that I put styrofoam under the tank and (spraypainted black) around the back and one side. I'm sure that helped.
I did ammonia tests on all the tanks, and it seems the canister filter bacteria have survived a cold night of no power. I would not have guessed it could have turned out this well. I'll keep testing, but it's already been a handful of days.
The power was out a total of 22 hours, but 16 or 17 of that had the benefit of the generator. The neighbors, who we owe big time, went through $27 worth of gas in the generator, not counting the few gallons in the can when we left.
A few more gray hairs, pretty much the same number of fish, still keeping on.
wow! you have some WONDERFUL neighbors!
most of mine just think I am the crazy lady with all the fish tanks (geez, I only have three....the Qtank does NOT count).
Yes, your story has me convinced I need to get a generator.
VERY glad you only lost a few fish, and ones you were not too attached to yet.
Alas, the Spring storm season is just around the corner!
Currently I am looking at MORE SNOW falling outside, so a little more time!!
most of mine just think I am the crazy lady with all the fish tanks (geez, I only have three....the Qtank does NOT count).
Yes, your story has me convinced I need to get a generator.
VERY glad you only lost a few fish, and ones you were not too attached to yet.
Alas, the Spring storm season is just around the corner!
Currently I am looking at MORE SNOW falling outside, so a little more time!!
glenna
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cloudhands
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:15 am
- Location: Vermont
- Contact:
Yes, we're really lucky. It's a good neighborhood.
The humorous part of their detective work I wasn't going to post, but I will.
They had Kate's cell phone number, but it was off. To try to find mine, they tried to track my daughter down. They knew my daughter was with her mom this week. This is before 6 am.
They knew she is a friend with a girl down the road, so they called there and got my daughter's phone number at her mom's (not good cell service at mom's house).
My neighbor said, "We called there and grumpy stepdad answered."
He said, "It's 6:56 in the morning!"
At that point my neighbor said to him, "We have to save the fish!"
The humorous part of their detective work I wasn't going to post, but I will.
They had Kate's cell phone number, but it was off. To try to find mine, they tried to track my daughter down. They knew my daughter was with her mom this week. This is before 6 am.
They knew she is a friend with a girl down the road, so they called there and got my daughter's phone number at her mom's (not good cell service at mom's house).
My neighbor said, "We called there and grumpy stepdad answered."
He said, "It's 6:56 in the morning!"
At that point my neighbor said to him, "We have to save the fish!"
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IlOutfitter
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 2:14 pm
- Location: 60118
yeah, that's what I'm talking about: people willing to deal with ole grumpy because YOU care about your fish!
That is just great!!!!
PLUS I need a yamaha gas sipper, to be sure!!!
Last night we got 6 inches of snow and about half of town was without power for several hours (some still are).
I need to get it together and get something set up soon!!! hopefully this weekend.
That is just great!!!!
PLUS I need a yamaha gas sipper, to be sure!!!
Last night we got 6 inches of snow and about half of town was without power for several hours (some still are).
I need to get it together and get something set up soon!!! hopefully this weekend.
glenna
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