# How to keep tank warm during power outage?



## ponyo (Aug 9, 2010)

Last evening out power went out. We do have a generator but it's difficult to set up and get going--in the future we're going to be smarter and set it up when we hear there is going to be a big storm but this time we didn't--and it was dark so we couldn't really do it. We were planning to get it going in the morning but thankfully the power came back. 

But it got me thinking, if you don't have a generator, what do you guys do for your fish tanks? Mine dropped 4 degrees in about 4 hours. It was a 74 and it got down to 70. 

I decided to take a chance and siphon out some of the tank water, heat it over the stove (thankfully mom has a big pot she uses to boil cans for canning in that has only even seen water, nothing else in it), then siphon out some more tank water into the pot to get a more neutral temp and then carefully add it back into the tank. 

This did bring the temperature back to about 73-74. And thankfully power came back on at 3:30am. But I'm not entirely sure this was really a very wise thing to do. My thinking was they're going to get too cold. If it's dropping 1 degree/hour then by morning, or at least when the sun starts to come up so we can put the generator on--which is like just about 7am this time of year, it's going to be at 62 degrees or there abouts. So I felt I had to try something.

But I am concerned that by adding the water back like that it was a relatively abrupt change in temperature back up to a little over 73 degrees from 70. This is all Fahrenheit by the way. 

Thankfully my fish seem to have survive the night and are doing pretty well today. Hopefully they'll be alright. But what is a better way to deal with this? Or do you all just have generators? 

In the future we'll definitely have a generator set up before hand but you never know when someone crashes into a telephone pole or something, we might lose power when we don't expect it etc.


----------



## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

this comes up year after year...
....all you can do is wrap it in blankets and periodically drain cold water and add warm water to the tank and pray for the best results


----------



## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Ive thought this myself. In fact i was without power for 3 hrs christmas night with No generator. My only FW tank is my 55g and i wasnt worried about it but my Saltwater Fluval Edge had me concerned. In those 3 hrs it dropped from 78 down to 72. Luckily the power came back on before it got worse. Fish and coral all seem fine. 

Ive wondered about battery back-ups and considered getting one just for the heater. 

http://www.upsforless.com/apcsu700netref.aspx

never used one so i dont know much about them. I just wonder how long they would last under a minimal load *400w backup running 50w heater = XX:XX???


----------



## MlDukes (Nov 24, 2009)

Heres a last resort fix (i almost considered doing this)

You could use a DC/AC converter and run an extension cord from your car to your house and plug in the heater. It would work.... til you run out of gas.


----------



## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

1. In an emergency, place 1 or more activated disposable hand warmers (the type you squeeze to start the chemical reaction that generates heat) inside a sealed clear freezer bag. Place the sealed freezer bag & dispoable hand warmer(s) in your aquarium and periodically monitor the water temperature -- especially for smaller aquariums. For larger/longer aquariums, you might need to use several bags with activated disposable heat warmers inside. If you have sensitive aquatic life (certain corals), keep the heat source farther away. This isn't an ideal solution by an strecth -- you have to be there to adminster it -- but it can be a workable one that helps prevent any serious damage/loss to an aquarium. 

2. Assuming the stove is not working because of the power outtage, use a gas-powered camping stove/grill to heat some water and replace the colder water from the aquarium with the heated (but not too hot) water. Some folks who entertain often might have a chafing table/fondue pot that uses fuel in a small canister. This setup can also be used to heat water. Remember not to heat the water too high -- otherwise, you'll have to let it cool down longer and that takes more time (or ice). 

3. Some of the emergency car starters also have a outlet that can be used to power devices for a period of time. However, I doubt these devices will power a filter/airstone and heater very long. 

4. There are battery backups for basement sump pumps. I would imagine one could be modified for an aquarium environment. The battery backup for the sump should already be fitted with a trickle charger so it is ready (fully charged) when needed and (depending upon model) will kick in automatically if there is a power outtage. Those are 2 things we would want for a backup power source for the aquarium. 

Anyone who needs to run more than a filter/airstone and heater during a power outtage should probably consider investing in a portable generator that automatically starts up when there is an outtage.


----------



## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Fill up lots of water bottles or coke bottles with warm water. Place them in the tank and watch the temp. Just take them out when it's too hot and add them when too cold. Not bad.


----------



## ponyo (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did think about wrapping the tank in Styrofoam but didn't have any. We did start a fire in that room but I don't know how much that really helped.


----------



## Sluggo (Nov 6, 2010)

My reef tank's stand is made so that the tank bottom is exposed to the inside of the stand and there is a shelf that sits about a foot from the bottom of the tank. Before I got a generator, when the power went out I would cover the tank with several layers of blankets, then light several candles on that shelf. Believe it or not, it kept the tank temperature in the low 70's. I didn't dare to go to sleep while I was doing this, though.


----------



## willknowitall (Oct 3, 2010)

my power went out for two days last year
had to go to my sons house who had power and i filled big ziplock bags 
with hot water and but them in a styro cooler
then placed a bag at a time in tank
saved all myfish and it was really cold


----------



## solargreenjake (Jan 21, 2016)

dwc13 said:


> 1. In an emergency, place 1 or more activated disposable hand warmers (the type you squeeze to start the chemical reaction that generates heat) inside a sealed clear freezer bag. Place the sealed freezer bag & dispoable hand warmer(s) in your aquarium and periodically monitor the water temperature -- especially for smaller aquariums. For larger/longer aquariums, you might need to use several bags with activated disposable heat warmers inside. If you have sensitive aquatic life (certain corals), keep the heat source farther away. This isn't an ideal solution by an strecth -- you have to be there to adminster it -- but it can be a workable one that helps prevent any serious damage/loss to an aquarium.
> 
> 2. Assuming the stove is not working because of the power outtage, use a gas-powered camping stove/grill to heat some water and replace the colder water from the aquarium with the heated (but not too hot) water. Some folks who entertain often might have a chafing table/fondue pot that uses fuel in a small canister. This setup can also be used to heat water. Remember not to heat the water too high -- otherwise, you'll have to let it cool down longer and that takes more time (or ice).
> 
> ...


The Amp hours needed to power an aquarium heater would drain any sump pump battery in minutes. Yes my degree is in reusable and solar energy / Energy management.


----------



## doggo (Jun 14, 2014)

Had a 33-hour power out last year; total electric house. Also I live in the county and roads were iced so no way to go get anything. Wrapped all the tanks in blankets (45g, 14g, 10g, 2-8.7g) and everybody survived but 1 Endler. The temps got down to the 50s in the tanks. All the rest of the fish (Plecos) did fine but they're pretty tough. I did run some battery-powered air pumps but they're pretty weak for a tall tank, the 45g.


----------



## AWolf (Jun 13, 2014)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> Fill up lots of water bottles or coke bottles with warm water. Place them in the tank and watch the temp. Just take them out when it's too hot and add them when too cold. Not bad.


I like this one the best!


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

The question to be asked is why dig up a 5 year old thread?


----------



## AWolf (Jun 13, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> The question to be asked is why dig up a 5 year old thread?


Certainly is relevant considering the storm that is about to hit the E. Coast. I've been thinking about losing power too. I have a gas fireplace that will work even if the power goes out. It gets that part of the house toasty.


----------



## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> The question to be asked is why dig up a 5 year old thread?


What else can you do with a degree in "reusable and solar energy / Energy management" except troll the internet looking for forums where you can prove your worth!? LOL....hope solargreenjake can take a joke!

Other than the tried and true methods mentioned here, I belive DIY Joey from YT had a vid a while back about using rock salt and/or perhaps desiccant? Put some in a water bottle, add water, cap it, shake vigorously and the byproduct is heat. So then float that bottle in the tank just as you would with the hot water bottle method.


----------



## heel4you (Mar 8, 2015)

I really like the idea of a revival of a 5 year old thread.
Saved me some time in searching for it!!!!!!!!
I am not too lazy to search, but this was a very welcomed revival for me!!!
Also, I liked solargreenjakes additional information confirming that he knows what he is talking about. I don't believe he was "tooting his horn" at all. I rather like getting information from educated people.
JMHO


----------



## smj (Jan 10, 2016)

It's true, any UPS you're likely to find in a store won't run every accessory on the tank for very long. The common 1,000 or 1,500VA shoebox-sized UPSes from APC and the like would only support a constant 250W load for about an hour. If you put your setup on a Kill-o-Watt or other meter, you can plug your actual load into a calculator like this one to see what would work for a given number of hours.

But during a power outage you don't need to keep everything running full-tilt. Turn off the lights. A 100W heater probably only runs one minute out of every five or ten under normal conditions, or with the tank wrapped. I think a Fluval 206 cannister filter is only rated to draw 14W or thereabouts. So by shutting down what you can, and getting a larger battery pack for that UPS, it might be a good solution to get you through a day or two.

If you've got a tank room you've got very different requirements. Any UPS there would only be to give you time to prep and fire up a generator, in which case it might only make sense for super delicate, or very complex setups.

I'd be tempted to ask the folks at your LFS what they do to get through power outages.


----------

