Is it irresponsible to not have a backup in case of loss of power?

[jimsflies]

I've been reading threads about lost systems from the recent power outages out east and various storms that have knocked out power for portions of the country. Several of the threads, the posters had large systems or several systems running. One had admitted to losing over $10k in livestock in their thread.

First let me say that my heart goes out to you if you are in one of these situations. I feel terrible for your loss and the suffering of your livestock.

But after thinking more about this, I have to ask...is it irresponsible to not have fail safes in place to automatically (even if you are on vacation) provide the necessary life support for your reef?

[MizTanks]

I personally would like to here what these *fail safe* plans are. I have only battery powered air pumps on hand. Definitely cannot afford a generator, nor do I have other reefers around me to help in case of a long term power outage. Does this make me *irresponsible?

[CalmSeasQuest]

I'm not sure I would use the term irresponsible, but as we typically lose power several times annually, I couldn't image not having a backup plan. I use a layered approach,

A large computer UPS maintains the return pump, heater Apex, router and cable modem for about 2 hours. (Apex alerts my via text and email of outage.)
A Vortech battery backup maintains flow (2XMP40s)

If the outage lasts longer than an hour, I have a 7KW gasoline generator that is wired directly into the house.

[SnowflakeCoral]

I got a quote a while ago for a generator that would automatically turn on if power fails, and could continue to power my systems in full indefinitely (hooks up to the gas line). This system would cost me roughly $10k.
While its still something I want - I'm going to have to move alot of coral.
I think that calling it irresponsible to not have this type of system is over the top.
Most people, even if they're not home when power goes out, like I was not, your can still be responsible.
I lost Power for about 14 hours, and all I did was use turkey basters to "inject" oxygen into the water, and I had no visible adverse affects to any live stock.

You need to understand that if power goes out, youre ganna have to post up at home and take care of the systems, but it can be done IMO.
Others agree?

[jimsflies]

To me, it's somewhat dependent on the amount of other funds you have invested in your reef, particularly in livestock. I would say that having over $10k invested in livestock and not having a very strong emergency action plan and some automated equipment installed is bordering on irresponsible.

A whole house generator is very expensive and obviously the among the best solutions...but there are many other contingencies that can be used which are a lot less expensive. Here is an article I wrote a couple years ago on this subject: http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/feature-articles/backup-your-reef-8942/

[MizTanks]

Great article Jim, thanks! I definitely need to put a control valve on my intake pump. To keep it from back siphoning and emptying out my fuge :) I noticed this happening whenever I turn it off for cleaning.

[jimsflies]

Or drill a small hole at the water surface so that it breaks the siphon.

[MizTanks]

Or drill a small hole at the water surface so that it breaks the siphon.

I think I know what you mean-lol

[jimsflies]

I think the battery powered air pump is a bare minimum we should all have on hand. The fancy models can be left in tank and will turn on when the power goes out...so they also would be functional in the event you are out of town when a power outage occurs.

We lost power last Thursday and I was worried about the tank temp. But when the power came back on 12 hours later (4am to 4pm) the tank temp was 78, despite being 100 outside. My point being, temp is less of an issue than just maintaining oxygen levels.

I am using a vortech on a battery backup. I think the pump will go 5 days on battery...this is because the flow is set to low in my nano sized tank. I also have a controller which provides a valuable tool to know when the power comes on. Last week when power was restored, I received a text message from the controller indicating the power failure...which at that point I knew power had been restored.

While I don't have my router/modem on a battery backup, I use RussM 's site, Reeftronics (http://www.reeftronics.net) which will send me an email when the controller loses communication with his server...indicating either the cable internet is out or the power is out. If I'm out of town I can have someone check on the tank to make sure all is well.

[jimsflies]

I think I know what you mean-lol

I'll dig out a pic and make another thread cause it is a good topic as well. :)

[fishtal]

First off I'd say that the initial question is a bit simplistic. For that I would have to give a simple answer of, yes. In general I believe it is irresponsible to not have some type of back-up plan in place for problems such as power outages.

Before I got my generator I totally freaked out during the first power outage that only lasted a few hours. Luckily I had a nice neighbor that had one and allowed me to tap into it to keep my pumps running. For me it's not the amount of "$" I have invested, more the "life" I am responsible for.

I now have a generator that runs most everything in my house for 12hrs on one tank of gas. I still have to connect it to the house and start it when the power goes out though. It's not one of the expensive ones that starts on it's own but it does the trick.

I lost power last week for 36hrs. The worst thing was the high temp so I had to come up with more creative ideas for keeping my multiple systems cool. I'll be writing an article on this soon. ;)

I currently don't have A/C but it is something that I'm going to have to invest in as I don't see the trend of hotter summers declining in the future.

I don't mean to sound harsh but we are responsible for the lives of the animals we care for and should take responsibility for them. I don't have a large income that affords a $10K generator, I'm a fish breeder for goodness sake, LOL! But I do feel that everyone should have some type of plan in place for emergencies. If you're spending hundreds of dollars on coral frags you can certainly afford a small generator from Home Depot. :)

[jimsflies]

For me it's not the amount of "$" I have invested, more the "life" I am responsible for.


I agree totally which is where the term "irresponsible" enters into the topic. If it weren't for the fact that we are dealing with live animals that we have assumed the responsibility to care for, I would say that whether or not someone has a back up or not is none of our business.

Most of us have limited means to provide backups and unfortunately economics plays a role.

I wonder if there is a percentage of allocation that we could agree on that one should be spending on backups relative to the amount of investment in the reef? Should 1% or 10% of the funds you have spent on your reef be budgeted on emergency equipment?

[MizTanks]

Good food for thought Jim :)

[BC United]

I was without power for about 16h last week. I used two battery operated Azoo air pumps to keep by 29 gallon tank oxygenated, and I had no problems with livestock. I think I purchased a 3-pack of these air pumps for about $15...a really inexpensive backup. If the airstones are placed low in the tank, these help with water movement as well.

[Tom Toro]

I feel folks should do something for emergencies just because of life. I don't have a lot of money here, but I'd feel bad if I didn't try to save lives.

Here's how I backed up my systems before I left for vacation. It was only four days so I didn't go hog wild. Best case scenario for me would be a guy coming in everyday to check but I didn't do that. Will do that for longer stays.

240g with all the big fish.
4 blue air pumps that come on when the power goes off. Each with two D batteries that's supposed to last 4 hours or more. In the display tank.
1 blue air pump ""in each of the two sumps.
UPS Hooked up to a tunze in DT.
5 gal reservoir bucket so the R/O wouldn't dump 50 gallons of fresh water all at once. The system can take 5g.
Timers for all lights
Feeder with lots of food for fish.

135g with the corals
2 of the same blue air pumps in the display tank
1 blue pump in the sump
5g reservior bucket for top off.
ups hooked up to a tunze in DT.
Feeder with minimal food.
Timers for lights
Not sure these measures would've saved any lives if an extended power outage happened, but at least I did something. Also I figured I needed them anyway in case the power goes out overnight while I'm sleeping. UPS also sound off pretty loud when they kick on.