Thanks Jim. I got caught last weekend with a generator that would not start, and managed to keep everything okay by using a little portable power pack (like the ones people keep in their cars to charge a battery or inflate a tire) and running the Vortech or the Koralia for about 15-20 minutes an hour to conserve the charge on the packs. I moved both of them up higher in the tank so that they actually broke the surface of the water for the duration but usually have them lower when everything else is running well.

I borrowed my daughter's pack that I kept charging at a friend's house and exchanged them every few hours and it worked well. I have a few sps that may not come back all the way, but everything else including the fish are right happy again, and the fish chowed when the lights came back on. I found one of the portables at Target a few years back for $49 and bought a big hefty one later for $120.

BTW - the generator is going to the hardware store for a look see this weekend. I thought I was prepared but haven't run the generator since last summer and should have made sure that it worked BEFORE the storm came. Your point about regularly checking the back up systems is really significant. I would have lost a lot more had I not had access to the little power packs.