# Oh goodness... I hope the weather doesn't kill my fish:(



## Puppylove (Jun 10, 2012)

On Sunday through Tuesday I'm supposed to get hit by frankenstorm. Since the powers probably going to go out and it's getting cold I'm a little worried. What should I do? I have a 20 gal tropical tank and a 5 gal betta tank. How much are battery operated heaters/ filters?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

battery operated air pumps exist and are not really expesive.The heater I think would be a problem(unaware of battery operated heaters for aquaria), as heat producing appliances use tremendous power.In this day and age a generator is a reasonable investment(re-frigderator,lights,radio/tv {for news/weather} and water for people with wells).I have had power outages that have lasted over three days(brown out of east coast 10 years ago or so).To go without necessaties is brutal and a lesson once learned is so hard to forget.For all the money people invest along with time and dedication(love for some of us) to not plan for the worst is to not plan.You are not over concerned(how ever others may feel) my LFS owner had said to me years ago that power outages are like christmas to him.I had never really stopped to think of who benefitted from power outages before.He was not happy , he was merely stating fact;when the power goes out and stays out for days peoples whole tanks fail.


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## foster (Sep 2, 2012)

A few hundred dollars for a generator is very cheap insurance. Not only for your fish, but all your perishable food. I learned the hard way. Now there is a 14000K standby generator behind my house. I don't even have to start it, does it automatically*w3


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

If you lose power, cover the tank with plastic then blankets, and leave it. You'll be good for a day.


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## foster (Sep 2, 2012)

Styrofoam might work to help insulate your tanks from heat loss for a while.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

And lots of warm water changes.


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## RavenSkyfire1 (Nov 23, 2011)

This last January we had a nasty ice storm here in WA and I was out of power for three and a half days. I was freaking about my fish for the whole time!! I wrapped the tank in blankets to keep as much heat in as I could and kept my fingers crossed. Of course I didn't even attempt to feed them during this time either. When the power finally came back on I waited for awhile to unwrap the tank cause I was scared to see all my fish as little frozen floaters. I don't know if I got lucky or what but I didn't lose any of them!! Especially surprising to me that they lived cause I had just gotten them over Ich the weekend before the power went out. 

I will keep my toes crossed for ya and hope you have the same results as I did if your power goes out!! Good luck!!!


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

I've only had one power outage so far this year and because of a battery air pump I had(pack of 3 for like 15 bucks) and regulating water temp with periodic water changes everything was fine, definetly not a bad investment at all


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

There are two schools of thought - top up carefully with the warm water from your water heater, or cover the tank and don't even look at it til the storm is over and the power's back.
I'm in Canada, and in 1998, went 8 January days with no electricity. Option one didn't exist, as I had a room full of tanks and one little water heater. I covered the tanks - some day I will buy some of the space blankets at the dollar store for the next time - and lost no fish for three days. At eight days my tanks were close to freezing by the time the lights came back, so it was carnage. But it is surprisng how slowly water cools. I think celsius here, and my heated tanks started at 26. They fell fast on day one, to 20 in about 24 hours (it was 2 or 3 outside). The house was at 12. Then, it became slow. I lost 1-3 degrees per day after. When the house was at 1 degree above zero celius (33-34f), the tanks were still at 8. It took several days to get really bad.
Tropicals started to die at 15, though some made it to 10-11.

In a normal blackout, you may lose 5-6 degrees - easily managed by the fish. I would buy Ich medication and have it handy, as that will be your only real danger after a "long short' blackout of a day or less. battery pumps are good fior oxygen distribution. 
It is currently 12 degrees here, and if the storm hits and takes down trees this week, I'll lose power. I won't even worry for the first 24 hours.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

When I had my power out for weeks, I bagged my fishes and packed them up in styro cooler. I got a bunch of those hand warmers found in the camping supplies and would lightly wrap it up in a few paper towels, so it didnt get too hot. This was placed in the cooler. I would change it out as often as I needed. The reason being, is my hot water heater was electric and we ran out in a day.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

thats actually an idea I never thought of Bev, very interesting. Though I live in oklahoma, we sometimes have to worry about ice storms blocking out power for who knows how long.

OP - If you can fnd a friend or relative that will still have power(if and when it does go out at your place) you could try transporting your fish to stay there for however long you are out of power. Not everyone has that luxury, but it is possible. If that's not available, I would wrap the tank in styrofoam and blankets and leave it.

when/if the power goes out at my place, I am up a creek w/o a paddle because I live in an apartment, and everything is electric, even my water heater. My fish will eventually get too big to transport like normal fish, so I will have to establish a plan fr in the future. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yeah, Kayla the storm I had to do that in was the one in Oklahoma in 09 I believe? The really bad one where many were out of power and some were so unprepped they had several people freezing to death in their homes. Was very sad. 

Thats a good idea about a relative.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

All ideas so far have been great!We need two have more than 1 option in all plans.Sometimes plan 1 won't work or needs to be tweaked.All ideas are excepted and helpful.We used to just get winter in North East;These hurrricanes ,Tropical storms(Sandy),repeated(predicted) extended power outrages are getting all to common for me.I'll make it through the winter with the usaull ammendities;electricty really helps.I used have a well, without any water(forget about fish{only briefly}), NO WATER, life gets hard.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Worries me a little too. Not the loss of power and lack of heat so much, more the lack of light for my plants.

I'm out of town starting tomorrow and won't be back for nearly two weeks. Nobody to reset timers, crank up my generator, etc... Same damn thing happened to me last year when I left town for a period of time and lost nearly all plants in two tanks when my power centers lost their programming.


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## Aquatics72 (Jul 10, 2012)

i agree get a good battery air pump they are great>>>>


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

I recently bit the bullet and had a whole house generator installed ($1500.00) with a setup that turns it on automatically in case of a power failure. The peace of mind is worth the money.


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## foster (Sep 2, 2012)

ArtyG said:


> I recently bit the bullet and had a whole house generator installed ($1500.00) with a setup that turns it on automatically in case of a power failure. The peace of mind is worth the money.


Thier worth every penny you pay for them the first time you need it. We have lights and air conditioning while the rest of our neighbors set in hot dark houses!! Best money I ever spent.Except for my fishroom*r2


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

For me, the lack of electricity isn't a big deal now (if it happens). I can get the fish through, and have very few heaters in my water, and no fish absolutely dependent on heat. Later in the year though, we need heaters in Canada, and that's where a generator becomes an interesting option. Even with a gas or oil furnace, you need electricity to start it.


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## ArtyG (Jun 29, 2011)

navigator black said:


> For me, the lack of electricity isn't a big deal now (if it happens). I can get the fish through, and have very few heaters in my water, and no fish absolutely dependent on heat. Later in the year though, we need heaters in Canada, and that's where a generator becomes an interesting option. Even with a gas or oil furnace, you need electricity to start it.


Down here in NC, a subtropical state, I feared less for temperature problems than for loss of aeration. Even so its nice to have the backup generator for both aspects of fish keeping.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

As the storm hits ;I hope all are safe, along with their families and loved ones along the East coast.Fish aren't even a close second.GOD BLESS YOU ALL.


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## Conrad283 (Nov 2, 2012)

Great tips in here. I hope I don't lose power here in CO anytime soon though.


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