battery back up

[nycsicktank]

what do i need to look for purchasing one? i need one before i get another power outage.

got some questions
-i do have 250w heater but i dont use it cause my temps always at 79-80. should i still use it just in case?
-when the power goes out im planning to use my return pump(50watts) and 2xkoraila 4(24watts). will this be good enough to when my power fails?
-how long can cheato stay out of light?

so im using 74watts(return pump and 2xPH). which watts would i need to use for atleast a day?
thanks

David

[m2434]

Batteries won't go very far. Spending hundreds of dollars on a UPS for example would likely only buy you minutes. If you want to run that much power, you'll need a backup generator. Most people just run a small battery powered air-pump. O2 levels are the biggest issue. Heat can drop quite a bit for short periods with little ill effect.

[nycsicktank]

so running a small battery powered air pump will be good enough?

[bcwalz]

That's what I do. Have only needed it once but didn't loose anything at all.

[usmc121581]

Originally posted by m2434
Batteries won't go very far. Spending hundreds of dollars on a UPS for example would likely only buy you minutes. If you want to run that much power, you'll need a backup generator. Most people just run a small battery powered air-pump. O2 levels are the biggest issue. Heat can drop quite a bit for short periods with little ill effect.

I bought one from best buy for $200 that will last 34 hrs at the most. It all depends on what you have plugged in. All I use it for is my return pump. It has been tested before and lasted 3 hours with just the pump and only drained the batteries by 20%. Now if I have to I will plug my heater into it to. When your Ppower goes out you will only need your return pump. That will oxygenate the water. Now it will also depend on how long the power goes out for.

[reefergeorge]

I got a ups from work for free to see how long it lasts. It sells for $700 and only ran my koralia 3 for about an hour and a half. Not too good.
With the ups they need to be true sine wave not square, or it will burn up your pump.

[nycsicktank]

Originally posted by usmc121581
I bought one from best buy for $200 that will last 34 hrs at the most. It all depends on what you have plugged in. All I use it for is my return pump. It has been tested before and lasted 3 hours with just the pump and only drained the batteries by 20%. Now if I have to I will plug my heater into it to. When your Ppower goes out you will only need your return pump. That will oxygenate the water. Now it will also depend on how long the power goes out for.

what did you buy if you dont mind asking.

[Kemo484]

I got an APC from walmart for 40 bucks, lasted about 15 minutes last time the power went out. I'm gonna invest in one of these before next hurricane season http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...=0011939000000

[nycsicktank]

but you need some powerhead to break down the surface? no?

[MR PALM BEACH]

Key to remember Is amperage the more stuff you have plugged Into It the less minutes/hours you will get. Yes It might not last for hours but at least when your power goes our for a couple of minutes you will be good to go. Just keeping you return pump plugegd In should be sufficient enough to keep the tank turning over and keep the water circulating.

[A.T.T.R]

what voltage are the ups

what you could do ( i think if same voltage) is take a UPS and wire it to multiple boat batteries that way you could get quite some time.....
altho im not sure if the charge in the ups would work well for this

if not you could always just use the ups to make the sinewave and use a small boat charger for the charging of the batterys ( usualy does a STRONG charge then a WEAK charge as the battery nears full
then does a floating charge the rest of the time ( barely any thing just enough to keep the batterys toped off)

[Ranger68]

Which brand do you get the UPS?

[WarrenAmy&Maddy]

Originally posted by Kemo484
I got an APC from walmart for 40 bucks, lasted about 15 minutes last time the power went out. I'm gonna invest in one of these before next hurricane season http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...=0011939000000

i am tagging along in this thread

wouldnt this airpump listed on this link above
be enough for a tank... why would someone need to have anything more then a simple airstone/airsupply

for 69dollars
would think this 'powersupply' would do the trick... lasts for 10hours on high or (think) it said 20hour intermittent...

[nycsicktank]

those APC seems not to last for too long and very expense. i dont know if those battery pump is all you need.

[usmc121581]

Let me find the back on what brand it was. For battery use it depends on the watts and amps the appliance is using. I only have my return pump plugged into it, which is only using 90 out of 400 watts. I know what my back up can do and what it has been tested to do and I am very pleased with it. It cost me over $200 it wasnt one of these cheapy walmart 15 min types.

[spllouder]

Some one should try his . I cant afford to do it so my idea will go here and maybe it can help some one in need .

You can make a very long lasting Battry backup if you wanted to .

Buy 1 to 3 optima dry cell car batterys Blue top marine deep cell batterys .

buy a trickle charge so when the power is on you can charge the batterys and keep them charged so when the power does go out the batterys are fully charged .

Buy a Power Inverter like one you would plug into your car and get 110 volts . You can get a 200 watt one all they up to a 1200 watt one .

Depending on how mant optima car batterys you buy and size of power inverter . i cant see why not it will last up to 36 hours

[reefergeorge]

Originally posted by spllouder
Some one should try his . I cant afford to do it so my idea will go here and maybe it can help some one in need .

You can make a very long lasting Battry backup if you wanted to .

Buy 1 to 3 optima dry cell car batterys Blue top marine deep cell batterys .

buy a trickle charge so when the power is on you can charge the batterys and keep them charged so when the power does go out the batterys are fully charged .

Buy a Power Inverter like one you would plug into your car and get 110 volts . You can get a 200 watt one all they up to a 1200 watt one .

Depending on how mant optima car batterys you buy and size of power inverter . i cant see why not it will last up to 36 hours

That would be great for a basement sump, But I don't think it will fit it the square ft left in my stand.

[nycsicktank]

not only its huge! i wont need that much of a power.

im leading towards those battery airstone pump.
what do you think?

[nycsicktank]

bump

[m2434]

usmc121581 I'd also like to know what you got. $200 ussually just gets you a cheap APC. I've looked all over and can't find anything like that...

As far as battery powered air-pumps go, I had two on my 55g. The power went out for 8+hrs, in the middle of winter once and l didn't have any losses...

[Lubu]

APC is crap unless you're buying the high end models. Go with CyberPower.

[nycsicktank]

cyberpower is the same as apc.

[reefergeorge]

Originally posted by Lubu
APC is crap unless you're buying the high end models. Go with CyberPower.

I use a apc 1500, and it still is worthless for this hobby. I get around 1.5 hrs with a koralia 3.

[ultra spikey]

what would happened if you hooked up an Optima deep cycle battery to a UPS?

[Mini Me6]

You guys are talking a ALIEN language to me . UPS, APS, APC, forget about it .

I tested out my car battery jump start. Cost $69.99. It has three power outlets to run my skimmer, NJ900 and Koralia Nano. It power all three for four days straight. I tested it when I was seting up tank with only LR in it. Didn't use my 70wattHQI only the lights from room.

In an emergency, fish and Zoo's can deal without lights for a few days. I'm more concerned about water flow and skimming out organics.

Granted I only have an AP12 mini-tank, but it works for me.