nkoutell Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Hey Guys, Anyone have experience with UPS (uninterupted power supply) ? Woke up this morning at 4am and noticed the power was out seems there was a power outage in the area. I was kinda worried as the power wasnt going to come back till 6:30am and didnt know what time the power stopped, all 30 of my adult africans were doing ok and my other 2 tanks full of juvi's were ok as well.. The temperature didnt budge for about an hour which was ok, i did a 20 % water change wth luke warm water after 2 hours hoping this would help abit... thankgod for gas... Power finally came back at about 615am and there were no casulties.. Im seriously considering purchasing a UPS system as these occations are bound to happen again. My plan is to just have 1 heater, 1 filter & the air pump connected to it to consume minimum power.. I've seen some for PC's and small offices they sell at Dick Smith, i just dont know how long it will last... Im after one that will lasr approx 3hrs at least. I found this company in mascot that makes them, what do you guys think.. http://www.ecoptions.com.au/ Your feedback will be appreciated.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Matthew from this forums has started a discussion on UPS's on here before. I did a search for it but cant find it. It does work but the unit needs to be modified. I wouldn't bother running a heater, they draw to much current. Air is much more important Josh Found post here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 Thanks Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilroy Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Have you ever considered just a couple of AC/DC air pumps? They cost around $70 from some of our sponsors, and in the event of a blackout, they switch over to battery power. A couple of D cell batteries can last for well over 8 hours. Won't do much for your tanks heating, but will keep some surface movement going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moldyform Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Just buy a small 2 stroke generator. This way you can be sure to have a constent supply of power which could also power a heater. I have one and use it regularly for my salt tank. I run off it a light, Heater, and circulation pump. However, a UPS system is handy as it is able to cut in as soon as the power cuts off, good if it happens in the night. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 i have one of the UPS that matt did, plus a battery for it. i no longer use it. it is sufficient to power an air pump that will run 60+ tanks for the best part of a day. i could probably be persuaded to sell it if someone was after one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Thanks for the input guys, i might consider the AC/DC air pump option or i might take you up on an offer Gav (PM Sent). Dont think my neighbours would appreicate a 2 stroke engine go off in the middle of the night and besides i need something to kick in when im not home. If i was to get the AC/DC air pump, what kinda a temp drop can they handle without a heater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 how insulated is the room the tanks are in? Water is more temp stable than air so it won't swing really quick if you have it in a smallish insulated room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 The Main tank is in the living room, living room is about 6 x 6 metres. Your probably right, during the power outage the tank dropped 1 degree in 2 hours. so i guess thats not as important as the air pump. how insulated is the room the tanks are in? Water is more temp stable than air so it won't swing really quick if you have it in a smallish insulated room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Heating isn't as important as circulation through the filter. The bacteria here are as important if not more so than the fish itself. Provided the tank is not over stocked with fish (like mine are), they can get by for a while without air, but dependant on the filtration style (canister) water flow may be critical for the tank to continue to function once the power comes back on. UPS are great, but are only as good as the battery is large. That is, too small a battery and it won't last long enough to be any great help. The other thing about heating, bearing in mind they are all on thermostat control, during a power stoppage, the heaters are unlikely to be the first things the UPS needs to power. Inside a home that stays reasonably warm the tank should be okay for a while even without heating, so perhaps by the time the power comes back on again the heater won't be needed. I have two acdc airpumps at home and both fail at starting up when disconnected to the power. They are about 2 years old. Great idea but I think their quality leaves something to be desired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Thanks for the advice guys! You have cleared up alot of my concerns. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_frontosa Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hi mate a generator is a good idea and did you say you changed the water with look warm water that is not good for the fish as the gas water pipes are copper which is not good for the fish mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 A generator is good, if you are at home to turn it on. Also the neighbors might get a bit upset if you run it all night. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattnshez Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hi mate a generator is a good idea and did you say you changed the water with look warm water that is not good for the fish as the gas water pipes are copper which is not good for the fish mate Nearly all water pipes from the utility main to the house are copper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgazza Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hey Guys, Anyone have experience with UPS (uninterupted power supply) ? Woke up this morning at 4am and noticed the power was out seems there was a power outage in the area. I was kinda worried as the power wasnt going to come back till 6:30am and didnt know what time the power stopped, all 30 of my adult africans were doing ok and my other 2 tanks full of juvi's were ok as well.. The temperature didnt budge for about an hour which was ok, i did a 20 % water change wth luke warm water after 2 hours hoping this would help abit... thankgod for gas... Power finally came back at about 615am and there were no casulties.. Im seriously considering purchasing a UPS system as these occations are bound to happen again. My plan is to just have 1 heater, 1 filter & the air pump connected to it to consume minimum power.. I've seen some for PC's and small offices they sell at Dick Smith, i just dont know how long it will last... Im after one that will lasr approx 3hrs at least. I found this company in mascot that makes them, what do you guys think.. http://www.ecoptions.com.au/ Your feedback will be appreciated.. Hi I went to my local JAycar and purchased a longlife battery and a 600watt inverter. I can run a 300watt heater and air pump for about 12 hours. When finished I put on battery charger and ready to go for nextime. It cost me about $100.00 all up. I have used twice and is awesome for emergencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Hi I went to my local JAycar and purchased a longlife battery and a 600watt inverter. I can run a 300watt heater and air pump for about 12 hours. When finished I put on battery charger and ready to go for nextime. It cost me about $100.00 all up. I have used twice and is awesome for emergencies. Thats good value, the only thing is you have to be home or awake to turn it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 G'day all This has been one of my missions, to be able to solve this particular problem. Unfortunately there is no simple solution. (Yet) Anyway to answer a few of the discussion points raised. Temperature is relatively unimportant. Think about when the fish get transported. They may spend a day and more in a foam box. With the temp dropping dramatically. These events also occur for 6 - 12 - 24 hours, at every NSWCS auction. So please do not be concerned about a temperature variation. 5 degrees should equal no dramas at all. Even 10 degrees I would not stress to much about, briefly. Your fish require air to survive. there are two groups within an aquarium that consume it. One are the fish the other is bacteria (more so if they die). To counteract this. Keep your bacteria alive. If this is not possible, lets say you have a cannister filter make sure that you have excellent water movement in your tank, especially when the power turns back on. Why you ask? Well.... if the power has been out for a length of time where the majority of the bacteria has died, then the bactera dying will actually consume most of the oxygen out of the water. What this means is that when the power turns back on the water will enter the filter with oxygen but will leave it without any oxygen . Hence your fish will drown. To counteract this, it is best to clean the filter(s) when the power is off, this reduces the amount of decaying bacteria, the other important thing is to make sure you have excellent water movement. This can be done by lots of airstones or a spray bar out of the water etc. You can of course modify a UPS and add a bigger battery. this will stop the filter turning off in the first place. This system works when you are not home automatically. My checklist for when the power goes off includes Modified UPS Systems 12 volt inverter, in case the UPS systems fail Petrol powered generator, this will be used through the day to recharge the batteries and also power my freezers etc. Battery powered airpumps, the little $6-$10 jobs If all else fails the fish keep breathing and so do I. PS The only thing the UPS systems power are the air pumps. (HighBlows). These are fantastic airpumps, that move lots of air and consume very little power. My filtration systems are almost all air powered. This was designed on purpose. PS. AC/DC airpumps simply do not work in my experience, although this would be the best solution if they did. hth Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkoutell Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 Great detailed advice Matthew I think you summed it up very well. If you had a choice which of the 2 would be better on with a modified UPS system, during power outage: 1. Canister filter with spray bar for good water movement or 2. An air pump with air stone or sponge filter? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 Great detailed advice Matthew I think you summed it up very well. If you had a choice which of the 2 would be better on with a modified UPS system, during power outage: 1. Canister filter with spray bar for good water movement or 2. An air pump with air stone or sponge filter? Cheers Gday If we are talking about one tank. Then the Cannister filter and air pump would be the option, provided that the UPS can handle it. My rule of thumb is a maximum usage of 1/3 of the UPS Capacity and provided the bigger battery will last a practical amount of time. If multiple tanks then go for just the air, with multiple sponge filters in the tanks. The sponge filters will help to remove/convert the extra ammonia produced in the cannisters (when they restart). PS. Remember the cannisters that are off will require cleaning asap during or after a power outage. cya Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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