Supplemental Power Source

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

Hi All,

I live in Canada on an Island that encounters numerous power outages yearly.

I have a tiny planted 5g tank with 6 pygmy Cori's and do not want any harm to come to them. I run an Auqa Clear mini filter and a 50 watt heater. What can I purchase to ensure that I can still get power to them? 

[Tihshho]

You could get a decent amp hour UPS system that's used for electronics, but I'm not sure what the rating would need to be for long term use. How long are your power outages? If this is just to prevent the loss of siphon from your Aqua Clear during a power blip or an hour or so of power loss this should be fine, if you're looking for something large the prices for what you need are going to drastically be higher. 

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

On 9/16/2021 at 4:29 PM, Tihshho said:

You could get a decent amp hour UPS system that's used for electronics, but I'm not sure what the rating would need to be for long term use. How long are your power outages? If this is just to prevent the loss of siphon from your Aqua Clear during a power blip or an hour or so of power loss this should be fine, if you're looking for something large the prices for what you need are going to drastically be higher. 

Hi Tihshho,

Our outages are often an hour or two. Although we have had up to four days. Thank you for your response!

[lefty o]

for a few hours, i would not be overly concerned, but for 4 days i think a battery backup of some sorts would be not a terrible idea. on the flip side, 6 pygmy cories arent going to demand a ton of oxygen, and since its a planted tank, even at only 5 gallons it could probably go without filtration for extended periods of time.

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

On 9/16/2021 at 7:17 PM, lefty o said:

for a few hours, i would not be overly concerned, but for 4 days i think a battery backup of some sorts would be not a terrible idea. on the flip side, 6 pygmy cories arent going to demand a ton of oxygen, and since its a planted tank, even at only 5 gallons it could probably go without filtration for extended periods of time.

Thank you lefty o, I think I am more concerned with the water temp getting to low. Clearly, I am very new at fish keeping. Ask me anything about equine and canine care, but fish I know nothing! 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I don't run heat so I can't speak to that, but all my tanks are going to have some sort of sponge filter even those with "internal filtration" have a tiny hygger (a recent discovery that fits perfectly in back of my Flex)- each run by a lithium battery backed air pump. They are plugged in but switch to battery power when power is cut/out. My two 20gallon talls have 2 air pump driven filters, 2 are run by a Tetra Whisper and 2 are run by a battery backed pump. 

Edited September 17, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[lefty o]

On 9/16/2021 at 9:49 PM, Pygmy Cory Mama said:

Thank you lefty o, I think I am more concerned with the water temp getting to low. Clearly, I am very new at fish keeping. Ask me anything about equine and canine care, but fish I know nothing! 

what do you normally keep the temp at, and what temps would you expect the room to drop to if power was lost for extended periods?

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

On 9/16/2021 at 8:54 PM, lefty o said:

what do you normally keep the temp at, and what temps would you expect the room to drop to if power was lost for extended periods?

The little heater I have is fixed at 78f. It was the only heater I could get my hands on when my variable heater crapped out. In the winter ( when we have our biggest wind storms) The temp outside can get down to 12f. In the kitchen where the tank is can get down to as cold as 35f. Welcome to the great white north!

On 9/16/2021 at 7:50 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I don't run heat so I can't speak to that, but all my tanks are going to have some sort of sponge filter even those with "internal filtration" have a tiny hygger (a recent discovery that fits perfectly in back of my Flex)- each run by a lithium battery backed air pump. They are plugged in but switch to battery power when power is cut/out. My two 20gallon talls have 2 air pump driven filters, 2 are run by a Tetra Whisper and 2 are run by a battery backed pump. 

Thank you! I will look into a battery backup pump! 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

https://www.amazon.com/Hygger-Aquarium-Single-Sponges-Submersible/dp/B07XZ831WR/ref=asc_df_B07XZ831WR/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385191879806&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2523381696980319153&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032443&hvtargid=pla-833536679922&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78564976036&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385191879806&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2523381696980319153&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032443&hvtargid=pla-833536679922

Is the mini hygger and below is an example of the kind of pump I've been using.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093FGBPWX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

Thank you for the Canadian Amazon link! I appreciate it.

 

[Brandon p]

I have few of the usb air pumps and a few of  the usb battery chargers but this doesn’t last days. So I would go with battery powered air pump. Heaters use a lot of power, maybe the most of the equipment you have. The first thing I do is wrap a heavy blanket around the tank and a second over the top. Then heat packs like you might take camping. 
 

 

 

[Tihshho]

If the power is going out for hours and is a regular thing, you might want to consider a generator as that can support more than just the tank in the house.

[Pygmy Cory Mama]

Thank you Brandon! Exactly what I needed to see 🙂

[Patrick_G]

On 9/16/2021 at 3:30 PM, Pygmy Cory Mama said:

Hi All,

I live in Canada on an Island that encounters numerous power outages yearly.

I have a tiny planted 5g tank with 6 pygmy Cori's and do not want any harm to come to them. I run an Auqa Clear mini filter and a 50 watt heater. What can I purchase to ensure that I can still get power to them? 

I live on an island in Washington State that gets numerous outages too. I bought this, just in case. I also own a few little USB pumps and UBS battery sticks. 
I paid $100USD on sale

CAT - 3 in 1 Professional Power Station with Jump Starter and Compressor - 4 USB Ports and Outlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088RMSXD1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HSYE1RE7RDH3QWR9ZV9K

[StevesFishTanks]

I built my own battery backup for my central air pump.

It would work for your application as well.  Although its likely overkill. 

If you are home for the outage and dont mind doing a manual change over. A generator works long term while noisy.

For low power demand that doesnt need a pure sinewave you can also use tool battery inverters. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-175-Watt-Powered-Compact-Inverter-for-M18-Batteries-Tool-Only-2846-20/313297952

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-150-Watt-Power-Inverter-for-ONE-18V-Battery-Tool-Only-RYi150BG/308460871