Having been through one of the worst ice storms in local history this past winter (I live in Springfield, Missouri) I completely understand the hassles that come with being without power for weeks at a time. Most of the time power outages aren’t that dramatic, but its important to be prepared should you be without power for any amount of time.
My advice is to prepare a power outage emergency kit for your salt water aquarium and store it in an easy to reach place. This way, whether you’re out of power for hours or weeks, you’ll at least have the bare necessities to keep your aquarium running. Let’s go over just a few of the things that you should include in your emergency kit.
When dealing with power outages it is often easiest if you own a generator. This machine will generate quite a lot of power for you and can handle nearly any household task. But, you’re right, that sounds much too easy. Generators have a steep price tag, the minimum cost often exceeding $500.00. However, if you’re desperate you’ll gladly pay any price for power and warmth (trust me, I know!).
If you can’t afford a generator, there are plenty of other ways to keep your salt water aquarium functioning. One of the most common ways that salt water aquarium enthusiasts keep their aquariums operating safely is to uses a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) and a 12 volt battery. UPS devices are primarily used to keep a computer from crashing during a power outage, but they work wonders on a salt water aquarium as well. Other methods to keep your fish and other creatures safe is to purchase a 12 volt aeration pump, which will keep oxygen circulating though the tank. These pumps can be purchased in most sporting good stores. To keep the temperature of your tank satisfactory using a 12 volt immersible beverage heater (like the kind used to heat up baby bottles) works wonders.
It is extremely important to monitor the quality of your tank’s water in a situation like a power outage. Always have ammonia test kits on hand and be sure to test your water often when using emergency procedures like the ones mentioned above. You should also have an ammonia buffer on hand should the toxic gas begin accumulating inside your tank’s water.
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