Emergency tank power suggestions for YOU !!!

[reefstarter]

As you all know power outages can be a real problem for our tanks . I have seen a few post as of late of people losing their tanks due to this . Sorry for your loss . But here are some ways you can keep the tank alive for the next time .

best option is a generator , but some people live in apartments and cant hook up a generator . for those people and anyone else there are a few ways to do this that are not very expensive . the cheapest way is to get at least a 1000 watt inverter and hook it up to your car and run cords . One step above that is to get a couple deep cycle Marine 12 volt batteries and twin them together to extend AMP hour rating . you can run a 250 watt heater and return pump off this for about 80 hours . If you really want to you can get a couple solar panels with a charge controller hooked up to those batteries and go even longer . maybe even forever . I just hooked mine to my car this last storm . But I am going to be getting some solar panels and might take my tank off grid . Hope this helps .

 

[Phinfan]

that is what i do, I bring my car battery inside the house and run the inverter

 

[ReefAddict]

As you all know power outages can be a real problem for our tanks . I have seen a few post as of late of people losing their tanks due to this . Sorry for your loss . But here are some ways you can keep the tank alive for the next time .

best option is a generator , but some people live in apartments and cant hook up a generator . for those people and anyone else there are a few ways to do this that are not very expensive . the cheapest way is to get at least a 1000 watt inverter and hook it up to your car and run cords . One step above that is to get a couple deep cycle Marine 12 volt batteries and twin them together to extend AMP hour rating . you can run a 250 watt heater and return pump off this for about 80 hours . If you really want to you can get a couple solar panels with a charge controller hooked up to those batteries and go even longer . maybe even forever . I just hooked mine to my car this last storm . But I am going to be getting some solar panels and might take my tank off grid . Hope this helps .

Can you link to the inverter you’re using? Thanks.


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[reefstarter]

I have the 1000 watt version of this , this one is a little better
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...eavy-duty-digital-power-inverter?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Abrooks12376]

Great info Here! I have 2 marine batteries, I'll get them charged up and have them available for anyone in need.

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[ReefAddict]

Great info Here! I have 2 marine batteries, I'll get them charged up and have them available for anyone in need.

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How long will the charge hold on those for. Can you charge them then store them as needed?


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[Abrooks12376]

Great info Here! I have 2 marine batteries, I'll get them charged up and have them available for anyone in need.

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How long will the charge hold on those for. Can you charge them then store them as needed?


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I'm not sure, the cold may affect charge but in warm months when I use them they can sit for a month and still be fully juiced. I trickle charge them for days between use.

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[Chris A.]

Use a trickle charger to store them

 

[cilyjr]

you can run a 250 watt heater and return pump off this for about 80 hours

How are you getting to this number? An 8d 200ah deep cycle battery will run 200 amps for about 10hrs.

If your a.c. amperage 1.6 (200ish watts)at 120v that converts to about 16 at 12v. Which equals about 12 hrs.

Use a trickle charger to store them

I would not use a trickle charger if you're storing the batteries indoors. Even sealed batteries will vent H2 if over charged.
There are some heavy duty Tripp Lite inverters that have a float charger and a transfer switch built in.

 

[cilyjr]

that is what i do, I bring my car battery inside the house and run the inverter

This is fine for a while BUT car batteries are not made to run "dry". you will shorten the life of the battery. Probably not an issue if it's once a year or so.

 

[Abrooks12376]

I don't know about all these numbers.. one of my deep cycle marine batteries will run my 40lb. Thrust motor at 60% for about 6-7hrs. I have a very blocky pontoon style boat.

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[cilyjr]

Mike (@Mr. Leemr), is my math right?

 

[ReefAddict]

If I wanted to go the marine battery route what would I need to buy?

Marine battery, trickle charger and power inverter?


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[cilyjr]

I don't know about all these numbers.. one of my deep cycle marine batteries will run my 40lb. Thrust motor at 60% for about 6-7hrs. I have a very blocky pontoon style boat.

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Your trolling motor is going to be a DC engine. Meaning it was built to run on DC power. Basically a giant Ecotech MP40. There is no AC to DC conversion and will use the DC amperage more efficiently. That's why a small 6 volt battery will run a single MP40 for 36 hours with their backup system.

 

[Jim Tansey]

I had a well known member tell me years ago that heaters will not work with most power inverters, to say the least I didn't believe it, so I tested my inverter with a heater and it got a little warm sitting on my bench but thats about all. I don't have access to an oscilloscope any longer but I would like to take a look at the waveform produced by that inverter, another possibility is if the heater is NOT non-inductively constructed other factors such as power factor creep in. I guess all I'm saying run a little test and see if your heater/inverter produces much heat.

Jim

 

[cilyjr]

Here's a nice write up on reef2reef.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/diy-universal-battery-backup-for-your-reef.416/

 

[Abrooks12376]

I don't know about all these numbers.. one of my deep cycle marine batteries will run my 40lb. Thrust motor at 60% for about 6-7hrs. I have a very blocky pontoon style boat.

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Your trolling motor is going to be a DC engine. Meaning it was built to run on DC power. Basically a giant Ecotech MP40. There is no AC to DC conversion and will use the DC amperage more efficiently. That's why a small 6 volt battery will run a single MP40 for 36 hours with their backup system.

I know how to charge it, move it, power my boat with it. Wish i knew how to catch fish as simply. I'm just offering up first hand experience with what I know. All this back and forth. Just buy a freaking generator

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[cilyjr]

Inverters are great ideas. But I don't want people thinking they can run their whole tank on two batteries. It's simply untrue

 

[Abrooks12376]

We're talking life support so heat and a small power head to prevent stagnation is paramount? Theoretically I could put my trolling motor in the tank.. thing is old and runs way hot anyways.. I'd have to fashion a basket to prevent sushi explosions but I thinking be perfect for anything over 90 gallons.

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[cilyjr]

The inverter solution is to automatically keep a pump running when you are asleep or out of the house and the power goes out.

Oxygen depletion will happen very quickly and will begin to kill fish which will begin to kill Coral. A pump moving water is the best defense against this. I have 250 gallons of water it would take several hours for it to get cold. All I care about in a small power outage is moving water. If it were a large power outage I have time to get my generator setup.

I guess you could. The trolling motor has a drive shaft and a few 90 degree bends that probably have some oil and or grease in there. I'd be worried about that as well as the guard that you would have to make