Best back up battery solution for first 24 hours of Hurricane?

[Thrillik]

If you run one mp40 with 2 batteries daisy chained together, I would expect maybe a few days of flow. If it were my tank, I would have the mp40’s going along with a bait bubbler and hope for the best. Good luck to you.

This is the exact set-up I have - just worried it won't be enough. It's a 250g display tank. I'd feel a lot better if the battery backup I ordered got here because it should be able to run my return pump(s) for a couple of days.

 

[BrokenReefer]

Can someone help me pick out a battery backup solution for my tank? According to my apex power bars I’m pulling about 480 watts of which 327 is from my lights. I can likely reduce this a bit more if I’m selective with what I power. I live in Florida and we have a storm approaching. I have a gas generator and hook up to my electric panel but can’t use it until the storm passes. I was hoping to find something that can get me through the first 24 hours until I can go outside and turn on the generator. Ideally I’d like to just run my tank without turning off equipment, but I’m not opposed to reducing the load if needed. I do have backup battery on my 2 MP40s as well. Any suggestions for an affordable solution? I’m fine with needing to change the plugs once the power is off

Ecoriver but you don’t have that much time, Milton looks to be making landfall Tuesday/Wednesday.

Short term solution would be any network/server battery back-up solution.

 

[BrokenReefer]

If you’re evacuating, chances are you’re in the Ft Myers/Cape area (FMB was issued mandatory evac earlier today) I would suggest taking it with you, haha. Seriously though, if you don’t have a backup generator solution (or PV back-up) then I don’t know how to offer a solution.

 

[dwest]

This is the exact set-up I have - just worried it won't be enough. It's a 250g display tank. I'd feel a lot better if the battery backup I ordered got here because it should be able to run my return pump(s) for a couple of days.

I would try to have in tank circulation for as long as possible and not worry about return pump.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Can someone help me pick out a battery backup solution for my tank? According to my apex power bars I’m pulling about 480 watts of which 327 is from my lights. I can likely reduce this a bit more if I’m selective with what I power. I live in Florida and we have a storm approaching. I have a gas generator and hook up to my electric panel but can’t use it until the storm passes. I was hoping to find something that can get me through the first 24 hours until I can go outside and turn on the generator. Ideally I’d like to just run my tank without turning off equipment, but I’m not opposed to reducing the load if needed. I do have backup battery on my 2 MP40s as well. Any suggestions for an affordable solution? I’m fine with needing to change the plugs once the power is off

Why can't you start the generator until the storm passes?

Ignoring inverter and cable losses... and just using straight wattage, if your load is ~250 watts at 12V that is 20 amps. 20 amps x 24 hours = 480 Ah. That is a $1,000 to $1,500 (at min) LiFePO4 battery and for that to come even close you need a very good inverter. I would consider quickly getting setup to run from the car with an inverter. Cheaper to setup and easier to maintain for situations like this.

In the future MP40s or other DC power heads and smaller LiFeP04 batteries would be a better choice.

 

[VintageReefer]

Search Amazon for same day or next day delivery and look for “lithium battery ups backup station”.
They are rated by watt hours (wh). I don’t know your return pump wattage but the formula for run time is

(Watt hours x .85) / watts of return pump

Dial down your return pump to minimum needed for circulation in emergency situation. Let’s say it’s a 60 watt pump and you can dial back to 50%. So 30 watts

If you got a 1000 watt hour battery station

(1000 x 85) / 30 = 28 hours of run tome

If your 60w pump could dial back to 35% Then that’s 21w

(1000 x .85) / 21 = 40 hours. Significantly more runtime.

In emergency mode you want as few watts as possible to prolong battery life

Hope you can find a power station that can get to you in time. Ups ones are less common but have convenience of automatic cutover to battery. If you can’t get a ups one, then any one will do and charge up fully and connect return pump, reduce return pump to minimum, right before you evacuate

 

[VintageReefer]

Why can't you start the generator until the storm passes?

Ignoring inverter and cable losses... and just using straight wattage, if your load is ~250 watts at 12V that is 20 amps. 20 amps x 24 hours = 480 Ah. That is a $1,000 to $1,500 (at min) LiFePO4 battery.

Maybe issue is evacuating and runtime of generator…not being home to refuel. Some will last days. Others 12 hours. Depends on fuel tank size and efficiency

 

[BeanAnimal]

Maybe issue is evacuating and runtime of generator…not being home to refuel. Some will last days. Others 12 hours. Depends on fuel tank size and efficiency

Mandatory evac... then without a standby generator, the best bet is 12V pumps and moderate size batteries. No lights, just in tank circulation with good surface agitation.

 

[ZoWhat]

Power Inverter hooked to your...

Cars battery running in your driveway, hooked to a....

Extension cord long enough to stretch to your tank, hooked to a...

Powerstrip.

Taaaaaaadaaaaaa

 

[shutterspeed1000]

I have a small Jackery battery that will run my return pump about 18-20 hours. Once the storm passes I will fire up a 1100w generator I have, but will still limit what I have running in the tank. Probably my main pump and cooling fans only. I have 3 days of fuel and need to run other items also.

Last storm I didn't have power for 8 days. The Jakery has solar panels and I am glad I had them. Kept the tank alive without any issues.

Stay safe!

 

[marcsupial]

This is the exact set-up I have - just worried it won't be enough. It's a 250g display tank. I'd feel a lot better if the battery backup I ordered got here because it should be able to run my return pump(s) for a couple of days.

If you’re in the Tampa area the REI store there might have similar battery solutions available from Goal Zero or Ecoflow

 

[BeanAnimal]

I would also quickly caution against A mazon, Ali express, etc LifePO4 batteries. Most are EV rejects and/or scary internal assembly and BMS.

I will also tell you that LifePO4 are really not that much safer than any other lithium chemistry, even if everyone and their mother repeat that they are extremely safe. It is partly marketing BS repeated as fact. Yes, they have a slightly higher thermal tolerance and slower thermal runaway, but statistically most things that would cause catastrophic failure of LiCoO2 will also cause the LiFePO4 to catastrophically fail. They off gas (fire, explode) similar to any other Li cell chemistry, even if it takes just a bit more energy to get them there.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

I got the 13000 watt harbor freight generator for $1200 runs my entire house and i have it hooked up to natural gas so it will run until i don't need it. I highly recommend this solution

https://www.harborfreight.com/13000-watt-tri-fuel-portable-generator-with-remote-start-and-co-secure-technology-epa-71386.html

 

[Reefering1]

I would also quickly caution against A mazon, Ali express, etc LifePO4 batteries. Most are EV rejects and/or scary internal assembly and BMS.

I will also tell you that LifePO4 are really not that much safer than any other lithium chemistry, even if everyone and their mother repeat that they are extremely safe. It is partly marketing BS repeated as fact. Yes, they have a slightly higher thermal tolerance and slower thermal runaway, but statistically most things that would cause catastrophic failure of LiCoO2 will also cause the LiFePO4 to catastrophically fail. They off gas (fire, explode) similar to any other Li cell chemistry, even if it takes just a bit more energy to get them there.

Around here, SWFL, the real fire Hazzard comes when the lithium battery is exposed to water(especially salt water) . Be it via a spill or a flood event. They just explode and catch fire and burn down the house. When it's a ev driving into flood water, the firefighters can't put it out. 2 lives were lost here just the other week as Helene passed by. People get these lithium powerbanks trying to be prepared for the big storm. but when that big one hits, the l last thing anybody thinks of is picking up all lithium batteries. Floods happen quick, uncontrollable fire is the last worry you need. Instead people who have never been through or seen natural disaster promote and preach about these things, with no warning, to the people in harms way.

 

[fishface NJ]

Around here, SWFL, the real fire Hazzard comes when the lithium battery is exposed to water(especially salt water) . Be it via a spill or a flood event. They just explode and catch fire and burn down the house. When it's a ev driving into flood water, the firefighters can't put it out. 2 lives were lost here just the other week as Helene passed by. People get these lithium powerbanks trying to be prepared for the big storm. but when that big one hits, the l last thing anybody thinks of is picking up all lithium batteries. Floods happen quick, uncontrollable fire is the last worry you need. Instead people who have never been through or seen natural disaster promote and preach about these things, with no warning, to the people in harms way.

What are you using to power your tank? In my Cape Coral residence I can not have a generator as an option.

 

[Reefering1]

What are you using to power your tank? In my Cape Coral residence I can not have a generator as an option.

I use a big ups connected to a bank of 4 car batteries. It will run 500-700w continuous for about 18 hours. Same thing just bigger and less volatile of a battery. I imagine if I cut that down to just a return pump, skimmer, and couple power heads I could get about 4x/5x the runtime.

 

[Reefer Brent]

Cane is coming at me. Think the longest I will be without the ability to run my generator will be through the night on Wed and then morning Thursday depending on when power is lost.

I have a battery double bubbler airstones for my 40 gal for that period. Then it's on the generator with 50amp lockout once rain stops.

Prob alternate these until power is restored as I run my fridge and such.

We shall see.....

 

[aaron186]

Why can't you start the generator until the storm passes?

Ignoring inverter and cable losses... and just using straight wattage, if your load is ~250 watts at 12V that is 20 amps. 20 amps x 24 hours = 480 Ah. That is a $1,000 to $1,500 (at min) LiFePO4 battery and for that to come even close you need a very good inverter. I would consider quickly getting setup to run from the car with an inverter. Cheaper to setup and easier to maintain for situations like this.

In the future MP40s or other DC power heads and smaller LiFeP04 batteries would be a better choice.

Going outside in a hurricane is a bad idea…

 

[BeanAnimal]

Going outside in a hurricane is a bad idea…

Certainly depends on sustained winds. I have been through quite a few, even surfing until it gets so blown out that you can't.

But yes, dodging debris in a cat5 is not someplace to be.