Surviving a Power Outage

Power outages are usually little more than an inconvenience for most people, but for aquarium and fish tank owners they are often life and death situations. The heaters and aeration and filtration systems that support your aquarium are essential for the survival of your fish. Even a few hours without them can be enough to destroy the delicate ecosystem you've worked hard to establish. These are the steps you should take to prevent that from happening.

Buy a Generator Emergency power generators can be expensive, but if your region is susceptible to frequent power outages, it's a good idea to have one. With an emergency power generator, you'll be able to keep your aquarium running as well as provide electricity for essential home appliances. Generators run on gasoline, propane, or diesel fuel, so you may want to keep a full canister on hand in a backyard shed or other safe location. Portable electric generators that provide 5,500 to 6,500 watts of power can be found for around $550 to $700.

Filtration
Adequate filtration is the biggest problem aquariums have during a power outage, and keeping your filtration system working will save you A LOT of hassle both during and after a power outage. Battery-operated air pumps are very inexpensive and hook up directly to your filter. You should buy one now if you haven't already.

Manual and Battery-Powered Backups
If you can't afford a generator or don't think one is necessary, there are other means to keep your aquarium functioning in a power outage. Power outages affect fish tanks through changing temperatures, oxygen depletion, and lack of filtration.

Temperature
Fish get stressed out by sudden changes in their environment, so avoid creating dramatic shifts in water temperature. You can manually maintain an aquarium's temperature by wrapping it up with blankets or immersing sealed freezer bags containing ice cubes or hot water. A short-term power outage usually will not significantly affect an aquarium's water temperature.

Oxygen
An adequate oxygen level can be maintained in your aquarium during a power outage by using a cup to remove water and pour it back into the fish tank or aquarium. Of course, this will need to be done regularly and repeatedly, so you'll likely find it more convenient to use a submersible battery-powered aeration pump.

Ironically, fishermen use such pumps to keep live bait alive, so you should be able to find an appropriate pump at your local sporting goods store or hunting and fishing shop.