Power Outage!

[spoonman]

Hey Schism, how are things today? Hope all is doing ok. Wish there was something we could do to help.

 

[Schism]

Hey Schism, how are things today? Hope all is doing ok. Wish there was something we could do to help.

Well its not been 72 hours. My main 29g is still doing great, it even appear ive had some kind of plankton bloom. Little things all over the glass and my clowns are going crazy eating them. Had the lights on for 5 hours last night the fish readily chowed down on some frozen mysis. Everything looks healthy. Also it appears i hatched a crap load of baby turbos everywhere. There are literally hundreds all over the glass and rocks. Lol crazy when im getting hatches after 3 days without power lol

The 20 long in the basement is a different story. Im pretty sure the tank is done for. Was not much livestock at all but it looks like the few initial deaths caused a nice ammonia spike and rest of snails and hermits appear dead. When power returns im going to drain the tank, cook the rock and start over. Not a big deal as i had plans for this 20long anyways.

Things lost in the 20L include
1 royal gramma
1 peppermint shrimp
Few nassarius snails
Few nerites and ceriths
And few hermits
Oh a and a pom pomless pom pom crab

Just 3 small frags from main tank that can easily be replaced.

 

[spoonman]

Sorry to hear of the losses. Hopefully power will be back early.

 

[bioteacher]

I finally got my hands on a generator this morning from a tool rental company. We got their last one. I am definately buying one once we get through this.

Luckily, all mine are ok so far. It was only about 24 hours without power. Kenya tree looks bad but it will probably be ok. Those guys are very hardy. Foxface is really stressed out. Hope he doesn't get sick.

 

[bioteacher]

I finally got my hands on a generator this morning from a tool rental company. We got their last one. I am definately buying one once we get through this.

Luckily, all mine are ok so far. It was only about 24 hours without power. Kenya tree looks bad but it will probably be ok. Those guys are very hardy. Foxface is really stressed out. Hope he doesn't get sick.

Edit: the power is still out for me. The fish got power though. They get climate control while I sweat my balls off....lol!

 

[Schism]

Edit: the power is still out for me. The fish got power though. They get climate control while I sweat my balls off....lol!

Lol i know the feeling. I got lucky yesterday when the mayor who is my neighbor brought me a window AC to use with my generator, i was and still am so thankful. Dont have to worry about putting ice in the tank now either.

I seen my first sign of hope a bit ago. 2 AEP trucks fixing a power line on my block. First truck i have seen in 3 days. I still expect a long wait though.

Skimmer is offline again. Not sure whats going on with it. Possibly the constant starting stoping and starting every hour?

 

[mr_X]

I have my own generator since my episode, but I couldn't convince my client to purchase one for his tank at the fitness club, so I ended up getting one of these-
Air-Pod Battery Back-up Air Pump | ThatPetPlace.com
I'm confident that this would hold me for a few days easy, providing the temp didn't get way out of whack.

*edit*
Don't think this thing turns on immediately when the power goes out. You have to turn it on. What it's meant for is a fresh water tank that you would use air stones full time. When the power goes out, the batteries keep it going. I just have it on a shelf for emergencies.

 

[Schism]

POWER!!!!!!!!!

Finally wow, 104 hrs later.

Basement tank is toast. I have a tank to rebuild.

My 29g is perfect. No losses im aware of. No bleaching, necrosis or anything of the sort. I could not be happier! Im totally gonna be rethinking my 20L and doing something different. Also will be getting a couple the battery air pumps for future disasters.

I hope someone takes a lesson from this and that is, get a generator. I can only imagine what the devastation is to surrounding fish stores and fellow reefers.

 

[Newfiereefer]

Awesome ! Glad to hear it !

 

[Schism]

Awesome ! Glad to hear it !

Thanks, i feel like i just spent 4 and a half days in a third world country lol. I might actually be able to some sleep now.

 

[spoonman]

You must be exhausted! Congrats on the power being back. Sooooooo happy for you! I have been updating my family on your status. We all just breathed a sigh of relief. Not to bring up bad, but what was the total outcome? Just the corals in the 20?

 

[Schism]

You must be exhausted! Congrats on the power being back. Sooooooo happy for you! I have been updating my family on your status. We all just breathed a sigh of relief. Not to bring up bad, but what was the total outcome? Just the corals in the 20?

Thanks spoonman, and yes i am very exhausted. My wife and kid have been staying at my parents for the past 3 days so seeing them is a plus to.

As for total loses, that would be the entire 20long in the basement. There may be a snail/hermit or two left alive but list is as follows

Small frags
Duncan
Zoa frag
GSP
Small toadstool frag from my main tank

1x Royal Gramma
1x peppermint shrimp
1x pom pom crab
2x mexican turbos
25+ mix of red leg hermits, nassarius snails, nerites, and ceriths.

Was mostly a clean up crew. Sucks but im just glad its not worse and way more expensive.

Im out maybe 100 bucks or so with those loses.

I will be draining the tank, tossing the sand, cooking the rock, and cleaning the tank. Thinking of doing a possible mantis tank or pistol goby pair. Few other options on the table.

 

[Gboy66]

Whats your address? I want to send you a mug that says "reefer of the year" haha. Thats awesome man. All that work was well worth it!!

Just a question..why didnt you just transfer the corals, gramma, and shrimp from the 20 to the 29? You must have mentioned it before, and ive followed all of this, but i dont remember!

 

[Newfiereefer]

Thanks spoonman, and yes i am very exhausted. My wife and kid have been staying at my parents for the past 3 days so seeing them is a plus to.

As for total loses, that would be the entire 20long in the basement. There may be a snail/hermit or two left alive but list is as follows

Small frags
Duncan
Zoa frag
GSP
Small toadstool frag from my main tank

1x Royal Gramma
1x peppermint shrimp
1x pom pom crab
2x mexican turbos
25+ mix of red leg hermits, nassarius snails, nerites, and ceriths.

Was mostly a clean up crew. Sucks but im just glad its not worse and way more expensive.

Im out maybe 100 bucks or so with those loses.

I will be draining the tank, tossing the sand, cooking the rock, and cleaning the tank. Thinking of doing a possible mantis tank or pistol goby pair. Few other options on the table.

An mantis tank sounds fricking awesome. Crazy looking lil buggers. I also like the idea of a lion fish tank , with maybe a snowflake eel .

Also +1 for reefer of the year !

 

[Schism]

Whats your address? I want to send you a mug that says "reefer of the year" haha. Thats awesome man. All that work was well worth it!!

Just a question..why didnt you just transfer the corals, gramma, and shrimp from the 20 to the 29? You must have mentioned it before, and ive followed all of this, but i dont remember!

Lol thanks man, and its well worth it, whole family loves the tank, i would have been so bored without my tank.

As for why i couldnt transfer. Well most of the deaths occured between 36-48hrs. Basement has no windows, no light and i had no help. Could not catch the livestock by myself in the dark. Nothing but a flashlight, could not see anything besides snails so i would have had to remove all the rocks and i was gonna try it, alone in the dark. Next day i ran out and got a long extension cord to reach the tank from the generator. When i got home, most was dead or dying, plugged it in and tank was extremely cloudy, ammonia was high. The rest died off pretty quick. It just didnt get what it needed in time and i was ill prepared to save 2 tanks.

In retrospect i would have done a few things different but it is what it is.

I thank you all for the help and support. I would have been pulling my hair out without you guys. Hope someone walks away with a lesson in reef tank disaster. Im pretty confident nothing but a generator would have saved my tank for 4.5 days. At the very least i would have lost corals.

 

[Holygral]

anyone who has a generator, it is a wise investment to get a transfer box and install or have it installed. Power goes out you plug the generator into it and power comes back on. I can run 90% of my house off of a 3500 watt gen. You pick which circuits you want on it when it is installed, reef, refrigerator, internet, tv, and bed room AC and lights. no extension cords to work about. only way to go if you own your house

 

[Schism]

anyone who has a generator, it is a wise investment to get a transfer box and install or have it installed. Power goes out you plug the generator into it and power comes back on. I can run 90% of my house off of a 3500 watt gen. You pick which circuits you want on it when it is installed, reef, refrigerator, internet, tv, and bed room AC and lights. no extension cords to work about. only way to go if you own your house

Yep i live in an apartment but im definitely doing this when we buy our first house.

10hp 5550watts 104hrs/4.5 days
Totaled approx $90.00 in gas, and that was only with running it every other hour mostly so could have been double that.

 

[Flreefer]

Glad to hear you made it out OK, Schism. Great job, giving it all you had!