How long will my tank stay warm .

[Joeybsmooth]

I have a 65 , 40 ( I think), and 150.
'
If the power goes out how long would it take these tanks to get cold ? It is about 23oF where I live. And there have been power outages ? I know since no one knows how cold my house would get if the power did go out. People can not tell me something for sure . But could anyone ball park it ?

 

[venymae]

longer, if you wrap it in blankets

 

[brennae]

I agree, whenever power goes out here in winter I use the blanket method and keep the lids closed.

 

[Luananeko]

Blankets work amazingly well at holding in heat, but if you lose power for an extended time you may need to get a little creative. The hand warmer packets may help when stuck to the outside of the tank, but you'll need to stir the water periodically to ensure the heat gets distributed evenly.

Stirring the water every hour is a good idea in general for oxygenation purposes too. Even better, if you have a battery operated air pump, use that. If you can put one line of air into the filter to help keep the bacteria from dying off and another into the tank near where you have the heat pack on the outside, that should keep you safe for longer.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Temps and Power Outages

I have a 65 , 40 ( I think), and 150.
'
If the power goes out how long would it take these tanks to get cold ? It is about 23oF where I live. And there have been power outages ? I know since no one knows how cold my house would get if the power did go out. People can not tell me something for sure . But could anyone ball park it ?

Hello Joe...

The larger the tank, the slower the water cools, just because of the volume of water. You have larger tanks. If your place lost power, it would take many hours for the water to cool enough to hurt your fish. The temperature will change gradually, so I don't think you'd have much to worry about for at least a day or two in a well insulated house. Hopefully, you have a fireplace and can keep a fire going or the tanks are in a basement. Basements stay at a comfortable temperature for days, if not weeks without power.

B

 

[abw0004]

Down here in Georgia I wrapped my tank in blankets at night and had a battery powered airstone I found at my LFS I turn on just in case the power went out while I was asleep