Many aquarium owners live in fear of the day when their power goes out and jeopardizes the life of their entire aquarium system. Almost anyone who owns an aquarium knows someone who has had their entire tank wiped out by a power outage. No matter where you live, you are eventually going to have a power outage, and how well your tank handles it will depend on how prepared you are. Every aquarium owner needs to have a plan and a few necessary pieces of equipment on hand for dealing with power outages. This article will explain the dangers associated with power outages and will give some tips for coping with the problems that result.
Localized power outage
There are two types of power outages, localized and general. The localized power outage is when a fish tank's main power source is disrupted, either by having the power cord come unplugged or by having a fuse blow or a circuit breaker trip. Having all plugs securely fastened and protected from foot traffic and childrens' hands are a must. A tripped circuit breaker can be easily fixed, but the source of the problem needs to be identified. A cracked heater or frozen pump motor may be the culprit. A simple plug-in alarm device that will sound off when power is interrupted is worth every penny in preventing accidental localized power loss. In big reef systems, having 2 or more electrical circuits to the tank is probably a good idea and may be necessary to run the lights, UV sterilizer, chiller, etc. By spreading out your pumps, heaters, air stones, etc. over these circuits, you can eliminate a catastrophe if one of the circuit breakers trips when you are not home.
Ground fault interrupted outlets are required to be used with aquariums in some states and are very important in preventing electric shock near water. One drawback of these outlets are that they are very sensitive and even the tiniest amount of stray voltage can trip them rendering a loss of power. When using these devices, make sure they are installed by a professional and ensure that all of your electrical equipment is functioning properly and appropriately sized.
Generalized power outage
The generalized power outage is usually a result of a loss of power due to a downed power line or damaged transformer. Most of these power outages are relatively short, but occasionally, can last days. Despite all of your precautions, these types of outages cannot be prevented and must be dealt with when they occur. Knowing what will happen to your tank and having a plan is critical to prevent a serious problem with your aquarium.
One of the first things every aquarium owner should do after setting up their tank and before adding any fish is to simulate a power outage. By turning off all of the power for several minutes, you can check your plumbing to make sure you do not have any water siphoning back that could drain your tank. When you start your tank back up, you can make sure that the pumps and other equipment will function properly. If your equipment does not perform adequately, now is the time to make changes, before you add your fish.
Short term power outage
Power outages of less than an hour probably will not significantly affect your tank. Even in very hot or cold weather (which is, incidentally, when most power outages occur), your oxygen levels or temperature should not change significantly. In fact, intervening to correct the temperature, etc., in a very short term power outage, may stress the fish more than the outage itself.
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