How to Protect a Reef Tank During Hot Weather Power Outages

Coral and saltwater fish are used to living in a very stable environment. The vastness of the ocean protects corals and other reef life from sudden drastic changes in temperature, oxygenation, and chemistry. However, the average reef aquarium falls extremely short of vast. When things are going right we can create a very suitable and stable environment for the corals and creatures in the small slice of transplanted ocean we call a reef tank. But when the power goes off, all bets are off and the temperature and stability of our reef aquarium could fluctuate far beyond the tolerances of the fish, live coral, and other invertebrates living there.

Since most reef enthusiasts have a lot of time, money, and love invested in their reef tanks it's a good idea to be prepared for power outages before they happen to avoid needless coral and animal deaths and a great deal of distress. I'd like to share my idea of how to protect your reef aquarium from a hot weather power outage.

Essentials for keeping your fish tank cool and aerated during a hot weatherwer outage

# An Uninterrupted Power Supply

# Gallon freezer bags full of frozen, de-chlorinated water

# Ice cubes made with de-chlorinated, PH adjusted water

# Instant Cold Packs

# Gallon Zipper Seal Bags

# Battery Powered Aerator

# Battery Powered Fan and Batteries

# Duct Tape

Your reef tank hot weather power outage emergency kit should include several frozen bottles of de-chlorinated, PH adjusted water, instant cold packs, large zipper seal food storage bags, a battery powered aerator, Mylar emergency blankets, and duct tape. There's quite a crossover with what items you need for a cold weather power outage kit for your reef aquarium so it couldn't hurt to have both uses in mind when shopping for the parts for a hot weather kit.

What to do to save your reef aquarium when the power goes out in hot weather

To protect your tropical fish from hot-weather power outages with these materials once the power has gone out start by connecting and turning on the battery powered air pump. Reef tanks over 55 gallons in size will benefit from having more than one battery powered aerator.

Remove the glass tops from your reef aquarium for better air circulation.

Place the battery powered fan on a stable surface where it has no danger of falling into the reef aquarium but will blow right across the top of the fish tank. If necessary, use duct tape to hold it firmly in place where you want it. Turn on the battery powered fan to start evaporative cooling right away.

Next, cover any windows in the room with Mylar emergency blankets, facing the shinier side out. If the windows are letting in cooler air, leave them open but use the Mylar blanket as a curtain or shade to reflect back heat. You should be able to tape up the Mylar blankets with the duct tape.

The gallon bags full of de-chlorinated water can be dropped into the tank, one at a time, or they can be laid flat against the outside of the aquarium and taped on with duct tape. If you don't have de-chlorinated water ice packs you can use regular ice or even self-activating ice packs stuffed into the gallon bags or regular and taped to the outside of the reef aquarium. Don't let any regular ice melt into your reef tank.

Due to the lack of lighting, the PH of your reef tank may drop too low due to coral or algae respiration of carbon dioxide. Ideally, you should test the PH using the PH test strips every several hours while the lights are out and the tank is above optimum temperature. If the PH has decreased outside the range you prefer, drop in a few of the ice cubes made with de-chlorinated, PH adjusted water to start with. The higher PH of the ice cubes with help to offset a drop in PH caused by the lack of light. The melting ice cubes will also very slightly cool the water and very slightly reduce its specific gravity. Cooler water with a lower specific gravity holds oxygen better than warmer water with a higher specific gravity.

An uninterrupted power supply is a great investment for any reef tank owner. A UPS like this with eight outlets, four providing automatic battery backup and power surge protection and four providing only power surge protection allows you to intelligently choose which aquarium support equipment you want to keep going during a hot weather power outage. I recommend plugging power heads, protein skimmers, and filtration devices into the battery backup and allowing lights to go out during hot weather power outages. Any equipment that generates heat can be a liability to your reef tank during a hot weather power outage.

The downside is that a moderately priced UPS will usually not provide power for more than a few hours. The up side is that power will continue on, uninterrupted, because the UPS will cut in automatically when the power goes out. If you are at work when the power goes out, you won't have to worry about your reef aquarium taking harm before you can get to it.

Mylar emergency blankets can be put up over windows or used to serve as window shades to keep your reef aquarium room cooler. One for each window the sun beats in through is all you need.

Get the larger sizes of Mylar blanket whenever possible to provide the most coverage wherever you need it.

Instant cold packs or self-activated cold packs will help extend the time your reef aquarium can withstand a hot weather power outage. They also provide a good alternative for people who don't have much room in the freezer for making regular ice because they can be stored right under the aquarium in most cases.

PH tests strips will help you to tell if a hot weather blackout is causing your reef aquarium to drop in PH. I like the test strips as opposed to the test lab kits for this purpose because they are fast and easy to use. While I prefer to use a proper test kit for regular testing I think the sheer convenience of the strips during a situation in which you are dealing with a bunch of other stuff outweighs the desire for a slightly higher degree of accuracy. Their other upside is that they are easier to use, especially easier to read in poor lighting conditions or when using a flashlight for illumination. Also, if you find yourself giving someone else in your home instructions over the phone during a power outage, they should have no problem testing correctly when using a PH test strip.

Duct tape can help you to hang the Mylar emergency blankets, stabilize the battery-powered fan, and tape on the cold packs or ice bags. I like the pro-strength version of duct tape for taping things to glass. Duct tape is a wonder tool in all sorts of emergency situations.

A good battery powered aerator is one of the most useful of emergency aquarium supplies. You can find battery powered aerators online and in the sporting department of most department stores. They are often sold as bait aerators so they can usually be found near the fishing supplies.

I like the purpose-made ones because they can be permanently set up and only turn on when the power goes out. They usually take two D cell batteries and the plug into an outlet to sense it if the power goes out. They do not draw power from the wall outlet, nor do they recharge the batteries, but they come on automatically if the power goes out which is a very nice feature. The battery powered air pumps that plug in and sense outages usually don't come with air stones so you'll have to check whichever model you buy and get the tubing and airstone separately if necessary. Many of the bait aerators come with a length of tubing and an air stone. Of course, none of them seem to come with batteries.

A battery powered fan can provide both air movement and help with evaporative cooling for your reef aquarium when the power goes out. Put a bag of ice between it and the reef aquarium to boost its cooling capacity.

De-chlorinate tap water according to the instructions on your bottle of chlorine remover. Add one tablespoon of baking soda to each pint of water used to make ice cubes. Once the ice cubes freeze solid, store them in a tightly sealed and clearly labeled ziploc bag in your freezer. If the PH of your reef tank drops, add the PH increasing ice cubes one at a time until the PH stabilizes.