How prepared are you to handle yoru tank?

[RuffReef]

This is something I think a lot of reefers fail to account for with their tanks, what do you have in place to help your tank in an emergecy or time of need? No one doubts this is an expensive hobby but are we as reefers more interested in buying new things instead of preparing ourselves for what we know eventually will happen. Fish fund to me is the most important, you never know when you will need X amount of dollars to have handy to buy anything from that famous frag to a replacement pump or some other piece of equipment.

How much water on hand:
How many salt buckets:
What spare parts do you keep:
Do you have a fish fund:
If so how much reserve:
Battery backup:
Medication:
Extra pumps:


If you can think of anything else let me know and I'll add it.

 

[RuffReef]

How much water on hand: 100g salt at all times and 275g fresh at all times
How many salt buckets: at least 2
What spare parts do you keep: spare bulkheads, o-rings for various equipment, seals for pumps, spare return pump, backup of my APEX software
Do you have a fish fund: Yes
If so how much reserve: $1,500 at all times
Battery backup: Yes
Medication: Treat basic needs and a tank in the garage to treat
Extra pumps: I keep a spare air pump, spare return pump and a spare dry and wetside for my MP60s

I put $50 a week into an account that is my ‘Fish Fund’, I keep a minimum of $1,500 in there at all times and anything over that is what I can spend on frags or fish. Perfect example of this is recently when I needed a Caclium reator, would have been hard to cough up all the money but since I always put some away it's a lot easier.

 

[cymaster007]

If you can think of anything else let me know and I'll add it.

What size Extra tank/tub do you have if yours has to be drained or cracks
Where and what have you "Coral Banked"
Non perishable fish food?

 

[cymaster007]

My emergency fish tank strategy.

Nom Nom Nom...

 

[RuffReef]

What size Extra tank/tub do you have if yours has to be drained or cracks
Where and what have you "Coral Banked"
Non perishable fish food?

Scoop fish up and throw them in swimming pool

 

[lowbudget]

How much water on hand: 55 gallon salt 20 gallon fresh
How many salt buckets: 2
What spare parts do you keep: return pump, bulb, bulk head, ato sensor, fans,
Do you have a fish fund: yes
If so how much reserve: not as much 500$
Battery backup:nope still lagging it
Medication: no need just throw them out serious
Extra pumps: yes

 

[cymaster007]

How much water on hand: 250-500g outside
How many salt buckets: 3
What spare parts do you keep: bulkheads. I should keep more impellers and other parts.
Do you have a fish fund: no will use credit card if necessary
If so how much reserve: -
Battery backup: UPS and Vortech battery backup. Also have a generator
Medication: Dr g's medicated food. Carbon
Extra pumps: Rio HF32 but richard has it right now

 

[wickedfish]

I have a good 20-35 gallons at all time of salt water and 35-60 gallons of RODI.

I keep 3-5 buckets of salt always, gfo for a year, carbon for 2 years, 3 part before for 1 year.

No fund I just do extra hours and take that $$$

Battery pack up yea and a few battery powered packs and an air pump with batteries. Also have a live feed 24/7

I can zoom in an out.

 

[Mr. Plant]

I just ordered this a couple hours ago. Its not a Honda.... may be a little louder but hey it costs about half. Paid $530 delivered to my front door.

 

[wickedfish]

Costco has a large Honeywell generator on sale for like 800$ this week. I may pick it up.

 

[RuffReef]

I have the 7k watt champion from Costco.

 

[Mr. Plant]

Costco has a large Honeywell generator on sale for like 800$ this week. I may pick it up.

If you are going to use it on your tank with your sensitive electronics, I suggest getting a Inverter for clean sine energy. I will be buying a regular generator maybe Gererac 3500 for the house for about $500. I decided to go this route just to be safe. My tank runs max about 1400 watts, and that includes 1/3 chiller that pulls 888 watts. So with the inverter I can run the tank and maybe tv or computer. Have the other one to run fridge , microwave act....

 

[MxReEfEr92]

How much water on hand:~100g
How many salt buckets:1
What spare parts do you keep: Extra return, extra powerhead
Do you have a fish fund:no but use credit card in case of emergency
If so how much reserve:-
Battery backup:Nope Got my honda EU3000 generator
Medication:none

 

[Playa-1]

I've got 30 gal salt water mixed up, 30 gal of RO/DI ready to go and two sumps that have more water then the DT. A couple of extra buckets of salt on hand. The Ocean is close by as well , Plenty of water in case of emergency. Inverter on hand for back up power but found out the hard way that it no longer works during the last prolonged power outage. The lesson learned was test your back up plan to make sure everything still works after prolonged shelf life. Gotta love manually moving the water in your tank because you didn't test your equipment . That reminds me that I still need to replace the Inverter and get a back up generator. I need to upgrade my job while I'm at it.

 

[PilotWolf]

Hi. First post...

I'm not new to marine tanks or CA but new to having a tank in CA! I have been coming back and forth from the UK for about 16 years now, but much more permanently the last 3 or 4. Due to marry a local girl next month. Anyway back to the point - what other than power outage precautions do people take for earthquake 'protection' for the tank?

Wolfie.

 

[johnwin84]

How much water on hand:~5 to 10g
How many salt buckets:3 ish plus 6 jugs
What spare parts do you keep: Extra return, extra powerhead,top off pump,extra cheap 4 bulb t5,skimmer, supplments
Do you have a fish fund: suppose to be 100 a month. But I spend more then I allocate
If so how much reserve:-not really but I have credit cards
Battery backup:apc for tunze
Medication:dr g gish food

 

[sklywag]

I have a kitchen faucet.
Spare return pump.
Checking account.
If power goes out and I'm home. I worry about the food in the fridge and freezer.
If I'm not home. I don't worry about.

 

[wickedfish]

Hi. First post...

I'm not new to marine tanks or CA but new to having a tank in CA! I have been coming back and forth from the UK for about 16 years now, but much more permanently the last 3 or 4. Due to marry a local girl next month. Anyway back to the point - what other than power outage precautions do people take for earthquake 'protection' for the tank?

Wolfie.

You mean as bracing? Or just in general?

If its a large earthquake we all well now that the tank will most likely go. It's the humans then the fish. The tank is not important when your family is at risk. Say it's small and power goes out, most of us own generators or inverters to get us through a few hours or days. When we do these threads I realize my plan is not for 48 hours and then toast.

Definitely want a better plan in place.

 

[PilotWolf]

Yeah I was thinking do people brace the stand? I put a cork base under the tank as it is glass to absorb any minor inconstancies in the tank or stand - was given this advice in the UK so its not to absorb tremors! That said we were close to the one that happened in the North Lincolnshire area a few years back. Should I consider thinking about how to stop the light unit jumping of the top and maybe breaking something?

I was wondering about the risk to the glass from an average quake - been a few around the 3.5 lately.

W.

 

[wickedfish]

Like I said if we're moving then the tank is last. We had a good jolt 2 years ago and my tank just swoshed a bit. Centered around Mexicali but was pretty well felt here. Just use good judgement and don't make it were you bump something and it fries the tank. As many safety measure as you can do is good advice.