Power Cut Warning

[ben1987]

we had a power cut in teh middle of the night the day before yesturday. MY return pump did not restart, meaning no water went through my sump. So my skimmer heater calcium reactor etc were all disconnected fromm the main tank for god knows how long. Woke up to freezing cold cloudy water. One dead anenome and very pale SPS corals.

In future i think ilbe setting up some sort of battery back up or alarm to wake me up...

 

[Ryefish]

that really sucks

 

[ben1987]

yeah it does

just ripped the tank apart...slowly putting it back together.

ps...why do i always type the as teh??

 

[john.o]

we had a power cut in teh middle of the night the day before yesturday. MY return pump did not restart, meaning no water went through my sump. So my skimmer heater calcium reactor etc were all disconnected fromm the main tank for god knows how long. Woke up to freezing cold cloudy water. One dead anenome and very pale SPS corals.

In future i think ilbe setting up some sort of battery back up or alarm to wake me up...

Ooo poop
I use a flood alarm on my sump Ben
Basically I have the flood sensors {wires} a few inches above the normal running water height in my return pumps chamber, if the pump fails for whatever reason {power out / broken down pump ect ect} then the water will back siphon till its below the return pipe nozzle in the display tank which allows the water level to raise in the sump and sound the alarm.
Hope this is of some help to you regards john, o

 

[seffieuk]

That really does suck and is very worrying that your Nem died so quickly oh gawd..........

Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

i dont know if it was quickly though seffie...it could have been like 8 hours without! There was just a blob of white mush there the next morning cheers jonh il look into that

 

[seffieuk]

Oh heck as like!! A whole night without heat

I looked into getting a backup system, a generator but that wouldn't have helped would it

Think we need a solution, any one - top up system alarm is no good for me, no sump!!

Seffie x

 

[sorgan]

For heat or a electric off alarm? Both would be simple to make
for heat you can buy thermometers with high end and low end alarms (just be sure to get one that doesn't switch off!)

power off would have to be a battery powered alarm with an elctromagnet style switch wired to the mains the tanks on (transformed down would be best)
have it set up so that when power is on the electromagnet keeps a switch open, have the switch I'm circuit with a battery and a buzzer.
When power fails the switch closes and alarm sounds.

Getting power in a power cut may prove tricky, maybe build a bank of car batteries to make a 230v megabattery!!!!, or maybe don't.

 

[ben1987]

was thinking a bout an electric start generator to run everything bar lights

 

[seffieuk]

was thinking a bout an electric start generator to run everything bar lights

thats what i looked at - but wouldn't help with the powercut in the night and Sorgan, if only I had any idea what you were talking about any other 'simple' ideas or even ideas for someone 'simple' like me!

Seffie x

 

[sorgan]

Ah you didn't state 'simple'

 

[john.o]

Ok the power off alarm would be good if you where in the house when it went off , but let’s say you were out at work when the power went off and it came back on before you returned home would the alarm still be going off or would it of reset? , I am just thinking if it reset the pump could still be off as Ben said his failed to restart and it could perhaps go unnoticed.

 

[sorgan]

Wouldn't reset untill power resumed, if you give me enough time to research it I could probably come up with a way to let you know it's been off. An LED on being the idea that springs to mind.

 

[Seren]

Sorry to hear of your disaster, hope at least the SPS have recovered by now.
S

 

[ben1987]

looking a bit more normal. emptied the tank, binned the sand and did 100l water change. looking better now. Still a tad cloudy but i think everything else will make it