Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: Helen on November 12, 2014, 08:42:33 AM
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I don't know if anyone caught the news article a week or so ago about power cuts this winter. In summary, the UK normally generates more than 10% electricity than it uses. This year that margin of 'safety' is down to 4%. This means that the likelihood of a power cut happening is greater than normal (due to insufficient supply. The likelihood of a cut due to faults / weather is completely unrelated). As the only thing I worry about during a power cut is my fish tank, I thought I'd ask if people have thought about what they can do to protect their fish. I have a 240l planted tank in my lounge, where I also have a woodburner, so my main concern is the bacteria in the filter. Although I don't have a plan as such, if it looks like there might be an issue, I know what I can do to help. I will be trying to be particularly careful not to use excessive electricity, especially at 'peak' times. Think about the times when you normally turn lots of things on and try to reduce what you turn on. Eg boil the kettle first, then turn the TV on, instead of the other way round. Hopefully the warning will be a self defeating prophecy, and it'll not happen because enough people make an effort to help.
I hope I haven't scared you, that is not my intention.
Helen
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i lived in a street where the power was off
quite a lot the longest being 48 or a little over
i managed to keep all 15 of my tank running
with out any real bother with plastic bottles
filled with hot water and 12 volt battery powered air pumps
two of my tanks included two 5x2x2's i also had a tractor inner tube
filled with compressed air i later found out that i could of used my friends
dive tanks to run my air powered filters i also kept the heater on in the fish
room which also helped keep the temperature stable in the tanks i didnt really
have any problems with my external filters at all afterwards hope this helps but
i dont think there will be any power cuts this winter his political future depends
on it if you get my drift :rotfl:
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Well iv'e only been up and running for less than four weeks, and last week i woke up at 5.20am to reduced power, not quite a "cut" but unusable, i had to go out to work so had to just leave the tank to it's own devices, luckily i only have platy's at the mo, but two had just been put in day before, so talk about no sudden temperature fluctuations, the tank went down about 10 degrees c from 24 -23c but i think Platy can stand a lot lower than that (don't want to have to find out really though) Someone did mention the bottle filled with hot water, a great idea, but as for pump and filter i hadn't thought about that, so battery powered sounds good idea : )
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Water takes a lot longer than you might think to cool down. Cover your tank with layers of blankets, a duvet, or similar and temperature will remain within acceptable range for hours.
Another good reason for having a more natural tank, rather than obsessively cleaned one, is that the plants and substrate will have quite a lot of the useful bacteria and the tank doesn't rely so much on the filter.
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Short power cuts are not a real problem. I presume any non-weather related power cuts will be similar to those we had in the 1970s - the electricity was turned off in 4 hour blocks on a rota system.
For longer cuts, the dangers are cooling of the water and lack of oxygen to the bacteria. Unless you have battery powered pumps, float the filter media in the water, especially with externals, to increase the oxygen availability to the bacteria.
If we have warning of cuts, you can feed the fish lightly in the run up to the cut - though in the 1970s we had 4 hours off almost every day so it wouldn't be practical to reduce feeding with that arrangement.
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If you're really concerned, then small portable generators are available for about £70 and upwards. Your fish tank will last longer than your freezer in a power cut.
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Any political decisions that could affect this winter's supply were made by the previous government. Mr C will just be blamed for something he couldn't have done anything about.
Sue, I would have thought it would be similar to the power cuts in the 70s, but part of the problem is that the way electricity is generated now is very different to how it was in the 70s. The demand is also very different. So there's quite a bit of uncertainty.
Biffster, that's interesting how you kept your tanks going, but I was thinking more along the lines of Richard's suggestion of using blankets.
The article on this website is a good guide.
I don't think generators are necessary, but tweaking habits will make a big difference.
The freezer will stay cold for a surprisingly long time, especially if it is full and not opened during the power cut.
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and 12 volt battery powered air pumps
What battery air pumps have you got Biffster?, or can you recomend one, sounds like something worth having as we are prone to power cuts here >:(
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i dont have any now i sold them all
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they were something like these ones
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/live-bait-aerator
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Thanks, good to know, just in case :)
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there better now than what they used to be
plus you can get larger more powerful ones now
i had 15 running of three or four car battery's
i did try a generator but the fumes kept getting
in to the house stinking the place out
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I had no idea we were all at risk of power cuts this Winter. I guess I missed that on the news!?
I've had a few powercuts since living in my flat - they've always been planned though and I got a letter through the post telling me when they were happening. Which is good as my little tank has an external filter which spews out most of the water when off meaning my media would have dried up and my bacteria probably would have died. So I just floated my filter before the cut and reduced feeding around those times. The heat issue is less problematic for me as I live in a new-build flat which is always warm so I don't think the temperature of the tank would ever lower enough to cause problems. At the coldest it got last year we had the heating on for about an hour in the morning and that was it.
However unplanned cuts for my tank could be seriously worrying.... especially since I work shifts and am often not there in the evenings / nights which I guess would be the most likely time for cuts to happen? My partner knows what to do now after I put him in charge of the last planned power cut.
There would be nothing I could do about the filter if I'm at work though =/ I'd probably be non the wiser either...
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The likelihood of power cuts is still very low. Yes, spare capacity is lower, but it's still there. There are a lot of scare stories going around by people who have completely misunderstood the situation. Don't believe everything you read on the internet - in fact, don't believe most of it :).
Power cuts are much more likely due to weather, such as high winds bringing down cables, or some idiot of a JCB operator accidentally cutting through an underground cable. These are random and could happen anywhere at any time, much more likely than through general failure of the system to provide enough capacity.
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Ours tend to be from cable thefts, being out in the middle of nowhere, they get away with it time and time again >:(
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aquamaid i think you need a shot gun to stop your power cuts lol
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That and a lot of other things, don't temp me :))
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i would set a trap for them so as soon as the touch
the wire boom there covered in bright pink dye or bright red dye
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Bless aren't you tolerant, i'm just hoping they get electrocuted, they target wires and sub stations apparently, (have been held up on train for hours due to cut cables too)
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i didnt used to be tolerant its just since
i got wiser older and disabled i have to
find other methods of getting even :rotfl:
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Sorry to hear that, ( not that your more tollerant) err do you have a mobility scooter by any chance Biffster, lot of scope for revenge with them i imagine :))
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Not with the state of our pavements!!!
I am regularly nearly thrown out of my chair, but then my husband is a maniac and pushes me everywhere at running pace. i have to say trips out are not that relaxing!!!!!! ;D
I'm tempted to get a mobility jobby as at least then i can be in control!!!! Then everyone else would be at risk!!! Lol!!!
FC76
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My mother got a mobility scooter when she came to live with us. The shop made her drive one round the forecourt before they'd sell her one as they won't sell if they think the person can't control one. The chap told the tale of someone who ran into a person pushing a wheelchair. The pusher had a broken leg, the wheelchair rolled down the slope and collided with a wall, injuring the wheelchair user. He said that's why you need insurance!
And the incident in the local paper of someone who hired a shopmobility scooter and demolished a market stall......
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I've used the ones in supermarkets before. My son always sits on my knee because he likes to drive what he calls 'mummy's tractor!!' He also, somewhat unfortunately, knows where the little horn is, more of an annoying beep really but at least people can here me coming!!! I have to say i'd rather be pushed or power myself, although this tires me out so isn't really feasible.
FC76
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i have a self propelled one at the moment
i am taking my electric wheel chair test on monday
so hopefully should be sorted with my electric chair in
a few weeks i want one of these
or one of these
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Haha looks like not only can you mow someone down, you can just carry on and drive right over them, :))
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OH YES !!!
lol