12V Power Back-Up

[372xp]

I would have posted this on the hardware section but I noticed there has been no activity on there for a day or two.
I have a pre-pay electric key and sometimes The electric runs out as I am sure you are all aware. What I want to know is there any one who knows how to make a 12v back up system for a small tank?
My freshwater fish can cope for an hour or 2 without pump and heater I am not so sure about an SW tank as I am new to the briney side of life.

 

[techen]

A FW tank can go for a day without it making sure the temp does not drop far below what you had it before.
 
Marine works the same way really, you want to keep your temp stable but theres tons of battery powered air pumps that last awhile. Kind of a back up air supply until you get power back.
 
The battery packs you can buy on ebay don't last long and cost a bomb, I'd rather go for a battery powered air pump.

 

[Donya]

I know there are folks who have done this sort of thing using either a big battery pack thing with a wall-type outlet on it or doing a custom job with a car battery, but TBH I'm not sure you'd need it if it's just a couple hours. The temperature should hold unless it's already super cold indoors. I've had to turn everything off in tanks for over an hour on occasion just doing maintenance. An easier thing to set up would be one of those battery-powered pumps that plugs into the wall and only clicks on when the power goes out.

 

[372xp]

Thanks. I will look into a battery power air pump. Hang on does that mean I need to have the bubbler attachment on the powerhead?
I have one but this could be something I have overlooked.

 

[Donya]

You can add one of those if you want, but it will be noisy and cause salt spray, and you probably don't need it if you're doing a standard setup. Sometimes a venturi line on a pump can fix low pH problems if you run into those at some point and need a quick fix other than a water change, but in general all you need is surface agitation but not a bubbler specifically*. If you have a powerhead pointing at the surface, you should be fine. Since you've got more than one, you can have one that does primarily that and let the others handle the other directions.
 
*One exception on the topic of bubblers and marine tanks: if at some point you plan to do a finicky macroalgae like Caulerpa for something like a planted marine tank, IME bubbles in one corner of the tank can be the difference between a tank crash and a non-event if a macro bomb happens (bubblers are better at breaking up the surface films that form and inhibit gas exchange).

 

[CezzaXV]

You could get a UPS, but as the others have said, if it's only for an hour or two, I would have thought your tank would be fine.