In case of emergency...Battery Air Pump...Feeding...Random Questions!

webcricket

webcricket

(So chill.) No wonder it's freezing
Mar 22, 2006
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Syracuse, NY
I just picked up one of these Penn Plax Silent Air battery operated pumps as our power goes off on a pretty regular basis during the summertime. I know a short outage is no worry for the fishies, but it'll make me feel better at times when I'm not home and save me standing there during the night flashlight in hand making sure they're all okay. That, and the weather predictions keep saying the northeast is due for a nice hurricane in the next few years, so I'd like to be prepared with enough batteries. We are well inland, but you never know with damaging winds how long the power grid will be down and we have no generator.

Does anyone know how many hours the pump will run on the batteries alone? I imagine in an extended outage I wouldn't run it constantly, but rather some schedule like 1 hour on, 3 off, etc.

Also, I'd imagine it wouldn't be a bad idea to stop feeding fish in an extended outage. Less waste produced, especially without having the filter running and with uncertainty about water supplies.

Sorry for the random questions, but I'm one of those people who tries to "be prepared"...I even have a fire ladder under the bed next to the pet carriers just in case I have to grab the animals and exit from a second floor window. But I'm afraid the fish would be fending for themselves in the event of a fire. ;)
 
I read that they are suposed to last about 3-4 hours, as long as your using the bare airline and not an airstone (this would take up more power), after this I think you could just replace the batteries. If your power goes out, the most important thing to do is DO NOT disturb the fish, don't even look at them, cover the tank up in a blanket. This is is so you don't make this very stressful time more stressfull for your fish. Yes it wouldbe a good idea to stop feeding during the outage, most freshwater fish can go for 3 months without eating, so unless the outage is longer than this don't feed. I think it would be better to just run the pump constantly, have extra batteries on hand and just change them when they run out.
 
I got one of those battery operated water pumps with airstone too. Mine's powered by 2x DD batteries and the packaging said it'll last for up to 10 hours. You can probably take that with a grain of salt, because my laptop battery is supposed to last for 3 hours and it barely lasts 2... if even that.
 
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I have a bunch of battery operated pumps. The ones have have take 2 D cells batteries and they will run about 12 hours before you have to change them. I also found out by accident that the ones I have will run on 1 battery if needed. You can go to the dollar store and pick up a bunch of batteries and leave them in a drawer until you need them.
 
i noticed that too, i got a pump from hong kong thats has space for two D batteries, yet if i put both in it won't work! it needs just one and lasts for a good 14-16 hours. I think timing is also gonna be effected by the battries you use......you pay for quailty in batteries

knotty
 
Thanks for the replies...this one takes D batteries as well, so we'll be stocking up on them! I supposed I could do a test run with it and see how long it will really go as well.
 
I actually lost my pwer last year for a week after one of the hurricaines. I had 2 of those airpumps set up with airstones in my 55 and 1 in the 10 i have. I ran them 2-3 times a day for about an hour and they lasted the whole week on the same batteries. They were pretty loud so I figured having them on all day might stress the fish. But, in any case I didnt have any problems and the fish never acted like the O2 was low, but that all depends on your fish/plant load. So, thats my experience, but I would keep a few packs of batteries on hand just oin case.
 
*shrug*
I'd just get a small power generator if you thought this was going to be an issue.
They aren't expensive.
 
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