Back up equipment - anyone keep?

I have been very fortunate so far that I have not had any equipment issues. But I realize that I should have some backup equipment in case of an emergency. As of now a spare air pump and airstones are about it.

If I was really prepared I should have a back up tank that would also serve as a hospital/quarantine, with all needed items like a heater and filter. On my main tank I feel that I should have a spare heater, just in case.

So what about you? Do you keep back up equipment or is it all on different set ups?

I put in a generater system in this spring, I have two rooms setup with power that I can switch all my tanks to in about 15 min. I keep several heaters as backup along with acouple HOB's.

I have backup equipment just by virtue of the fact that I always have extra stuff lying around. It's not purposefully backup equipment.

I do have an unused computer battery back up that I can use for the air pump on my tank during a power outage, but I would love to have a generator. We have had power go out for a couple days in my area before. I realized I also have a new in box hob filter to use as a back up. But I really should have a back up heater.

I think a heater is almost a must have. I think you can go a day or two with out filters but a heater can wipe out a tank in just hours. Settin up a gererator is prettu sipmple. Some os the backup switch take less then a hour to install and generators can be had off cragslist pretty cheap.

Rick

I think I will start by getting a back up heater.

My greatest fear is a leaking tank. Esp since the only tank I will have is the 210g that is in the living room. I am thinking about getting a spare 40g breeder as an emergecy back up. And then I can also use it as a hospital tank.

Good thinking. I don't have any backup equipment - unless I decide to really take down the 10 gallon I just upgraded from. However I can hear the conversation now - "But Honey, I need that new fish tank to keep as a back up for emergencies. You never know what could happen...All the people on FishBox are doing it..."

I have a few 10 gallon setups for fry/quarantine/hospital tanks. And after that two-day power outage a few winters ago, we now have a generator that is hooked up in a way that I can switch power to most of my tanks.

VsKitchen wrote:Good thinking. I don't have any backup equipment - unless I decide to really take down the 10 gallon I just upgraded from. However I can hear the conversation now - "But Honey, I need that new fish tank to keep as a back up for emergencies. You never know what could happen...All the people on FishBox are doing it..."

Thats pretty much the conversation Ive had with my wife. I'm waiting on another $1 per gallon sale at Petsmart. Cant decide for sure but I was looking at a 20g L or 29g or just break down ad get a 40g breeder. The problem is is I got a 20 or 29, I would just set the thing up and there would be fish in it all the time which defeats the purpose of a emergency tank. The 40g breeder would be a good spare that I know I wouldnt set up. I mean I would need to get a heater for it and... I already heve a spare air pump and a filter and... wait a minute, I would set it up!

I have back up everything from upgrading all my equipment...always nice to have extra

hobbyorobsession wrote:I have back up everything from upgrading all my equipment...always nice to have extra

Thats the problem with me I dont really "upgrade", I basically get another whole set up usually bigger and better. Then I sell off the old one. I should keep one of the canisters off my 120g as a backup when I sell it. That way I can start getting some equipment together.

How many of you keep extra water along with gear? I keep about 50 gal. on hand to do water changes and to top off tanks.

Rick wrote:How many of you keep extra water along with gear? I keep about 50 gal. on hand to do water changes and to top off tanks.

The most important element of fish keeping!

I never thought of water. I do have an emergency disaster kit ready in our garage that includes water for my family but never thought about the fishes water. I took it for granted that if I lost electricity I would still have access to warm water because our water heater runs on gas. But what if something happened and I needed water? Wow makes you think. Thanks for reminding us all Rick about the most basic of our fishes needs!

Well I started getting a few things together for my back up stuff. Petco has the $1 per gallon sale so I got a spare 20g H. I ordered a heater and sponge filter for it. I have a air pump already and its overkill but I do have a new Emperor 400 I can put on it. Just need a top to keep the fish in. This tank is really way too small for much, I'm almost tempted to take it back for the 29g. But at least I'm trying to have some back up equipment, just in case.

i keep a 29gal tank full of water under my fry grow out tank, i use it for my bettas and killifish egg container/s very nice to not have to dechlor all the small amounts of water i refresh daily

I did it, I got the 29g from Petco. So now I have the 29g tank with a Emperor 400, a heater soon to arrive, a sponge filter and air pump if I decide to raise any fry. Just need a glass top and to build a stand with wood I have in the garage. This will be my back up tank, which i know I will just use for something else!

Rick wrote:How many of you keep extra water along with gear? I keep about 50 gal. on hand to do water changes and to top off tanks.

I am working on setting up a low temp mixing valve for water change. The water will be dialed in at around 77F and collect in a 55gal barrel. A peristaltic pump will dose the water with sodium thiosulfate to neutralize the chlorine before pumping the water to all the tanks. I will set it up with a flow switch, as the water level drops in the barrel, it will start the refill and trigger the peristaltic pump. The only thing I have to check is to make sure I refill the sodium thiosulfate from time to time as it gets used up.

At the same time, I am also working on a rain water collection system that will hold over 400 gallons. It will be supplemented by the RO unit during the dry summer months.

I have everything, including lights..and an APC battery back up that can run the heater and an HOB for a week if it has to.