Hurricane season!!!

[bennyblanco]

IF YA LL DIDN'T KNOW HURRICANE SEASON STARTED ALREADY AND I LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND YA LL KNOW WHAT HAPPEN LAST YEAR,MY QUESTION IS WHAT OR MY OPTIONS WHAT CAN I GET SO IF THE POWER GOES OUT GIVE ME SOME IDEAS I WANT TO BE READY SO IF I HAVE TO EVACUATE THIS YEAR SO ANY IDEAS ARE WELCOME!!!:D :D


I HAVE ONE TANK 100GALLONS WITH 9DISCUS,2 RAMS,3ANGELS,2 CORIES AND A PEPPERMINT PLECO.

[Jarrod]

My first inclination would be the purchase of a generator (gasoline powered along with a supplly of fuel) to keep on hand and get the engine broken in if bought new. Since I don't live in an area the is susceptable(sp?) to these kinds of natural occurences that would be one option I would seriously consider. That or a battery backup system of sufficient size to keep your tanks in operation until power is able to be restored.
Not much help I know but maybe something to think about....Let's just hope the hurricane season isn't as severe as it was last year for your areas

Jarrod

[used2bBubbles]

Hey, benny, I heard there's a real good chance hurricanes will go up the coast to the northeast this year, so if that's the case, you'll be ok.

How'd you fair last August? Were you evacuated or are you lucky enough to live in one of the few areas that didn't get covered with water or blown apart?

My husband and I were down there in December, working with hurricane relief. We were mainly in Slidell, but were in Metarie one day to help a poor old lady with LOTS and LOTS of stuff. And I don't mean collector's items, I mean junk!

Kathi

[discusfire4]

I would add to that generator as being a priority is plenty of water to keep on hand to ration out water changes if your water system goes out of service.

[bennyblanco]

the area where i live didnt get under water i live on the westbank where nothing happened. i dont know about a generator i was thinking more about some batteries but thanks.

[White Worm]

Maybe.......Move Inland? J/K Hope all turns out well.

[yogi]

Your question is how to prepare if you need to to evacuate. Set up a few air pump operated sponge filters in your tank. Buy one battery operated air pump for each sponge filter and batteries. When your about to evacuate set up each sponge with the battery air pumps. I got 5 days per air pump before I had to change batteries after Wilma hit us last year.

[yeomans]

Hurricane season now means alot more to me then it ever did before, the storms have been pushing there way far up the Atlantic over the last few years, they have always came up our way but they are getting worse. Two years ago we got hit by hurricane juan, we didn't have power for a long time, and it ruinied alot of the city. I usuallly looked foward to hurricane season becuase it produces nice warm huge waves for surfing in the North Atlantic, but I worry sometimes now, the earth has been acting weird latley.
I wish you good luck with the season this year, I can only imagine what last year was like for you.

[bennyblanco]

[QUOTE=yogi]Your question is how to prepare if you need to to evacuate. QUOTE]


yes thats what i want to know what to do if i have to evacuate.you see this is my first fish tank so i dont know what to do.

[used2bBubbles]

benny, I hope you don't have any hurricane worries this year. Or ever again, although that is a bit of a stretch....

Kathi

[MiamiDan]

Benny; you're thinking right. I live in South Florida and last year's Hurricane Wilma almost wiped me out & had to re-stock. :( I was 5 days without power. I did everything wrong. Water was stale, I continued feeding them, etc. I know of a LFS that got 98% wiped out. Another had minimal casualties, because they had a generator to power a blower & airlines to every tank.

So here's what I found out: air, air, air. That is your #1 priority and do minimal feeding, maybe once a day. I bought a 2500 watts Power Inverter (out of eBay). Got dual Deep Cycle Marine batteries (12 volts). So alternating batteries (& re-charging with a generator or at work), I have enough power to keep the air pumps going indefinetely. Of course, the airlines will be connected to sponge filters, which you should keep a couple of them bacteria-ready to go. Just dump a couple of sponges on the sump of your wet/dry(if you have one). I also have a 5000 watts generator, which I expect to run maybe 6-8 hours daily. I will use that time to run water heaters and filters. City water never stopped, so I can still re-fill my holding tank & do my water changes. I even bought one of those submersible electric heaters, the type used to heat coffee cups, to heat up the water quickly before doing w/c's. Electric pump to pump in new water can also be run out of the Power Inverter. Don't feed beefheart, go for dry food like tetra bits or flakes. Can't feed frozen, since probably the fridge will be out of service. I've already tried this, on a test run & works just fine. Conditions, of course; won't be ideal, but enough to survive. Good luck! Dan

[wolfbane]

After last years stories, I had to think, what would I have done? We didn't leave when Rita pounded our way, then it missed us anyway, but I think it brought some issues to mind.
Don't feed the fish if you cannot do water changes! This should slow the rate at which they pollute their own water. In fact, stop feeding or cut way back the day before landfall or evacuation.
Like Dan says, have some filter sponges seeded and ready to use, if possible. Battery op air pumps are a neccessity!
The fish may be safer at home than on the road. Sad but true. At least in our evacuation in Texas, many pets, and a few people, died on the road, the heat was a killer. Air conditioners quit or were turned off to conserve fuel.
As for me, I think the water in my show tank would be safer than an uncertain trip on a crowded roadway in a hot car.My fish will stay home.
The ideal would be to have that power generator and a good supply of fresh water, but after a hurricane, the water could be polluted. Put back plenty of water for minimal water changes
After all is said and done, one must make one's own choices about evacuating or not, taking or leaving fish.
God Bless us all and keep us safe during this "active" season.

[bennyblanco]

Dan a Power Inverter sounds like a good idea I'm going to look for one thanks for the info and god bless!

WHAT BRAND??????

[nacra99]

Yep.. i think Miami Dan nailed the question pretty pretty nicely. Debbie's suggestion of Battery operated airpumps are a good one too. Get those that run on D-sized batteries. They last a little longer

A plus point about living in Lousiana is that the temperatures would probably be in the 80's anyway during the hurricane season, so heating won't be too much of a problem.
If your fish are still not taking to dry foods, now is the time to start weaning them to flake or pellets... just in case.

Cheers
Marc

[bennyblanco]

nacra the good thing my fish eat anything colorbits, flakes so am good,so what is your plan.

[nacra99]

Well... I lost my lakeside home the last time round and living in a rented apartment now has (thankfully) forced me to only keep 1 tank of only 5 discus, so i guess it's a plus point that i don't have too many fish to handle.

Because of that, if it really comes down to it, I plan to bag them all up and take them with me to houston. On and off i maintain a 150g fishtank in my company's houston office, so i'll just dump them in there.

Or... I could simply just drive over and park them in your tank...;) ... jk.

marc

[bennyblanco]

Well... I lost my lakeside home the last time round and living in a rented apartment now has (thankfully) forced me to only keep 1 tank of only 5 discus, so i guess it's a plus point that i don't have too many fish to handle.

Because of that, if it really comes down to it, I plan to bag them all up and take them with me to houston. On and off i maintain a 150g fishtank in my company's houston office, so i'll just dump them in there.

Or... I could simply just drive over and park them in your tank...;) ... jk.

marc

THATS NOT A PROBLEM I HAVE ROOM IN THE 100 GALLON TANK!!!

[MiamiDan]

WHAT BRAND??????

Brand doesn't matter or you will end up paying through your nose $500-900+ for a 2500-3000 watt unit. Nowdays, most electronics of this type are produced without a name brand, offshore & work just as well as a Sears/Pepboys brand name. I paid 168.00 for mine at eBay, brand new & I'm happy with the quality. 2500 watts might be an overkill just to run air pumps & you can probably get away with a 500 watts unit, if that's all you want. Now if you want to watch tv, play with your laptop at the same time (like I will); then search for a unit that utilizes Sine Wave technology, overload circuit breakers & at least one ( if not dual) fans. The size of the cable connectors to the battery should be about as thick as your own car's. Good luck! Dan

[bennyblanco]

well dan i have a wet and dry filter and thats all i want to plug in the inverter.so you think 500 watts is enough.

[MiamiDan]

well dan i have a wet and dry filter and thats all i want to plug in the inverter.so you think 500 watts is enough.
You got to check the watts rating/usage of the pump on your wet dry. Some electronics are low consumption, like air pumps. Some items, like a 300 watts underwater titanium heater will eat up your battery rather quickly, no matter the capacity of the power inverter. Try to use low watts-consumption items and you'll be fine.

[yogi]

After hurricane Wilma we were under a boil water order for a week. So we had no electircity and no drinkable water from the tap. But yes the water did work so we could flush toilets and take cold showers.. So battery air pumps on the sponge filters. Did not feed the fish the whole time and no water changes. I ended up losing 3 out of 30 discus. The fish I did lose died after everything was back up and running. They just never snapped out of the shock they went thru for a week.

[devonpond]

Here's a source of the D-battery pumps.

Link (http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/Itemdy00.aspx?T1=F01AB+0171+0160)

[wolfbane]

Here's another one http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3693&Ntt=battery%20air%20pump&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

[Ed13]

If you can the generator is the #1 option very popular on the island
If not the power inverter will do the trick.
Battery air pumps as a last defense but do keep them.
Plenty of water. Don't rely on municipal water until a couple of days
No messy foods if you feel you must feed at all
Systerns are very popular on the island especially on the east since it receives damage by storms that just pass by

Personally, I reduce food and increase water chages the prior days. As soon as the winds pick up I cover the aquarium so that fish are not spook.I do water chages as necessary. I don't feed until water is back up or 5 days pass.

Since the caribbean is in the path of most hurricanes I asume at least a storm during the season so I always understock tanks.

[bennyblanco]

If you can the generator is the #1 option very popular on the island
If not the power inverter will do the trick.
Battery air pumps as a last defense but do keep them.
Plenty of water. Don't rely on municipal water until a couple of days
No messy foods if you feel you must feed at all
Systerns are very popular on the island especially on the east since it receives damage by storms that just pass by

Personally, I reduce food and increase water chages the prior days. As soon as the winds pick up I cover the aquarium so that fish are not spook.I do water chages as necessary. I don't feed until water is back up or 5 days pass.

Since the caribbean is in the path of most hurricanes I asume at least a storm during the season so I always understock tanks.

ED13 A generator IS NOT GOOD FOR ME CAUSE WHEN THEY SAY HURRICANE IN LOUISIANA THAT MEANS GET IN YOUR CALL AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING LIKE A INVERTER THAT I CAN LEAVE ON WHEN I EVACUATE,BY THE WAY I LIVED IN BAYAMON PUERTO RICO AND THATS WERE I FOUND OUT WHAT WAS A HURRICANE, THANKS FOR THE INFO!!!

[Ed13]

Did not realized a mandatory evacuation, sorry about that.
Then the inverter is what your looking. Any brand will do, but try to use a marine battery.
BTW, I live in BAYAMON.

[bennyblanco]

[QUOTE=Ed13

BTW, I live in BAYAMON.[/QUOTE]

you playing with me thats cool bayamon la ciudad del chicharron!!!

[Kindredspirit]

"Alberto" is in FLorida ~ tropical storm still? Ryan hope all is still okay!




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