ICE vs. The REEF TANK!

**salt-rookie** · 12-12-2007, 11:17 AM

My dear friends! I am taking the time to give you all a VERY SOLID bit of advice, based in the recent record setting ice storm in midwest Missouri. DO NOT try to maintain a reef WITHOUT a generator! EVEN if you live in Florida, there are weather events and power goes out! I bought a 2,000 watt generator at a frag swap in the middle of summer for $150. BEST money I EVER spent! Went to bed Saturday night, power went off about 6:30 am Sunday morning...it came back on Tuesday about 2:00 PM! I kept the return pump and my Sequence 1000 closed loop running around the clock. The temp dropped to 69.4 degrees...plugged in 2 X 400 watt heaters and burned a TON of wood to keep the room warm. Temp gradually came up to 76.4 degrees by the time the power came on. When the halides came on...I was scared to look...but EVERYTHING was GREAT! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GENERATOR, GET ONE! We are responsible for so very many life forms in our reef tanks! Here are a couple of pictures of the damage to my home, but my reef is GREAT! It sucked at Christmas, but it would have devastated me had my reef died!

The front of the house

The deck in the back

Thanks for looking, Merry Christmas!
Phil

**Reefland** · 12-12-2007, 11:56 AM

Hi Phil,

I know it's hard to see now (been through the same kind of ice storm) but those pictures are beautiful! I love the look of ice covered trees (as long as they aren't laying on our power lines).

Glad to hear your tank pulled through ok and hope that others in the same situation as you are having good luck getting through it too.

**radar** · 12-12-2007, 02:46 PM

3 days that sucks. I knew there was a reason i lived in desert.

***zhenya*** · 12-14-2007, 10:23 AM

Well, we had some ice conditions yesterday as well. Thanfully we didn;t loose power at all. This morning it just made for some pretty pictures taking.

Phil, glad your tank survived the ordeal.

Some pretty ice covered trees for Scott are attached...