Reef Tank Life Support: Preventing Total Crash During a 4-Hour Outage
The Oxygen Clock is Ticking
In a stocked reef tank, fish and corals consume oxygen rapidly. Without a return pump or wavemaker breaking the surface tension, gas exchange stops. You have less than 60 minutes before pH crashes and fish begin to suffocate. A simple battery backup for just the flow is mandatory.
The Heater Problem (Thermodynamics)
Flow is cheap (10-30 Watts). Heat is expensive (200-500 Watts). If you try to run your heaters on a standard UPS, it will drain in 15 minutes. You must prioritize: Flow first, Heat second.
Battery Performance: Flow vs. Heat
| Scenario | Load | Jackery 300 Runtime | EcoFlow Delta 2 Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Flow Only | 25 Watts | 10 Hours | 35+ Hours |
| Flow + 300W Heater | 325 Watts | 45 Minutes | 2.8 Hours |
The "Sine Wave" Warning for DC Pumps
Many modern DC return pumps (Ecotech, Neptune) are sensitive to "Modified Sine Wave" power found in cheap computer UPS units. Using dirty power can burn out the pump controller or cause it to whine loudly. Only use Pure Sine Wave inverters (like EcoFlow/Bluetti) to protect your equipment.
Calculate Your Tank's Runtime
Input your pump wattage to see if your corals will survive the night.
Check Pump Runtime