Question...Issues with Power Outages

[FreshlyWatered]

I have had so much fun keeping an aquarium with my husband that I have set up an aquarium for my class room.

One of the problems I'm having is that the power supply is not always consistent. When the power goes off in my classroom it trips that GFCI and when the power comes back on the heater and the filter don't have power because the gfci's been tripped. This is a problem evenings and weekends.

I am trying to figure out a solution that would protect any living things in the aquarium over the weekend especially with winter approaching.

Has anyone ever tried using a styrofoam cooler as an insulating device? I'm thinking if I take the lid off and turn the cooler upside down over the tank I might have a better shot at keeping the heat regulated until I would be able to return to reset the GFCI and restore power to the heater and the filter. The upside down cooler would not be permanent and would not be an eyesore.

Has anyone tried this before? Was it successful?

 

[Andy Sager]

Instead of a cooler, I'd get the styro insulation boards like this: 3/4 in. x 1.25 ft. x 4 ft. R-2.65 Polystyrene Panel Insulation Sheathing (6-Pack) 150705 - The Home Depot at home Depot or Lowes and cut to fit on each panel of glass. You can secure these together with tape. You do not want air in between the styro and glass. The issue will be the top. If you have a lid with light on the tank, it will be hard to enclose that and unfortunately heat rises so you would need to remove the light and cover with a blanket. More importantly tho is aeration. They do make battery operated air pumps that you plug in the wall outlet but if the electricity goes out, they kick on. This is best used with inside the tank filters like box filters or sponge filters that are air driven. The real concern tho is you have to keep up with the battery life as they may not always last 48 hours until you return. Are there any outlets in the classroom that are not GFCI outlets? If so, can you use them instead?

 

[Aiken Drum]

I would look at stocking fish that aren't tropical so the heater going out isn't an issue, making sure you are lightly stocked so the filter going out isn't an issue, and getting a battery operated airstone that kicks in when the power goes out.

There are lots of great temperate water fish. Minnows, danios, some barbs and loaches. Many invertebrates can be kept at room temperature.