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Having air stones driven by back-up, battery powered air pumps is a good idea in the event of a power outage. Such air pumps can save your fish in the event that you lose power and your power filters or air-driven filters stop working, especially if you’re at work or away for any length of time.
If you keep fish long enough, you will eventually experience a tank or filter failure that will inevitably leave you with a floor full of water. It WILL happen.
After nearly 20 years of personally avoiding such a disaster, my luck ran out this past weekend. I woke up Sunday morning and, like every other morning, went down to the basement where all but one of my show tanks are located. The basement is partially finished and partially carpeted.