My dad tried this one on me last year. I'm an electrical engineering major, haha. We argued about it for about 15 minutes before I sat him down and showed him the math.
Tank cost per month
- Thread starter flowerhornguy
- Start date
Is he right about which? He made 2 statements:
1) you are using a lot of electricity
2) the canister filter added $10/month to the electric bill
As to #2. Don't see which canister you are using. I've found ones that range in wattage from 13 to 51 watts. At 50 watts running 24/7, assuming your home is in tier 2 (it probably is given all the aquariums), the rate is ~$.25/k WH, that works out to $9/month. Pretty darn close.
As to #1. Was posted, but look at what Woodshop posted for 1 tank with no heater. Cost was $3.35/month. Note what JK47 said: "The most wattage used in tanks is from heaters by a landslide." Take $3.35, assume that is 1/5th of the cost when using a heater, then multiply times 4. That's $67. Now adjust for the higher rate in tier 2 versus tier 1 electric rates, and you are over $100/month.
Without knowing the wattage on all the equipment or the tier / electric rates being charged, it's really difficult to nail it down with any accuracy. However, the math is in my earlier post, so if anyone wants to correct that and re-calculate the kWHR and provide a new electric rate, that would be swell.
Just for those who want to do this: California's residential electric rates (at least for PG&E, which covers a huge chunk of the state) is tiered with base rates applied only to 'average' households. An average is at around 550 kWHR per month and moves according to season. Other states may have flat rates across a wide spectrum, or lower base rates. The incremental cost of adding aquariums is not the base rate at the lowest tier unless you run a house with virtually no electricity. It's almost always going to push anyone except a single person in an apartment into tier 2. Those rates are double to triple what base rates are in most other states.
welll 300W x 4 = 1.2 KW thats 25c or what ever you guys pay every hour. thats 6$ a week if they run 24/7 24$ a month if 4 weeks 30$ a month if 5 weeks. 288$ per a year running 4x 300W heaters 24/7
Canisters all depend something using 50W + could jack it up 10$. I have found eheims are the best wattage / performance.
Imo everyone should just heat the room, I have god knows how much more water running in my fish room and all the tanks are heated off a 700W system. So I am paying less heating 180 gallon - 500 gallon tanks and I dont need to run the heater all day. but you will need to insulate so theres a higher up front cost + if you dont see yourself keeping fish in the next 3-4 years its going to be a waste of money! before all this I was paying 600$ per a month running 20 or so 300w heaters and they dont heat as fast as a heat pump anyways doh!
Canisters all depend something using 50W + could jack it up 10$. I have found eheims are the best wattage / performance.
Imo everyone should just heat the room, I have god knows how much more water running in my fish room and all the tanks are heated off a 700W system. So I am paying less heating 180 gallon - 500 gallon tanks and I dont need to run the heater all day. but you will need to insulate so theres a higher up front cost + if you dont see yourself keeping fish in the next 3-4 years its going to be a waste of money! before all this I was paying 600$ per a month running 20 or so 300w heaters and they dont heat as fast as a heat pump anyways doh!
the 300W x 4 = 1.2 KWH, at 24 hours per day = 28.8 KWH/day. In one week, that's 208.6 KWH. Times $.25 = $52.15/week. However, OP says only heaters only run 15 hours / day, so around $32.59/week. If you use $.14/KWH, works out to $18.25/week. My guess is it's somewhere between those 2 amounts just for heaters. The rest is another 20-25% more.
I don't think so either. That was just a guess. I'm not going to sit and watch a heater the whole day. Maybe 10 at most
I live in Florida and have 6 tanks ranging from 3gal picotope, up to a 75 gallon, all tanks are over filtered with 2 filter on each rated for the size of the tank. all lights are either t5's or t8's, 75 has a 200 watt heater and 20 tall has 100 watt heater. the other tanks are kept at room temp which is generally about 75-78. I never really noticed a huge change in my electric. My bill maybe went up by 20-30 bucks a month. all filters are HOB
75gallon - 2 AC110's, 4 32watt t8's, 1 200watt heater, 2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 550's
29 gallon hex - 1 Bio System Power Filter & Oxy Surface Skimmer, 2 13watt t'8 or t5's (not sure)
20 long - 2 Tetra Whisper EX30, one Aqueon Dual 21watt t5's
20 tall - 1 AC30, 1 100watt heater, 1 Aqueon Dual 18 watt t5's
10 gallon -1 Aqueon quietflow 20 w/ one single t8
3 gallon Pico - 2 tiny filters, and a small t5 not even sure the wattage
with all that I never once noticed a change in my electric bill more than 20 bucks.
75gallon - 2 AC110's, 4 32watt t8's, 1 200watt heater, 2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 550's
29 gallon hex - 1 Bio System Power Filter & Oxy Surface Skimmer, 2 13watt t'8 or t5's (not sure)
20 long - 2 Tetra Whisper EX30, one Aqueon Dual 21watt t5's
20 tall - 1 AC30, 1 100watt heater, 1 Aqueon Dual 18 watt t5's
10 gallon -1 Aqueon quietflow 20 w/ one single t8
3 gallon Pico - 2 tiny filters, and a small t5 not even sure the wattage
with all that I never once noticed a change in my electric bill more than 20 bucks.
I Love the Tetra Whisper 30's for my 20 long. No heater needed because the filters motor is inside the tank, keeps my tank right at 80 degrees all the time. They create great surface movement but no large under water currents, which works out great with my planted tank. Only had one problem with them, when I got a second one, the tube that takes the water into the back resivoir, popped off and got about 7 gallons out of my tank before I noticed it. Returned it and got the same pump, haven't had an issue since. Water is crystal clear.
