best filter usage

[dad_jsp]

Ok, I need to reduce my electrical bill.


180 gal with 40 African Haps/Peacocks (2 AC110 and 1x Aqua Via 750)
90 gal with 7 South Americans (1x AC110 and 1x FX5)

filters available

3x AC110
1x FX5
1x EHeim Pro 3 2080
1x Aqua Via 750
1x FB300 fluidized sand filter
600gph sump set up

which setup would do the job and lower my bill??

Thanks

 

[jschall]

Ok, I need to reduce my electrical bill.


180 gal with 40 African Haps/Peacocks (2 AC110 and 1x Aqua Via 750)
90 gal with 7 South Americans (1x AC110 and 1x FX5)

filters available

3x AC110
1x FX5
1x EHeim Pro 3 2080
1x Aqua Via 750
1x FB300 fluidized sand filter
600gph sump set up

which setup would do the job and lower my bill??

Thanks

I'd look into lights and heating first. Are your tanks covered? What type of lights are you running? Are your tanks planted? What's room temperature? Are you running air conditioning to achieve this room temperature?

 

[Toby_H]

To check the electrical usage of a filter... check the wattage it uses...

Off the top of my head an AC 110 uses 14 watts... compare that to a 60~100 W light bulb and it's easy to quickly determine filters do not use much electricity...

Basic fluorescent lighting is about 10W per foot. So it’s more than filtration, but still not much.

It’s very possible to run a 4’ tank’s filters and lights with less electricity than a typical light bulb.

Heaters… now that’s a different story. Most ‘tropical’ fish do not need 80*F which many of us keep them at, 77*F is fine. Covering the tank thoroughly will hold that heat in. Using insulation on the bottom, back and possibly sides can also help hold that heat in.

I personally use 2W per gallon to keep an aquarium up to 15*F warmer than the room’s air temperature. Using a bigger heater than this may or may not use more current, as it will be on less often. I would have to see an actual “study” on this topic to be convinced one way or the other (all to often we are mislead by trusting someone else’s speculation).

But in the end, fish tanks don’t use that much electricity… My ex used to complain about my aquariums burning up to much electricity until we did our own little study to see what was making our bill so high…

Her spending 25 minutes blow drying her hair with a 1500W hairdryer was higher on the list than she would have ever imagined…
Her running the dishwasher with the drying cycle at 3600W shocked us both…
Blocking off heat/AC vents to unused rooms made a difference…
The huge Plasma TV that she just had to have used more than we realized…

…but amusingly that little study didn’t blame my aquariums for nearly as much cost as she liked to pretend…

 

[CornBread]

yes i agree to check out your other options rather than filtration, but say if you can eliminate 2 filters with one better than by all means do it. also you might want to upgrade your heater as well it might help

 

[dad_jsp]

Her spending 25 minutes blow drying her hair with a 1500W hairdryer was higher on the list than she would have ever imagined…
Her running the dishwasher with the drying cycle at 3600W shocked us both…
Blocking off heat/AC vents to unused rooms made a difference…
The huge Plasma TV that she just had to have used more than we realized…

…but amusingly that little study didn’t blame my aquariums for nearly as much cost as she liked to pretend…

Great, I will inform the wife she needs to spend less time with the hair dryer before I start removing filters

I only run the lights on the tanks for a few hours a day and the tanks are all at 77 degrees

 

[Toby_H]

Great, I will inform the wife she needs to spend less time with the hair dryer before I start removing filters

I only run the lights on the tanks for a few hours a day and the tanks are all at 77 degrees

While that may be a true solution... tread carefully....

lol

 

[dennisdeng2002]

While that may be a true solution... tread carefully....

lol

I agree, your going to need to phrase your words carefully..."Honey you can't dry your hair anymore because I just picked up a new tank"...

 

[dad_jsp]

While that may be a true solution... tread carefully....

lol

hehe, that didn't work

She doesn't understand why I need so many filters on the tanks.

What would be the best filter setup per tank from what I currently have

thanks

 

[Toby_H]

Well... you could use one big filter per tank... but that one big filter will be powered by a big pump that uses a lot of current..

Or you can use several smaller filters that equal the same filtration but with a lot less electricity...

I think the trick is to get her to understand the wattage of each item dictates the electricity it actually uses... Then show her the wattage of your filters compared to the wattage of some of her preferred electical items... naturally plan this in advance to only review her high wattage items

If it's a matter of "you have to many filters"... take her hand... kiss it gentle... walk her to her closet... then stare at her blankly...

 

[JakeH]

Well... you could use one big filter per tank... but that one big filter will be powered by a big pump that uses a lot of current..

Or you can use several smaller filters that equal the same filtration but with a lot less electricity...

I think the trick is to get her to understand the wattage of each item dictates the electricity it actually uses... Then show her the wattage of your filters compared to the wattage of some of her preferred electical items... naturally plan this in advance to only review her high wattage items

If it's a matter of "you have to many filters"... take her hand... kiss it gentle... walk her to her closet... then stare at her blankly...

Awesome. Just awesome.