Challenging developments.

[esoxlucius]

I've already, and very briefly, mentioned this in another thread. Some members have been asking me to start a stand alone thread detailing these developments as they are already having an impact on my hobby.

About 6 months ago my energy supplier went bust, so we automatically were taken on board by another energy supplier. A few weeks ago they contacted me and asked if I was aware that our current monthly energy payments were absolutely no where near covering our monthly use.

Long story short, years of underpaying with our previous supplier meant we had built up a huge back log of debt, to the tune of a couple of thousand pounds!!

So this needs paying back, coupled with the astronomically high prices at the minute, with more price hikes on the way too, it's all getting too much. It has also come to light that our electricity usage, in part thanks to my hobby, is TRIPLE the UK average!!

First and foremost we've paid a lump sum off the debt, though not all, and then moving forward we've agreed on a payment plan to get back on track. Secondly, and much more importantly, we need to make a substantial dent in this "triple" usage business.

So my 120 and my hex tank have been taken out of commission and all my fish are now in my 360g. Only problem so far, and I expected it, is that my rummynosed tetras and a group of neon tetras have "vanished". But obviously I have more pressing issues to deal with than a few tiddlers!

I partly blame my previous energy supplier. I mean you expect them to keep tabs on your account and alter your payments accordingly....not so in my case!

And I partly curse myself because ever since the paperless bill policy which most companies adopt nowadays, all my bills have been through emails and such. And being a total technophobe I tend to ignore them, and like I said choose to trust my energy supplier instead.

Other things are being done to reduce our electricity usage and our newly fitted smart meter is telling me that we are definitely going in the right direction as regards our consumption.

So that's it, all up to speed. Don't be feeling sorry for me. If my 360 had to go too it wouldn't bother me too much, I've left the hobby before. It's no big deal. We'll just have to see how things develop now over the coming extremely volatile and uncertain months.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

Only problem so far, and I expected it, is that my rummynosed tetras and a group of neon tetras have "vanished".

That answers some of my questions! I was really wondering about the compatibility of so many different kinds of fish.

The rest are as follows:

-Space wise, would you consider this tank presently overstocked or slated to be overstocked when all the fish grow up? I mean, it's 30 sharks/barbs, a giant gourami, a bristlenose pleco 2 good size cichlids, 11 clown loaches, and the German blue rams.
-Bioload wise, how much exactly do you think you'll have to increase water replacements?
-Have you sold the old tanks/equipment to deal with the debt, or do you plan to? If so, have they just paid a bit or have they payed a non-insignificant amount?
-Do you agree that it would be great for me to be able to magically grant you good enough tech skills to download a video of this tank for all to see? ?

Thanks for making this thread and enlightening me.

 

[duanes]

I find the heating of tanks are the biggest energy users (if using traditional aquarium heaters).
When I retired to a fixed income situation, I switched out heat guzzling tropical species to Uruguayan or Argentinian species that didn't need heaters, in about half my tanks.
When my fish shed heating bills during winter were over $400 per month alone, these bills went down considerably once I ditched high temp craving species.
Buenos Aires tetras, and other Uruguayan tetras, southern S American catfish, and Pleco's, cichlids like Gymnogeophagu, Australoheros, even some Crenicichla don't need extra heat.



And there are plenty of Asian species from China and Korea that don't need heat from Paradise fish, to denizen and many other barbs.
Many northern Mexicans or high altitude live bearers fit the lower range energy bills, like Xenotocca eiseni below..

 

[esoxlucius]

That answers some of my questions! I was really wondering about the compatibility of so many different kinds of fish.

The rest are as follows:

-Space wise, would you consider this tank presently overstocked or slated to be overstocked when all the fish grow up? I mean, it's 30 sharks/barbs, a giant gourami, a bristlenose pleco 2 good size cichlids, 11 clown loaches, and the German blue rams.
-Bioload wise, how much exactly do you think you'll have to increase water replacements?
-Have you sold the old tanks/equipment to deal with the debt, or do you plan to? If so, have they just paid a bit or have they payed a non-insignificant amount?
-Do you agree that it would be great for me to be able to magically grant you good enough tech skills to download a video of this tank for all to see? ?

Thanks for making this thread and enlightening me.

I've openly said many times that my 360 is on the full side, lol. But most of the fish you allude to are small, and will stay quite small, and at the end of the day, along with the sump, I'm looking at a system in excess of 400 gallons.

Apart from my GG there really aren't any monsters in there. I think the mix of my GG, and my mini monsters (balas, clowns, choc), along with the other small barbs, all intermingling with one another at all levels of the tank are what make it look so great, imo of course, lol.

One day maybe i'll be in a position to post a video or two occasionally.

My bio load isn't that great to be honest. Once a week fin level water changes never see the nitrate out of the orange on the test chart. I am an advocate of minimal feeding too, along with a couple of fasting days, so this undoubtedly helps. Fish look healthy and they're active. I think things are going very well.

Now my 120 and hex tank are no longer in use my smart meter is telling me that they were costing between £1.50 and £2.00 per day to run (pumps, filters, heaters, powerheads, lights). Doesn't seem a lot till you multiply it by 365 and also factor in that we are in summer! My heaters will work harder in winter so that cost would go up further. That's the problem with this hobby, too many incremental costs which add up.

I've still got the tanks. I offered the 120 to Fishman Dave but after chatting with him, he is also facing uncertain times, he has 18 tanks!! He has some hard decisions to make too if this dreadful energy crisis carries on.

 

[wednesday13]

Terrible to be at the mercy of utilities like that. Ud think u wouldn’t b responsible for the “back log” of their mistakes. Sadly how it goes tho. My city “upgraded” their water meters a few yrs ago from manual to digital. Needless to say i was put in a similar situation. Had 6-7 yrs of consistent water bills around $125. It jumped to $250-300 a month with the new meter. I’ve been tearing down tanks ever since and still can’t get down to where i was before. I had 37 tanks running, 32 on automated water change. Im down to 4 tanks now and my monthly water bill is still $140-150 a month ?‍… they keep hiking the rates every year so every time i remove a tank it evens out to the same. Def. Feel ur pain. Its not easy trying to save wattage and water any where u can to cut costs. Esp. After being “complacent” for so many yrs not having to worry much about it. The rates will never stop rising tho either… endless battle like ur saying.

 

[jjohnwm]

I am so very sorry to hear this, Esox. I recall that you touched very lightly on this issue in another thread which was discussing energy costs associated with aquariums, but this detailed version is much more revealing.

I'm a bit flabbergasted to hear that your new supplier can even legally hold you to this debt; I'd be checking this very carefully to make sure you are truly on the hook here. There are many companies that will gleefully "try their customers on" with a demand like this, knowing full well that their demands cannot be legally enforced; some folks will refuse, but many will just grin and bear it. Even if your previous now-defunct provider could indeed make this demand...that doesn't necessarily mean that your new one can.

Ignoring for the moment worries about fish compatibility, etc...which are understandably near the bottom of the list of concerns you have at the moment...I'll just mention that you don't necessarily need to leave the hobby altogether, or even downsize from your current lovely big tank. Examine the energy consumption of your tank's various systems, and you will find that heating alone is costing you many times more than lighting and filtration combined. My 360 uses just over 200 watts of power for lighting and filtration combined, whereas heating alone adds another 750 watts to the equation!

So going with an unheated, temperate- or cold-water tank would cut your tank-related energy consumption down to less than 25% of what it is now. And...you could even, if desired, forego mechanical pumps for filtration and rely entirely upon air-powered filters...Matten, sponge, etc. Using a simple air pump as your sole source of water movement/filtration...which is a very doable and realistic plan...would cut your energy consumption down to something in the area of 15% or less of current usage (air pumps use very little power). And this is assuming that you continue on with live plants needing illumination; say goodbye to plants, illuminate the tank only during the evening for watching the fish, and save even more.

You have said in the past that your dream fish were European perch. Maybe now's the time?

Edited to add: As usual, everyone else beat me to the punch with this observation. So, feel free to replace all the above with "Yeah...what he said!"

 

[Backfromthedead]

My God, what a nightmare and scam. A nightmarish scam. I would be no fun to talk to if I was dealing with that.

I've been wondering what the deal is with all this new meter switchery lately. Should've figured it was just typical corporate profiteering.

Best of luck sorting it all out. I get the impression this is a widespread problem. Where's a government bailout when a MFKer needs it!?

 

[esoxlucius]

You have said in the past that your dream fish were European perch. Maybe now's the time?

It's funny you should mention this. As we are all very much aware heaters are the bain of this hobby in such an energy crisis, and to just go overnight from several 300w heaters to zero heaters is a mouthwatering prospect, lol.

If my tank catastrophically crashed overnight and I lost every single fish I have I'd honestly be straight to the nearest reservoir tomorrow to catch a few perch. I'd be straight back into it, wow, what a thought.

Thing is, when good old Esox chose his "long term" fish seven years ago when he came back into the hobby, he did too good a job, the old fool. I mean how much more long term can you get than a GG who could live to over 20 years old, and bloody clown loach that could live, well, as long as you!!

As much as I dream about an unheated perch tank, my choices of current fish aren't likely to see it happen any time soon. Unless I got rid, and that would leave me feeling empty.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

and bloody clown loach

Lol.

 

[jjohnwm]

But you commented that you could see yourself exiting the hobby altogether; did you mean a few decades from now when the final rickety loaches and GG died, or were you planning on just filleting them all at once and continuing to keep them...in the freezer?

You've never struck me as one of the new breed of fishkeepers, who buy/sell/swap fish like trading cards. But in a case like the one in which you find yourself now, perhaps re-homing them all is an option. Quick, contact Fishman Dave before he gets one of those threatening payment-due letters!

Maybe even research your current fish carefully; don't you have some Denison Barbs now? It sounds as though they might be a candidate for a room-temperature tank. Perhaps you have others as well?

If you simply stop feeding your tank now, it will likely degenerate into a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome free-for-all, and natural selection will winnow down the numbers a bit for you. Who needs all those tiddlers...?