Introduction and Monthly Cost Question

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A

Andy_R

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 12, 2014
14
0
1
California
Hello MonsterFisherKeepers!

I am new to the forum and hopping to return to the hobby after many years.

I am wondering if anyone knows what the electricity bill on a 150-200 gallon aquarium would look like. I live in Northern Cali so the room temps are pretty warm. Looking to house an Oscar so I will have 2 filters, and maybe try and grow a few plants so I will need some sort of light (Yes I know Oscars and plants are a bad idea but I have a hairbrained scheme that I just outlined in the Chichlid Forum). My landlord pays for the water, so that will not be a factor. Basically I want to know what a good sized tank adds to the electricity bill.

Thank you!

Andy
 
that"s a good guess,,, my tanks (in phoenix)are all between 40-90 gallons and cost about 8-10 bucks each in winter and 3-4 in summer,since I UNPLUG the heaters, no sense running them when room temp is 85,,, the one thing you can do to save ...Aqua clear filters are real efficient,,,,, 3 of them( the 110's) usually cost as much to run as 1 big canister
 
On my 90 it is about 100 kWh per month, at MN electric of $0.08 per kWh that's about $8. But it's also a cool water tank, so barely heated. And that is a measured number using a kill a watt meter.

Efficient pumps are key, there are some DC pumps that use way less electricity, but they are more $ up front. Holding in heat is key (lids, insulation on the back, etc).


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I have a little over 1500 gals in tanks, some lit and heated, some not.
The energy cost the last couple months due to the cold has been between $350 and $400 per month.
In summer, less than $200.
 
Welcome to the forum Andy!

Is PG&E your electricity provider?

Since their billing is in a tiered schedule (the more you use, the more you pay) it would be tough to give an accurate estimate without knowing how much electricity you currently use.

The lowest tier per my last PG&E bill was $0.13 per KWHr and the highest was $0.36 per KWHr.

Assumptions*:
100 watts for filters (running 2 FX5's 24/7)
2x300 watt heaters that come on 3 hours per day
150 watts of lighting that are on 8 hours per day

If you manage to keep your energy usage in the lowest tier the tank will add as little as ~$20 per month but if all of this usage is in the highest tier, it can add as much as ~$60 to your bill.

* These assumptions may be a little on the high side. For example, if you were to run two Aquaclear 110s (28 watts) versus two FX5s (100 watts), that could get you down to $15 per month if you stay in the lowest tier and $30 if all the usage is in the highest tier. Running more efficient (LED) lights could get you down even more.

Hope that helps.
 
Wow, thank you for the welcomed great responses.

We are pg&e. Pretty low electricity usage currently. We have natural gas to heat the house and cook. We only have the lights on when we are home at night.

I am definitely into paying more upfront and saving in the long run.

Thanks again everyone!
 
i actually do some energy efficiency for schools in northern cali and i tested just my tanks, i spend about $50 a month just to run a 29, 37 and a 55 i narrowed it down and its mainly the heaters that use the most energy. im also thinking about buying lower wattage heaters cause its getting bad this winter for some reason
 
ozone5 said:
i actually do some energy efficiency for schools in northern cali and i tested just my tanks, i spend about $50 a month just to run a 29, 37 and a 55 i narrowed it down and its mainly the heaters that use the most energy. im also thinking about buying lower wattage heaters cause its getting bad this winter for some reason
Click to expand...

So a higher wattage heater (800w) that theoretically should hear the water faster and run less than a lower wattage heater (300w) still uses less energy even though it runs more? What about when they are on a digital controller like the JBJ True Temp?

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A little off topic, but I prefer (even if the cost is higher) to run 2 or 3 lower watt heaters per tank. If one crapps out, the others can maintain a reasonable temp, and or, if one sticks in the on position (which I find the most common problem) the others will (hopefully) stay off, thus not cooking the fish.
A good controller in theory, should stop the fish from being cooked, of course.
In summer I simply unplug mine, unless I need constant high temps for fish such as 90'F heat lovers like Alcolapia.
 
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