Questions regarding electric/water bills...

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C

cideon

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 16, 2011
82
0
6
west texas
I was just wondering, for something simple (well, you you monster fish keepers, haha), like a 90-125 gallon tank or some, how much in percentage did you see a jump in your electric bill? I'm not asking for amount since that varies way too much for all over the US :p What about for those next step-up tanks, like 180s-300s? I doubt I can get anything bigger, so I'm not asking for others, heh.

Also, for water chagnes, those of you in desert regions, how much percentage did your water bill go up for all those water changes? And what do y'all use for that anyway? I have a python for my 15 and my 40.... do you use the same thing on your mighty tanks? Does it just take like half a day? Or is there something else you do???

Thanks so much! As I want to buy a house soon and have larger tanks (I also have a 5gal, and a 10gal, heh), I want to make sure I can budget not only the initial purchases, but the maintenance of utility bills.
 
Electric will vary, you won't have the heater running much in summer and may not in winter either, depending on if the tank is in the house or a garage, the temp of the water 76 vs. 82, and how warm your house is. I have my 125 set up in the bedroom at 76, the bedroom is one of the warmest rooms in winter and coolest in summer and the 250w heater does fine. The heater hardly ever seems to be on, but I sometimes see it on.
For filteration costs, again it's going to depend on what you decide to use. I ran the 125 with 1 Emperor 400 and 2 Aquaeon 75 filters. It was plenty for that tank, and once a week one filter would get rinsed out so there was never a drop in bb. Figure those filters are running 24/7 at 'X' wattage. I still haven't tested them to see what they pull on watts but you get the idea here. There are lots of alternatives too. A sump, canister, or sponges. Wattage will vary with all so research it a bit. I have switched my filters around again, the Aquaeons seem to be hit and miss, I have had two get bad impeller vibrations after awhile and had to warranty them out. They were of the old 55/75 variety, the new 75 seem ok - so far.

Then comes lighting, how many watts are pulled by the bulb and how many bulbs are you using? I run a 4' strip on my 6' 125. It does stay a bit darker on each end but there also is never an algae issue either. I have a twin setup but I only run one 6500k bulb a 40 watts for 10 hours a day. It grows decent algae in the middle of the tank where I like it (my pleco likes to snack on it and the platies do too).

Finally, if you are breaking down one tank, say a 40 gallon, and replacing it with a 125 gallon - your not adding the full cost to what you are billed now, you will be subtracting the current usage too. So if you are using a 24 inch strip light which is usually either 35 or 40 watts you almost break even there. If you are running an Emperor 400 on the tank now (which is what I ran on my 40), I would move that to the 125 and add another filter source too, so you only add the additional filter costs. I would look at either a 250 or 300w heater for it, higher if it's in an unheated area.

Other costs will be the increase in water usage for water changes. You may want to check your water provider to see what (if any) options are there. We have billed tiers and stuff, it varies summer to winter etc..

If you want to make a great investment for the tank I would recommend this - buy a hydro pro 5 sponge with a powerhead and the flow attachment under $40 shipped (www.jehmco.com/html/hydro-sponge_filters.html items HS-FP5C100 with HS-FPLN). This has two uses, first - the sponge is great for beneficial bacteria and can really help out if there is a power outage, second - you can push a hose onto the output end of the powerhead and simply pump it out of the aquarium for water changes. We run all the old fish water out to the flowerbeds and trees in the yard and they have done really well even in the 2 months of over 100 degree temps this past summer.
 
Hello; The python you rerference may be a source of wasted water. It is my understanding that the tap is left open for the faucet to which it is attached. The water running from the faucet creates a siphon effect for the python. If the tap has to be left on while the tank is drained, a lot of water just goes down the drain. I am thinking this based on some of the setups used in a few science labs. You then have to add water back into the tank. The bigger tank will add to this waste as it will take much longer to do a water change. Perhaps python users can clear this up if I am mistaken.
Being in Texas and considering the current drought, it may be less expensive to find a different way to do a water change. Many, including my self, used the old tank water for house plants, shrubs and such.
There are power useage meters sold that measure the actual consumption of an appliance .This could perhaps give an accurate measure of the equipment you are running. Perhaps folks with such a meter can post the actual readings from their setups. Electricity and water are likely to cost more in the future.
 
After you start the syphon with the python you can turn the water off and it will continue draining. It takes longer to drain than if you have the faucet on though.
 
aclockworkorange said:
Only if your sink is lower than your tank.
Click to expand...

Well unless your tank is on the floor or in the basement I don't see how anyone would have a tank lower than their sink. That being said I temporarily have a tank sitting on the floor and trying to use the python under power of the sink still is kind of worthless and a huge waste. I tried it, the tank is 92 gallons, and didn't realize how long it had went for and realized it had been draining for 3 hours and was only down about halfway. I actually tried again the next week to double check. For that tank I gave up and I just use buckets and drain it manually drain most of the water in less than 20 minutes.
 
My 40 and my sink faucet are about the same level, so I can only drain the top 20% with the water off, but the rest needs the water running. I like the idea of just hanging it out a window and "watering" with it though, especially since then it can be lower than the tank. I only wonder, is there a "method" to making sure your bell-thing isn't bashing all over the place, sucking up sand substrate while you're outside doing that part? Can't do buckets since I can only physically lift the small 2gal ones, but nothing heavier :[
 
When I set up my first tank, a 110g with a Rio 2100 in the sump, canister filter, 200w heater and two flight fixtures with a total of 4 30" bulbs, I did not notice any difference in my electric bill. When I set up my 210g with two ReeFlo Snapper pumps, a Mag 12 and 900 watts of heaters I noticed an increase of about 10%.

I can't help you with the water as I'm on a well. As already mentioned, if you are concerned about water usage do not use a python. Use a siphon and bucket or set up a pump for water changes. On my 210g, I use the flush fitting on my canister, hook a garden hose up to it and run it outside or to the sink - quick and no wasted water. I do use a python on my 110g.
 
If you want an accurate cost, why not just do the math? The only variable will be how often the heater will have to cycle on and off to maintain your desired temperature, but all of your other equipment will either be running 24/7 (pumps/ filters) or you will have a good idea of how long you want them on (lights). You should also be able to do the math on how much your water bill would increase.
 
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