IDEAS ON CUTTING DOWN ELECTRIC COST !! ANY !

[hsosa]

My current 300gallon cost me $100 to run a month.

No chiller running.
1 250wattt icecap mh
1 400 wattt blueline ballast
1 96 wattt pc
1 55 watt pc
four heaters running
one mag 2400
one mag 900
ph moniter
rio 800
litermeter
two 3 inch fans
1 maxijet

any ideas will help out thanks.

 

[Robf]

Right off the top, the mags could be replaced with quality external pumps such as Sequence... They have big performance with dramatically less electrical draw.

Pumps are by far the largest expense when it comes to the power bill. They're running 24x7.

Mag 24 = 265w
Mag9.5 = 93w

Total: 358w(!) x 24 hours x 30 days /1000w

=258kwH / month!

 

[Anonymous]

Talk to louey.

Turn your computer off every night.

 

[Anonymous]

there is talk of light cycles here....

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showt ... adid=30668

 

[cdeakle]

if some Sumpizens are Sumplets, and all Sumplets are Sumpers, then certainly some Sumpers are Sumpizens.... but not necessarily all.

?

 

[hsosa]

I would love to replace the mags. but they are in sump pumps. my sump is a 100gallon glass tank. not drilled. any in-sump pumps using less wattage? I followed the thread on only 3hours of light. Im going to dial down my light. To one hour less on each light. This should help me out/ Thanks for the info. any other ideas ?

 

[Anonymous]

if some Sumpizens are Sumplets, and all Sumplets are Sumpers, then certainly some Sumpers are Sumpizens.... but not necessarily all.

?

forgive me....

the light of the Sump is nearly non-existent.
'some have mutated into pale eyeless abominations..... the commonly referred to "clown" has a very different incantation in the bowels of this place.

 

[Anonymous]

Robf is on to it. Check the wattage of everything you are running. If a more energy efficient model is available, get it!

A couple of other things to do: Lower the temp if possible. Those heaters are costing you a bundle. Shorten the photoperiod. Them lamps are eating up electricity as well.

Otherwise, welcome to the cost of a large tank! More energy efficient equipment and shorter durations are about all else you can do to get the monthly costs down.

Louey

 

[hsosa]

Thanks . Im cutting down on the photoperiod. need the heaters. its been cold out here lately. yeah it snot cheap having a 300gallon tank.

 

[Robf]

I would think those mags were doing the bulk of your tank heating!

Unfortunately, I know of no other submersible pump that have the capacity of the mags you own. They're power-hogs, but they work well.

Hopefully reducingthe photoperiod will help you.

If it makes you feel any better, there's folks in CA with power bills approaching the $600-$700 mark. This always make me feel a bit better. (sorry CA residents)

R.

 

[kim]

It is an expensive hobby.

But also look at it in perspective - US$ 100 per month....that would almost buy you a regular size latte each day in a London branch of Starbucks.

Maybe if you look at other living costs on a monthly basis there are other areas where cutting back might be easier ? First, if it were me, I would be cutting back on the coffee....

kim

 

[jbpig]

Where are you at? It seems a little high for $100.00 just for that stuff. I ahve a 150 with 2x250's and pretty much the same other stuff as you, plus 2 kids that cant seem to turn off anyhting...My electric bill is only $125.00 a month for the whole house!

 

[Juck]

Sell your tank and take up Macrame.

 

[npaden]

I have never figured out why people need heaters in reeftanks? I keep my house at 68 in the winter and have a single 300W heater on my 415 gallon tank. Temp swimgs from 82 in the day to 79 at night in the winter. I would think that you would have even less need for the heaters since Mags are known to heat the water pretty good.

FWIW, Nathan

 

[Anonymous]

I have never figured out why people need heaters in reeftanks? I keep my house at 68 in the winter and have a single 300W heater on my 415 gallon tank. Temp swimgs from 82 in the day to 79 at night in the winter. I would think that you would have even less need for the heaters since Mags are known to heat the water pretty good.

FWIW, Nathan

if his tank stays warm enough to deem heaters unnecessary, then there is no need to pull them out for electrical savings.

 

[npaden]

Maybe he has his heaters set on 82?

 

[Mikef1]

$100 a month seems a bit high just for that tank. I run 2 400s and a chiller on my 90 and mhs on my 150 ,with all the pumps I dont even get that high of a bill.

 

[hsosa]

I live in Southern california and yes my heaters are set to 82-- its been in the 40-50 s out here . My tank is in the garage. Ive turned down the light cycle . Ive also installed PC light bulbs throughout the house.

 

[K9coral]

Shutdown the tank and get an aquarium screen saver!

 

[Kevin1000]

You might consider tossing an insulated blanket over your tank in the evening. Doesn't cost much, easy to do, and it will help your heating bill at night when it is at its coldest.

Just a thought.