JanS

Do you think your planted tank hobby has increased your electricity consumption quite a bit with the lights, etc.?
Maybe more importantly, if it has considerably increased, has your spouse noticed the difference?

Ours averages about $100/month (or 1000 kwh), and while the tanks do drive it up some, I think bigger factors are the livestock tank heater (for the water) in the winter, and the AC running in the summer.

I don't believe my spouse has any issues with the aquatics being a factor in the bill.

david lim

I believe most of the equipment for an aquarium are very efficient in using electricity as opposed to washing/drying machines and air conditioners. My electricity bill ranges from $40-60 depeding on the season. During the summer in Texas (as Jan knows gets quite hot) I have to use the A/C which is when my bill increases into the $50-60 range.

I have a 58 gal with an Eheim 2217 and 250W MH HQI and a 29gal with an Eheim 2213 and 110W PCF. I don't know how much they increase my electricity bill but I don't think it's more than $10/ month. My fiancee's uses A/C much more liberally than I and her bills always run higher than mine.

Phil Edwards

All of our HVAC is electric so my lovely wife has no idea how much the lights may contribute to the bill. Ignorance is bliss....my bliss.

Piscesgirl

I'm on all electric and my bills is almost always over $100/month thanks to living in a mobile home. In addition, I have an electric cooperative that even charges me $10/month for the meter so they can charge me!!!!! GRRRRR I have reduced lighting to reduce my bill and am thinking of breaking down some tanks....

gnatster

You can find a calculator to figure pretty closely what a tank adds to the bill here

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/tank_elec_calc.php

At the 0.0624 KWH summer rates I pay the 8 40w bulbs on the Shrimp Rack on for 8 hrs daily adds $5.06 to the bill.

JanS

Oh my.... I'm not sure I should have looked at that calculator.

With around 700 watts of light, and almost 1000 watts of heaters running 10 - 12 hours per day, not to mention the other equipment, it runs almost 10 times what your shrimp rack does Gnaster....

Oh yeah, I hear you about those service charges PG. Our company charges $18.50 regardless of what you use, so the place we own next door costs us over $20 after taxes even if we don't use any electricity....

niko

A total of $100-110 for the tanks only, which are:

- 180 gal with about 1,300 watts equipment (lights, filters, heaters, UV)
- 55 gal - 350 watts
- 30 gal - 300 watts
- 25 gal - 200 watts
- 35 gal - 200 watts

The wattages include the heaters that are not all the time.

--Nikolay

dennis

About 16 bucks a month to run all my tanks... small tanks though

trenac

I can not see an noticeable increase in the electric bill since I have added tanks, weather it be 1 or 4 tanks. Most of are cost comes from the heat pump, water heater and other appliances. David, you have some cheap electric bills!

turbomkt

Electric bill? $300 a year. The hot tub and A/C are the killers...

Oh, yeah...forgot about this part.