Electricity Costs

[weezawoo]

Hey
Some of you may know I am looking to setup a 6ft Marine tank. I am trying to figure out the extra cost per week as we are on a prepay key living with my BF's nan. I need to persuade her it won't cost much more a week

I am planning on running:

4x 54w T5HO lights
skimmer
2 x powerheads
2 x 200w heaters (obviously these won't be on very much)

It is possible after a while more will be ran but for startoff this wil be all.

I am working it out as follows:

I don't know for definate how much it costs, apparently 10p is average so I used 15p as a guess. Finding out def tonight.

54w x 4 = 216w
216w x 10hours = 2.2 kwh (averaged)
2.2kwh x 15p = 35p a day running costs.
35p x 7days = £2.45 a week.

Does that sound right? I work out in total it to be around £6 a week.

Anyone know what they pay for their tanks?

 

[jameshughes1989]

Well im currently running a 2ft cube and work mine out to be around £6 a week. I am running LED lighting though so that helps to keep leccy bills down but then I have got a sump so running a return pump, light for cheato, reactor pump and 3 powerheads 24/7.

Hope that helps.

James

 

[pirate monkey]

I sold my marine tank last weekend, previously we have been putting £20 on our key meter every week.

We put £20 on last Saturday after the tank had been picked up, the same time this Saturday the electric went down to £8.70 - which is how much it had been costing us a week.

I had a Rio 180 (3'9") with 3 powerheads, sump pump, sump light 3 x 54W T5HO lights, skimmer and 2 x 200W heaters

So with what you have listed, your heaters would probably be on a little more than mine, and you have one more light and probably a more powerful skimmer, but no sump pump or sump light, I would expect it would be around the same as mine. Don't forget to factor in for the extra heater and powerhead a couple of days a week for mixing salt! Also depends whether or not you have economy 7 as that would reduce the cost throughout the small hours.

There are some good powerheads out there that have a low power rating, if you don't have yours already, although I can't think which ones they are...

HTH

 

[woody88]

Have you based calculation on the fact that the lights won't be on 24/7 or is that Continous.

I have 2 skimmers, 1 pump, 2 powerheads, led light, t5 light and a 200w heater
And it won't be anymore than a fiver a week at the most.

What you need to remember is that the wattage of the heater, lights, pumps etc is maximum wattage these will produce when running at the highest capacity.

Pumps can be adjusted, lighting isnt usually on 24/7 and you'll never have a 200 watt heater set on it's highest setting.

Work out the total wattage and then take say 10%-20% off and you would be closer to the cost.

 

[Morri]

My 100 Gallon was running about £12 a week using 6 x 39w T5s I would ignore the heaters they will rarely be used

T5s will burn the full amount + some more at a guess 10% for the ballast etc.

Power heads will run at full power all the time also so will the skimmer

Its hard to tell the amount but £2.45 a week seem low to me is the tank 6 x 2 x 2 150 Gallon or smaller?

 

[woody88]

Forgot to say kwh is 1000w per hour. I cant see any tank turning over a 1kw load in a domestic property. Unless you've converted a whole room in your house into a giant fish tank! Lol!

Now there's an idea!............

 

[Morri]

1kw is easy for a standardish tank

Lights
3 x 250W HAlides + 2 x 54W T5s

Return pump

5000 Lph 78Watt

Circulation pumps

2 x Vortech MP40 58Watt

Sump Light

11w

Skimmer

50W

Thats before you start adding all the little bits and pieces it all adds up very quickly

 

[weezawoo]

Sorry £2.45 was just the lights but actually forgot my plans for lights changed haha! Planning on 3x150w halide lights.
When I get a chance will relook everything.

TBh I don't even know if the calculation method is right.

wattage x hours used = kph
kph x price = ??

Thats basically what I was doing???

I think ...

 

[weezawoo]

Just thought, I was working out each individual thing seperate, might be better working out the tank as a whole! Rather over cost it than undercost!

 

[Morri]

Its very complicated to be honest Halides you will need to add about 20% to the power consumption as the ballast that are commonly used in the UK are very ineffcient.

Its sometime best not to look at the costs and just enjoy the hobby as it is not cheap.

I have switched to LEDs to keep my running costs down but you will need a lot of LEDs over a 6ft my current project is only 120L

Converted my 100 Gall to a cichlid tank running LEDs also

 

[woody88]

Blimey!....a 1kw load from a fish tank continuously would cost an absolute bomb p/m!

As much as I love my fishes, I couldn't justify paying the elec bill for it every month!

It would cost more p/m than running an entire domestic property with washing machines, tumble driers, immersion heaters etc

I think I'll stick with my nano! Lol!

 

[jameshughes1989]

I can pm you a link to a calculator, really helpful. Give me a min.

 

[TheHolding]

Its very complicated to be honest Halides you will need to add about 20% to the power consumption as the ballast that are commonly used in the UK are very ineffcient.

Its sometime best not to look at the costs and just enjoy the hobby as it is not cheap.

I couldn't agree more!

If you have to worry about cost you are in the wrong hobby - it can get very expensive!

I run a 55 gallon marine and a 29 gallon fresh I reckon for both I'm paying £15 a month on electricity.

Is the house warm? This will have a big effect on heater output.

 

[HappyGeorge]

1kw is easy for a standardish tank

Lights
3 x 250W HAlides + 2 x 54W T5s

Return pump

5000 Lph 78Watt

Circulation pumps

2 x Vortech MP40 58Watt

Sump Light

11w

Skimmer

50W

Thats before you start adding all the little bits and pieces it all adds up very quickly

Well that's one hell of a standard tank 3 x halides, 2 Vortechs at full blast, a 5000 lph return pump and a 50W skimmer, glad I'm not running that one. My electricity supply has a digital consumption meter on it that displays in the kitchen and I reckon it's between 2-4p an hour thats with the nano and the Godiva 3' running. 4p would be with all lights on.

 

[weezawoo]

The reason I am figuring it out is I live with my BF's nan and I need to figure how much more a week I need to pay her. We use and electric key so don't have a bill to see the difference. I don't want to be paying extra for electric she uses haha

With what I use atm I think I use around £12 a week, thats a viv with 3 lights, 5ft tank and a 42" with xbox 360 and ps3 on most evenings. Also pay for the freezer and fridge we use. Never use normal lights as my tank and viv light up the room haha!!! At the moment I pay £20 elec a week to her.

Only want to know if I need to add more on top or not! Its worth £30 a week if I get a lovely tank haha