What's Your Average Monthly Expense for Your Aquarium?

[JaysLittleOcean]

So my wife has given me the go ahead to start planning for my next aquarium. I would love something large with a display of at least 1,000 gallons and most likely a sump of equal size. My question is what is a rough estimate of what you pay to run a similar aquarium size and water volume? I am not going to go too crazy. Would like to keep it old school with some new school touches. The aquarium will be lit with Radions and the flow by either Tunze's or Vortechs. Filtration will be operated by two skimmers. No chiller. Any assistance in budgeting would be helpful.

 

[AndrewNC]

I've never owned anything close to that size. The trick is keeping electricity down and there are some energy efficient equipment to help with that. I would say keeping water changes down to a minimum. Those are obvious but those are things I do to keep cost down even though I have a tiny fraction of the size of that tank (90 gallons). Good luck because 1000 gallons is insane!

 

[JaysLittleOcean]

I've never owned anything close to that size. The trick is keeping electricity down and there are some energy efficient equipment to help with that. I would say keeping water changes down to a minimum. Those are obvious but those are things I do to keep cost down even though I have a tiny fraction of the size of that tank (90 gallons). Good luck because 1000 gallons is insane!

Thank you. I also get to knock a wall down in my house so that should be fun as well. [emoji1]

 

[Mike in CT]

I would think with a tank that size, your looking at the neighborhood of 2000 watts of LEDS, (probably more) so depending how much you pay for electricity, that would be a good starting point. You are probably looking at $5000 plus to put lights on a tank that size.
I would guess the electric for a tank that size would be somewhere around $500 a month.

 

[JaysLittleOcean]

I would think with a tank that size, your looking at the neighborhood of 2000 watts of LEDS, (probably more) so depending how much you pay for electricity, that would be a good starting point. You are probably looking at $5000 plus to put lights on a tank that size.
I would guess the electric for a tank that size would be somewhere around $500 a month.

Thanks Mike.

 

[icc2515]

I have 300 gallon with LED Lights. I am in the process of checking ways to save energy. I am currently at about $100 per month in electricity based on $.13/kWh. I am seeing with the low cost of natural gas and a well insulated building that it is less expensive to raise the temp of the building than heat the water. Besides the lights, the skimmer and return pump are big draws. I would say that with 1000 gallons you would easily be at $300 per month in electricity, depending on your cost per kWh.

The other thing to look at is that you are going to have to go industrial with almost all the equipment. I think that my 300 is right on the verge of needing to move up to the industrial class equipment. Don't forget to buy 2 of everything critical like your return pump and heaters. Nothing like having your return pump go out on a Friday nite. You are not going to walk into your LFS and buy a return pump for a 1000 gallon tank.

 

[TheEngineer]

I must be missing something here. 1,000 gallons. One thousand. Yes?

You said less than a month ago that you had to downsize to a 10g nano because your work wouldn't let you maintain your other tank. You want to go bigger now?

Well my last aquarium once again became to difficult to manage because of the demand from my job and I needed to be able to do water changes and other tank maintenance faster with a smaller water volume.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/jayslittleocean-10-gallon-nano-reef.233009/#post-2736734

A bigger tank is not going to do any of those things.

 

[aaron23]

wow jesus hmm 300$ per 1000 gal? I'm running a 40 gallon - 6 t5 bulbs at 144watts, 2 jebao's probably 15w each, skimmer pump 11w.

Comes to about 185-200w total per month. The electric bill went up by 30-40$.

 

[icc2515]

wow jesus hmm 300$ per 1000 gal? I'm running a 40 gallon - 6 t5 bulbs at 144watts, 2 jebao's probably 15w each, skimmer pump 11w.

Comes to about 185-200w total per month. The electric bill went up by 30-40$.

Depends on what you pay per kWh. I pay $.13 and 185 watts per hour would cost me about $17 per month. I am drawing about 1100 watts per hour on average. I run the lights about 12 hours per day so I use a lot more during the day than at night.

 

[Mike in CT]

So what do you think a cost of this setup is going to be in the range of? Have you started getting tank quotes?

 

[BkReefBaby]

Man where do you live @aaron23 I also run a 40 I don't even see a budge on my electric bill I have a geismann spectra with a 250w radium that I run for 3hrs a day n 4 t5 and I run those for 8hrs , 2 rw4s a pls50 skimmer. My return pump and a small desktop fan. My bill use to be 83$ a month with a tank maybe 85$/87$ now by the way I live in NYC where everything is expensive

 

[tj w]

I have a 300 gallon that I run LEDs on that cost me about 30-40 a month to run. That's with skimmer,return pump,4 mp 40's, carbon reactor, and a fuge that stays lit 24/7. If my bill was 2-300 a month to run my system I wouldn't do it. My total electric bill is 250 a month and that's in a 3500 sq ft house with 5 bedrooms and 4 baths.

 

[Mike in CT]

Man where do you live @aaron23 I also run a 40 I don't even see a budge on my electric bill I have a geismann spectra with a 250w radium that I run for 3hrs a day n 4 t5 and I run those for 8hrs , 2 rw4s a pls50 skimmer. My return pump and a small desktop fan. My bill use to be 83$ a month with a tank maybe 85$/87$ now by the way I live in NYC where everything is expensive

Maybe you electric company is giving you the wrong bill.... Lol
I don't see how using that much power could only add up to $4 a month.
A 100 watt light bulb left on 24/7 costs about $8 a month depending on your rate.

 

[JaysLittleOcean]

I must be missing something here. 1,000 gallons. One thousand. Yes?

You said less than a month ago that you had to downsize to a 10g nano because your work wouldn't let you maintain your other tank. You want to go bigger now?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/jayslittleocean-10-gallon-nano-reef.233009/#post-2736734

A bigger tank is not going to do any of those things.

I know, I know... But my oldest soon can help me and would you really pass by the chance at the Mrs. giving her blessing to an extremely large aquarium?

 

[Robthorn]

Use multiple dc pumps for everything including skimmers if you can find them that give the performance you need. Nothing says you have to run 1 huge power hog pump. You can cycle pumps off at night if you want to save a couple bucks a month. 2000 sq.ft Townhouse with a 250g with 6 Reefgrow x3-90 leds running 12 hours a day. Power bill has never hit $170 in Florida summers. I have 3 neptune wav's and 2 rw8 jebao's. Coralvue rodc5500. Coralvue elite 220int skimmer.

 

[JaysLittleOcean]

So what do you think a cost of this setup is going to be in the range of? Have you started getting tank quotes?

Mope not yet. Just throwing some ideas together first.

 

[BkReefBaby]

Maybe you electric company is giving you the wrong bill.... Lol
I don't see how using that much power could only add up to $4 a month.
A 100 watt light bulb left on 24/7 costs about $8 a month depending on your rate.

Lol shiiiiii I've had so much trouble with con Edison in the past! I once received a bill for 2400$ and this is before a fish tank. It took me 6 months to straighten it out, maybe they're making it up by not charging me an arm and a leg

 

[TheEngineer]

I know, I know... But my oldest soon can help me and would you really pass by the chance at the Mrs. giving her blessing to an extremely large aquarium?

Would I pass on the chance? Probably not. That said, would your wife appreciate having a giant part of a wall missing with a decaying fish tank in it if you aren't able to maintain it? A tank that size is not going to be something you attend to every now and again. It is going to take constant attention. I don't want to be a wet blanket, but you were having issues keeping up with a cube, why would a 1000 gallon monster be something you could handle?

 

[tj w]

Speaking from experience with only a 300 gallon. It does require a lot more attention than my 55. It's an everyday thing and then some. I couldn't imagine 1000 g without having 60 k in it to keep everything automated. Please research everything before u just go for it: structure,elec supply,etc. Even simple water changes and ato become a lot more with that amount of water. Just make sure u think it all through.

 

[aaron23]

Lol @BkReefBaby i live in NYC as well