# How much does you aquarium cost in electricity?



## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

*How much does your aquarium cost in electricity?*

So, just how much does it cost to run your aquarium? Here are a couple of quick calculations to help you estimate your monthly cost.


Add the wattage of all the equipment. Pump, lights, heater, ect...Remember you need to divide the light wattage by 24 then multiply that by how many hours you run it a day. Then move to step 2.
Multiply the wattage by .024 to convert to kilowatts.
Multiply that number by the amount you pay per kilowatt hour (you'll find this number on your electric bill, or you can use the US national average of $0.0898 per kilowatt hour).
Multiply that number by 30 (days).
The final result is the monthly energy cost for your Aquarium.
Just a way to help you figure out how much your little fish cost a month.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Hmm good configuration do we do this when we have 12-50 tanks in our house or just expect to pay $100lol.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Welllllllllll llllets see here. I think I usually give anything in my bank account to Com-Ed.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

I don't think I want to know...


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## merredeth (Aug 29, 2005)

Well... honestly I'm afraid to know what these tanks cost me. 

I work from home and have a network going all the time, add to that a pool pump for the family pool, the hot tub and the sauna (during winter months) and I really don't think my tanks are going to cost near as much as the other junk. 

I do without central *A LOT* but when it gets to about 85 in the house, I have no choice but to turn it on. The fish and dogs need climate control more than the humans do. 

Now that I think about it, I probably own more of Mid-American Energy than Warren Buffett does. :-( 

Denise M.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

I noticed my electricity bill went up about $7-$10 a month here in the colder season when I got my tank set up. Now that it's warmer, it's just the pump and light, not the heater, so it's probably only costing $3 or so. I can't imagine having a lot of tanks...ouch.


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## merredeth (Aug 29, 2005)

mlefev:

Since when in California is it cold????

Try living in Iowa!!!

You haven't experienced cold until you've hit twenty below and had to pay for propane, live in the country and have to plow through six feet of snow in your driveway to get to the nearest grocery store which is miles away! 

Can you hear me laughing at you yet? :lol: :lol: 

Denise M.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

I've just worked it out! It costs me roughly just over $7000 per year! that's almost £5000 a year. I wsh I bred rabbits in stead of fish!


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

merredeth said:


> mlefev:
> 
> Since when in California is it cold????
> 
> ...


Well it used to get kinda cold...lol. Up north it got to around 20 or so. The only thing that sucked about that is that all the houses are constructed with "sunny warm california" in mind...thus NO insulation to speak of. So if you didn't have a couple of pellet stoves going all the time it would quickly be about 20 in the house too


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## merredeth (Aug 29, 2005)

mlefev said:


> Well it used to get kinda cold...lol. Up north it got to around 20 or so.


I *WISH* our winters would be around 20 degrees. I'd consider that a WARM winter. 

Tell the northern Californians they can have my snow too. Cross country skiing sux after you've experienced the real thing. 

I just got my electric bill. After agreeing to go on budget billing, I found out immediately I'm $36.00 in the hole already - and I didn't run the air conditioning this past month. I called the electric company and was told they average out my bills from last year but I don't see how how I ended up short $36.00 immediately. I ran my pool filter 24/7 because we just purchased this house and the pool was a mess. I now run the filter maybe four hours every other day. You can't tell me my tanks are making up the difference here. I just don't buy it. 

I'm getting ready to breed sheep - at least I can sell the wool to someone to knit me a friggin blanket!  

Denise M.


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## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

if yoru cold come to south texas


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## Sixpence (May 22, 2006)

*yeah right.. try living in edmonton alberta.. talking about snow huh!?* *LOL*


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

You probably get snow until mid July.


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## emantable (Jul 25, 2006)

Since we're talking about the climate it isn't 20 below in Iowa all throughout the winter. Iowa's winter average is in the teens. Only on really cold days will the temperature reach -20 or even -30. While it never gets that cold in California, there are parts that hit the teens. Even in Southern California there are places that get to 20 degrees, though they are rare. Also, by anyones standards 20 degrees is not warm for anybody due to the biology of the human body.


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## super7 (Jul 24, 2006)

at my house in BC, Canada it gets like 12-15 celcius indoors


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

umm...you cant tell me it doesnt get cold in cali. I am a very avid snowboarder (been doing it since b4 I could walk  ) and I spend a lot of time in mammoth mountian and such places, and have seen the thermometer in the lexus blink "WTF!?" haha, but really, ive seen it in the negatives on numerous occasions (i like to go during and right after a storm). So...cali can get cold, but as far as SoCal gets, well its usually in the 50's during the day at its coldest (depressing)


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## brian102 (Aug 21, 2006)

lol almost 10 dollars a month just for my light


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## AndrewH (Mar 17, 2005)

fish_doc said:


> So, just how much does it cost to run your aquarium? Here are a couple of quick calculations to help you estimate your monthly cost.
> 
> 
> Add the wattage of all the equipment. Pump, lights, heater, ect...Remember you need to divide the light wattage by 24 then multiply that by how many hours you run it a day. Then move to step 2.
> ...


Hmmm... why are you dividing your lighting by 24 then multiplying it by .024? 240W of light would then = 10 x 10 hours would give you 100 x .024 = 2.4

I've always done the 240w x 10 (number of hours) x .001 (convert to kilowatts) = 2.4kwh

I'm not trying to say your way is wrong, just seems a little harder to understand.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Umm...people, try WISCONSIN. It gets super cold..everything freezes up..yet it doesn't snow for like 5 months :0. Then when it does, it snows a lot or a little, blizzard, or nothing, then the snow takes months to melt . WI is messed up...

Anywho, this'll take a while, i'll get back to you on tuesday with this one...

All I know is that our electric bill went up by 50 bucks at least...


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

> Hmmm... why are you dividing your lighting by 24 then multiplying it by .024? 240W of light would then = 10 x 10 hours would give you 100 x .024 = 2.4


you need to divide the light wattage by 24 then multiply that by how many hours you run it a day. That is because you dont run your light 24 hours a day and you need to figure out the cost depending on how long you run the lights. All your other equipment runs 24 hours a day so they dont need to be adjusted this way.

Then you add your light to all your other equipment then Multiply the wattage of all the equipment combined by .024 to convert to kilowatts. This is how most companies bill their customers.


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## AndrewH (Mar 17, 2005)

Here we go! Let me know if it helps you (anyone).


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## AndrewH (Mar 17, 2005)

Here's the same thing with a Monthly and Yearly calculator.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

That's brilliant thanks! A very simple way of working it out.


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## AndrewH (Mar 17, 2005)

Yeah, just seems easier.

And if anyone wants the password for it to modify or put in additional stuff pm me an I'll shoot it right to you.


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## cenedra (Feb 12, 2006)

*thanks a bunch andrew!*

had always wanted to know this and ya made it sooo easy

thanks a bunch
wasnt as bad as i thought either! lol
but i did learn a few things as to which type of filters ect are the cheapest
and looks like underground are the cheapest of all


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2006)

I dont know whos bill it was that only totalled $25.00 and some change but I'll trade you in a heart beat!!!! My electric alone is $300 per month and my water bill is atleast $100 per month.... Anyone for trading utility bills?


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## AndrewH (Mar 17, 2005)

Cichlid_Mania said:


> I dont know whos bill it was that only totalled $25.00 and some change but I'll trade you in a heart beat!!!! My electric alone is $300 per month and my water bill is atleast $100 per month.... Anyone for trading utility bills?


The default you see when you first open the file is my tank and actually it's a lot cheaper than that. My 55 gallon is about $9.33 per month.


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## mr.dark-saint (Aug 16, 2005)

I had this in mind this time around when I got lighting for my 125 gallon. I used to run 4 X 96 Wtt Power Compacts when I did reef and now I'm 100% LED (on 16 hours a day). Comparing the numbers between when the tank was dark but running to now with LEDs I really can't tell month to month. I should see the numbers on the "Use" (I'll do that when I get back home today if I remember ). Don't get old kids you'll be like me 34 and making a list like Santa Clause of to do list.


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