Just threw up in my mouth a little bit... the electricity bill came

[phreezee]

Same here, after adding 4 powerheads, 2 250W MH, and the 6 bulb TekLight, the bill was $359! I'm with Enmax, so maybe I would have broke $400 with Direct Energy...

[my2rotties]

It sure adds up... I have to figure out how to break the news to hubby.

Originally Posted by phreezee

Same here, after adding 4 powerheads, 2 250W MH, and the 6 bulb TekLight, the bill was $359! I'm with Enmax, so maybe I would have broke $400 with Direct Energy...

[levi1803]

My gas, water electric combo bill (though easymax) was $570 last month (usually about $250 or so), due to them estimating everything since the summer and then finally going to read the meter in January, I called and chewed them a new (you know what) I knew that they were there reading the meter as they left the gate open AGAIN for the dogs to get loose as they always do, so reamed them out about that too. Hopefully your situation was like mine and it'll just be one really nasty bill to begin with and then be basically back to normal next month.

Elliot

[sphelps]

Most of us will always get hit with a high electric bill every few months. The Electric company invoices monthly rates based on estimates. Then every few months (depending) you will get an actual reading. For some people they may even get a discount but anyone in the hobby will likely get a large bill. You can call the electric company and have the estimates changed if you want.

Bottom line is you're not paying $400 a month, you just didn't pay enough on your last few bills to cover the actual usage. Next month it will be back down to what it was before.

[24storm]

Originally Posted by phreezee

Same here, after adding 4 powerheads, 2 250W MH, and the 6 bulb TekLight, the bill was $359! I'm with Enmax, so maybe I would have broke $400 with Direct Energy...

See these look more realistic. This is what i end up with as well i have approx 350 gallons with 3 400 watts 4 48" T5s 2 tunze power heads 2 tunze wav boxes Dart return pump bubble king skimmer a chiller that does not run in the winter and my last bill was just under 500. I am always blown away at peolpe who try to say that their tank only costs 60 80 dollars a month to run. I must be doing something wrong. Before i had a tank 3 years ago our bill was approx 150 a month.

[marie]

I'm paying $160 a month on an equal payment plan and so far I've paid more then I have actually used. If my hydro ever reaches $400 a month I'm quitting

[Mrfish55]

My last bill was $569.00, if it comes in that high again this month please watch for the shutting down tank sale!!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I add up the wattage of my equipment x the number of hours each set is on per day and multiply by 30. Then I multiply that by the $/kwh.

My systems are mainly low power, with the exceptions being 3 x 250w MH on for 10 hours/day. I also have 4 Sedra 9000 pumps going 24/7 (2 skimmer @ 55w/2 returns @ 90w) and those are my main draws.

Low power lighting over the fowlr, seahorse, goldfish, sump & shrimp tanks & med. power (4 x 55w PC) over the planted community. The HOB & cannister filters, powerheads & such draw very little & I keep my tank temps on the low side with no ill effects. Until a couple days ago, didn't even have a heater plugged into the reef tank & the fish/corals were fine in the low-mid 70s. On my other tanks, I estimate the heaters to be on 12 hours/day or less.

In the winter, my bill rises due to heaters but not huge.

I made sure I went with slow flow for the returns so less power needed (some friends use 300w return pumps for instance).

My wife's goldfish tank probably draws 50 watts max/hour with lights for 8 hours & 30w for the other 16 hours daily.

I use a clip on light with a 27 watt Phillips Daylight CFL bulb over my sump & 2 over my seahorse tank. (in other words, a Tek HOT5 is way over kill for a sump light)

The 210g reef draws approx. 315 watts 24/7 (pump, powerheads, skimmer, fuge light, 80w UV) and 1065 watts for 10 hours when the MH lights come on. At $.065/kwh (old rate), that's $.69 for 10 hrs & then $.29 for the other 14 hours. That's roughly a dollar for the reef or $30/month for my reef tank. All the other tanks' equipment combined do not equal what my reef tank draws. My rough calculations is $1/day for the other 5 tanks.

Actually, with those 2 new tanks I added since I last did this calculation, I guess I'm up to $60/month for powering this addiction. Averages out to $10/tank since I have 6 different tanks running. Not bad.

I know it's too late (you've already bought and installed your equipment) but there are low power alternatives to many things needed for the tanks. I went from a 250w MH pendant over my seahorse tank to 2 x 27w clip on CFL lights. I harvest and sell my macro every week or two, so they work fine for nutrient export. I have smaller heaters (150w to 200w) and keep my tank temps in the low to mid 70s without any issues.

It sounds like you have your sump in the basement & so you need a high power pump to send water up 10+ feet to the display tank, whereas I can get away with a 90w Sedra.

Anthony

[Pan]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

I add up the wattage of my equipment x the number of hours each set is on per day and multiply by 30. Then I multiply that by the $/kwh.

My systems are mainly low power, with the exceptions being 3 x 250w MH on for 10 hours/day. I also have 4 Sedra 9000 pumps going 24/7 (2 skimmer @ 55w/2 returns @ 90w) and those are my main draws.

Low power lighting over the fowlr, seahorse, goldfish, sump & shrimp tanks & med. power (4 x 55w PC) over the planted community. The HOB & cannister filters, powerheads & such draw very little & I keep my tank temps on the low side with no ill effects. Until a couple days ago, didn't even have a heater plugged into the reef tank & the fish/corals were fine in the low-mid 70s. On my other tanks, I estimate the heaters to be on 12 hours/day or less.

In the winter, my bill rises due to heaters but not huge.

I made sure I went with slow flow for the returns so less power needed (some friends use 300w return pumps for instance).

My wife's goldfish tank probably draws 50 watts max/hour with lights for 8 hours & 30w for the other 16 hours daily.

I use a clip on light with a 27 watt Phillips Daylight CFL bulb over my sump & 2 over my seahorse tank. (in other words, a Tek HOT5 is way over kill for a sump light)

The 210g reef draws approx. 315 watts 24/7 (pump, powerheads, skimmer, fuge light, 80w UV) and 1065 watts for 10 hours when the MH lights come on. At $.065/kwh (old rate), that's $.69 for 10 hrs & then $.29 for the other 14 hours. That's roughly a dollar for the reef or $30/month for my reef tank. All the other tanks' equipment combined do not equal what my reef tank draws. My rough calculations is $1/day for the other 5 tanks.

Actually, with those 2 new tanks I added since I last did this calculation, I guess I'm up to $60/month for powering this addiction. Averages out to $10/tank since I have 6 different tanks running. Not bad.

I know it's too late (you've already bought and installed your equipment) but there are low power alternatives to many things needed for the tanks. I went from a 250w MH pendant over my seahorse tank to 2 x 27w clip on CFL lights. I harvest and sell my macro every week or two, so they work fine for nutrient export. I have smaller heaters (150w to 200w) and keep my tank temps in the low to mid 70s without any issues.

It sounds like you have your sump in the basement & so you need a high power pump to send water up 10+ feet to the display tank, whereas I can get away with a 90w Sedra.

Anthony

hehehehe....wifes goldfish tank...

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by 24storm

How does every one know what there tanks cost per month. I have tried those calculators and such. But i still get a very high bill. And the bill does not break out my tank for me. Since i have had a tank i have seen my bill increase quite a bit. But i cannot say my tank costs 200 a month or 50 a month, How do others come up with tank costs. It seams like every month enmax has a new fee for this or that.

I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) and his bill was about $40-50 per month without me and about $100-$110 with me. I'd say thats pretty much my tank that took care of the increase. Previously I had run it through that calculator on RC which gave me about the same values.