# Yearly/monthly electrical cost of running an aquarium?



## bruce845 (Mar 9, 2015)

Right now I am running a 30 and 10 gallon tank (3 total hob filter and 2 heater). I am debating if I should shut one down to save on electricity...or is the expenses fairly trivial?


----------



## kolegrundy92 (May 9, 2016)

Next to nothing... I wouldn't be worried about it al all. If anything that's using $5 ot less a month

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk


----------



## default (May 28, 2011)

^ unless you're running a fish room or one reef tank 

It's pretty cheap to run your typical tropical aquarium, you can save some money if you have them running from 7pm to 7am - midnight viewings. However, unless you're pumping hundreds of watts of lighting and high powered pumps, it really doesn't make much of a difference.

I find water cost is more pricey than hydro for this hobby, unless you have flat rates for water.


----------



## mitko1994 (Dec 12, 2012)

The thing that will use the most electricity will likely be your heater, but for a tank your size, you should barely notice it on your bill.


----------



## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

You should ask this question in the salt side. I never want to know what i spend in hydro. NEVER! Lol. I might shit myself if I find out 3/4" of my hydro bill is to my tank. Lol


----------



## Cyberlord (Jul 12, 2016)

*Online Cost Calculator*

I was thinking the same thing when I restarted this hobby. Now you made me want to find out....quick google and voila!

Hydro One has an easy to use cost calculator on their website. Calculates based on WATTS and hours used and their current rates (calculating based on the different rate periods too). You can see the rates they are using.

There is another one where you choose the appliance and it gives you a generalized cost for a month. Aquarium is a choice of appliance. But it is general and the size and equipment you run will definitely be a factor.

http://www.hydroone.com/MYHOME/SAVEENERGY/Pages/CostCalculators.aspx

Using their tool and calculating out based on a 20 Watt device (like my 2217 Eheim filter) running 24/7 it worked out to $1.95 for the month of January (10 weekend days + 21 weekdays). This factors in all the time of day different rates. * Plus HST = $2.20 for the month. *

Keep in mind this is just the electricity use cost and there is some kind of delivery and other stuff added on not in this calculation.

So now I can add up all the watts used by all my 24/7 stuff and divide by 20 and then multiply by $2.20 and can work out the total usage cost per month. 
This is getting scarier as I go along, but interesting. 

*Doing this for just my Eheim filters:*
4x 2217 eheims (20W) + 1x 2215 (15W) + 1x 2213 (8W) = *$11.33 for January *

Interesting looking into the filter specs:
Fluval U4 - 12W
Aquaclear all except 110 - 6W
Aquaclear 110 - 14W
Marineland Emperor 400 - 19W

Maybe I don't want to know the answer for all my equipment either LOL. Some good news is that it looks like the wattage rating is max watts and the filters run less than that in actual use according to a couple of zealous hobbyists out there who ran some tests. 

Have fun with it...if you dare. LOL


----------



## Willy1948 (Dec 21, 2016)

Yes and according to the above info the electric rate is only 47% of the total charge so you better double your costs per month lol


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

Willy1948 said:


> Yes and according to the above info the electric rate is only 47% of the total charge so you better double your costs per month lol
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Lol I was waiting for this. And what makes your comment even better is that this is your very first post on this forum. Good start and welcome. Lol.

Cheers


----------



## bruce845 (Mar 9, 2015)

You guys have turned me off from running a reef...but encouraged me to run another freshwater tank if its just a few bucks a month lol


----------

