"Green" Tank options

[kyuubichan218]

No, I don't mean I want a lot of algae, nor do I want a bunch of boring zoas.

I know that this hobby takes a lot of electricity, but I was wondering what suggestions you guys had for making a tank use as little energy as possible. Obvious choices are choosing LEDs over halides, or turning a skimmer off at night, but I'd love to hear ideas on pumps, heaters, anything that can reduce the negative impact of a large fish tank on the environment (and on the energy bills!).

 

[SkyShark]

Solar panels seem to be the way to go if you do a big tank.

 

[SkyShark]

Also, use your waste RODI water to water plants or fill your washing machine and don't just send it down the drain.

 

[MuralReef]

Solar tube to light the tank if possible.

 

[Haddonisreef]

Any pump that is a dc model will use less energy

 

[zombie]

1. "Smart light schedule". If using halides, run them at night.

2. "Seasonal temp settings". I run my tank at 76 during winter and 80 during summer (my apex automatically transitions) to reduce the need for heating in winter and reduce the need for cooling in summer.

3. Dont use chillers, use fans. They are very energy efficient and are very effective in cooling a tank.

4. Use high efficiency return pump.

 

[Miah2bzy]

Scchase sets his house temp to what he wants his tank at and doesn't have I have heaters trying to keep up w it or a chiller

 

[zombie]

Scchase sets his house temp to what he wants his tank at and doesn't have I have heaters trying to keep up w it or a chiller

In the grand scheme of things, that actually takes more energy. It takes a lot less energy to heat/cool a small section of your house than the whole thing. Same applies to aquariums.

 

[scchase]

Not for me it doesn't, large and ask around I mean large tanks become cheaper to heat with your heating system than heaters, I've done the tests

 

[scchase]

oh and as an added benefit helps to control humidity levels without using a dehumidifier

 

[zombie]

Not for me it doesn't, large and ask around I mean large tanks become cheaper to heat with your heating system than heaters, I've done the tests

Cheaper, yes for VERY large tanks at the moment because natural gas price is so cheap compared to electricity. Overall carbon footprint is less for heaters and price will flip if/when natural gas costs spike.

 

[SynDen]

Solar tube to light the tank if possible.

+1 great way to eliminate lights if you have the possibility

 

[FinsUp]

Solar panels seem to be the way to go if you do a big tank.

Definitely. Doc Tutu and I both had Solar City put panels on our roofs. No cost to us whatsoever, and my bill dropped by about $300/month. Not sure what his dropped. Maybe he'll chime in and share. If you have them do your house, they'll pay you for referrals who sign up with them, too. That's money in your pocket.

Also, use your waste RODI water to water plants or fill your washing machine and don't just send it down the drain.

This was the other thing I was going to suggest! It's like you're in my head, man. I had the RODI waste water dump into a huge tank in my side yard, and used that to water my garden and flower beds. Of course, we had an enormous system, which meant a lot of waste water. Smaller systems wouldn't require so much effort.

Other than that, I think it boils down to fine tuning and maintenance on your equipment. Keep heaters and pumps clean so they are running efficiently. Check for stray voltage regularly. Choose equipment that is more energy efficient if you can. Yes, we all want plenty of flow, but don't use more pumps than you really need. Position your temp gauge far away from your heaters. Things like that will help your electric bill.

Buying a tank that is the size you really want right away, instead of buying a small one and doing multiple upgrades later, will help your bottom line in a massive way, in addition to your electric bill. People trying to save a few bucks during an upgrade often keep the equipment they used on the smaller tank, and just add to it hoping that they can make it work for the big tank. Heaters and pumps, for example. I've seen tanks running 4-5 small heaters rather than a couple of large ones, and a dozen small pumps rather than 3-4 appropriately sized ones. They don't take into account how dysfunctional that actually is, or how much it costs.

The flip side to using low electric usage as the primary criteria is that you want to get the most reliable equipment you can, always. Otherwise, saving $5 on your electric bill by buying a crappy heater could cost you thousands in fish and corals when it fails.

These are just my thoughts, tho, and do not reflect the views of this station or its sponsors.

 

[FinsUp]

OH, and one of the biggest culprits in a high electric bill are spikes. If your usage spikes at the wrong time, the power company turns into a total ********* and changes your rates just because they can.

 

[kyuubichan218]

I use my RO waste for my garden and for washing cars in the summer, and for brewing beer all year. More gets wasted in the winter than in the summer. DC pumps sound like a good one to look into, though

 

[zombie]

OH, and one of the biggest culprits in a high electric bill are spikes. If your usage spikes at the wrong time, the power company turns into a total ********* and changes your rates just because they can.

I have never heard of this billing process. I know many utilities have time of use rates, but have never heard of that.

 

[DyM]

Running an electric cord to your neighbors house - jk
Running a smaller tank is cheaper all arround.
Running my sump downstairs helps balance heat and cooling for me
My electric bill for everything is $100 bucks a month - summer we keep the house cool for us, and that usually adds about $100 for Jun-Sep.

 

[FinsUp]

I have never heard of this billing process. I know many utilities have time of use rates, but have never heard of that.

I learned about it from someone here, and verified it with the company that installed our solar panels. I had never heard of it before that, either.

 

[SynDen]

I learned about it from someone here, and verified it with the company that installed our solar panels. I had never heard of it before that, either.

Yep tis tru, they love to abuse this too

 

[zombie]

I did some more reading about this and talked to some ex-coworkers at xcel, and changing rates for spikes does not happen. All residential customers are charged based on the peak demand (maximum kW at any time during the month), and the total energy use (which may have different rates at different times of day). Solar companies use this "spike charge" as a gimmick to get more business even though the typical houses peak demand does not coincide with solar production.

With that said, if you can find a way to spread the useage out so that you dont have halides and a chiller on at the same time you are cooking dinner, drying clothes, have the TV on, and all the lights in your house are on, the rate adjustment for peak demand can be reduced and lower your energy bill.