4 bulbs are the max a 660 can run i misread your earlier post, and thought you were already running 4 bulbs and wanted to add 2 more.
Electric Bill Savings????
- Thread starter forddna
- Start date
4 bulbs are the max a 660 can run i misread your earlier post, and thought you were already running 4 bulbs and wanted to add 2 more.
I have actually changed a great many things in my system due to cost of running the items, but I do the math first. Based on the numbers that are given from LED companies, the cost savings is not that impressive, so I have not changed from MH.
There are a great many things that can be done otherwise to change your bill, well at least for me. For example, I had pumps for everything...i swear every peice of equipment needed a pump. I had 5 tanks lined and there were pumps, pumps and more pumps. I am now running all of the tanks, reactors, etc.. all off of 2 pumps. Reduced average hourly consumption from pumps bu 1/4 (i.e about ...and it cost me all of probably $100 because I wanted to fancy controls. So total cost savings was about $25 a month from $100 spent.
LED Lights wont give you that return. Even with our rediculous electricity rates, it would take me years to recover the cost difference (including bulb replacement). They generally boast about 1/2ish the cost for running, but the up front cost is easily 4x+, and the track record is still waiting to be seen.
There are a great many things that can be done otherwise to change your bill, well at least for me. For example, I had pumps for everything...i swear every peice of equipment needed a pump. I had 5 tanks lined and there were pumps, pumps and more pumps. I am now running all of the tanks, reactors, etc.. all off of 2 pumps. Reduced average hourly consumption from pumps bu 1/4 (i.e about ...and it cost me all of probably $100 because I wanted to fancy controls. So total cost savings was about $25 a month from $100 spent.
LED Lights wont give you that return. Even with our rediculous electricity rates, it would take me years to recover the cost difference (including bulb replacement). They generally boast about 1/2ish the cost for running, but the up front cost is easily 4x+, and the track record is still waiting to be seen.
Paul B
Premium Member
Last week I converted my 300 watts of MH lights to 108 watts of LEDs. The LEDs are about twice as bright and much nicer looking, also the LEDs will last almost forever and make almost no heat. It cost me about $400.00 to build the 36 LED system and took about a day and a half.
It's a no brainer.
It cost me about 60 cents a day to run the MH lights and 20 cents a day with the LEDs.
MH= $260.00 a year.
LED= $72.00 a year.
It's a no brainer.
It cost me about 60 cents a day to run the MH lights and 20 cents a day with the LEDs.
MH= $260.00 a year.
LED= $72.00 a year.
Cool! How about a brief 40 yr history for the lighting used with your system? What was first? Oil lamps? 
Paul B
Premium Member
Yes, but I only used whale oil :lol2:
The lighting started with those long regular aquarium bulbs, then to regular flourescent, then to a combination of incandescent flood lights and regular flourescent, then to VHO with actinic, then to MH with actinic, to just MH and now with just royal blue and white LEDs.
Didn't everyone's tank go through this? :wavehand:
In Florida, a cold house forcing your tank heater to run is a rare problem. A large tank with MHs forcing our house ac to run is a constant problem. When I shut down my 75g with 2 175 MH and t5s I reduced my power bill by $150 - $200. The tank was in the same room as the thermastat. Now I have two nano tanks with LEDs and have seen no noticable increase in the power bill. The house ac stays set at 77 and the tanks stay at 77-78.
I think that you can lower your costs by changing out your MHs for VHOs or LEDs. I like LEDs because of lower watt consumption, lower heat production, and greater controll of my color spectrum. Also when my MH and T5 bulbs got old, I saw a fall off in the corals and an increase in algae growth. This alone drove stress and costs.
Overall, my biggest savings from LEDs was not reduced consumption but rather reduced ac and not using a chiller.
I think that you can lower your costs by changing out your MHs for VHOs or LEDs. I like LEDs because of lower watt consumption, lower heat production, and greater controll of my color spectrum. Also when my MH and T5 bulbs got old, I saw a fall off in the corals and an increase in algae growth. This alone drove stress and costs.
Overall, my biggest savings from LEDs was not reduced consumption but rather reduced ac and not using a chiller.
slief
RC Sponsor
I've made major changes to my system over the last year and a half in an effort to reduce the power bill as well as update the tank.
My electric bill was averaging over $1000-$1100 per month in the summer and over $700 in the winter. The tank was responsible for most of the cost.
The changes included the following.
New pumps. I replaced several external pumps with more efficient, higher output reeflo pumps. I went from 7 pumps down to 2 plus some power heads. That was probably one of the biggest cost cuts.
Replaced my metal halides with LED's. My lighting costs were cut by more than half while gaining more light and less heat.
Changed my Fuge lighting to lower watt CFL's. That helped to reduce my temps. I am now in the process of switching from CFL to cheap LED's to gain more light while not increasing costs.
Replaced my chiller with a more efficient chiller. Kind of a waste as I no longer seem to need the chiller.
Added some 6" clip on fans blowing across the top of my tanks water surface. They were added a couple weeks ago. My chiller has not been on since after running several times a day for an hour plus at a time. The equivilent of 1200+ watts at 7-8 hours a day. We will see how the fans do once the summer heat arrives. I might add a couple more if I feel I need to.
My last electric bill was $300 & my next one should come in at around $250 as it will reflect a full month of no chiller usage.
I have a build thread in the large tank section here that covers all those changes in detail along with the results and timeline.
I never in a million years would have thought my electric bill could get to where its at now while not getting rid of the tank.
My electric bill was averaging over $1000-$1100 per month in the summer and over $700 in the winter. The tank was responsible for most of the cost.
The changes included the following.
New pumps. I replaced several external pumps with more efficient, higher output reeflo pumps. I went from 7 pumps down to 2 plus some power heads. That was probably one of the biggest cost cuts.
Replaced my metal halides with LED's. My lighting costs were cut by more than half while gaining more light and less heat.
Changed my Fuge lighting to lower watt CFL's. That helped to reduce my temps. I am now in the process of switching from CFL to cheap LED's to gain more light while not increasing costs.
Replaced my chiller with a more efficient chiller. Kind of a waste as I no longer seem to need the chiller.
Added some 6" clip on fans blowing across the top of my tanks water surface. They were added a couple weeks ago. My chiller has not been on since after running several times a day for an hour plus at a time. The equivilent of 1200+ watts at 7-8 hours a day. We will see how the fans do once the summer heat arrives. I might add a couple more if I feel I need to.
My last electric bill was $300 & my next one should come in at around $250 as it will reflect a full month of no chiller usage.
I have a build thread in the large tank section here that covers all those changes in detail along with the results and timeline.
I never in a million years would have thought my electric bill could get to where its at now while not getting rid of the tank.
Last edited:
slief
RC Sponsor
For the first time in my life, I get excited about seeing that bill.
I was in tier 5 due to my KWh usage. That cost me a fortune in sur charges. The savings in power usage reduced my rates overall on top of the power that I am no longer using.
dzfish17
Active member
I had the same problem with my 210g reef... $600-$700 a month power bill. I was running 3-250w MH and a 1/3 hp chiller. I got rid of the 210 and put the 600g mostly FO in its place. Reeflo pump and a combination of canister filters and powerheads for flow. AI sol blue lighting on the way. I think the total is 600w with everything running. My bill stays around $200 per mo. now. I was able to get my dream tank and not go broke at the same time.
cali electrical rates do suck (live on opposite coast) you guys pay double many parts of the country at your first level let alone level 5. as far as i know in nj we only have 2 levels with winter and summer rates.
for people with cheaper rates in temperate areas the cost of leds might take forever to make up but with california rates leds costs could be made up in a couple years if your running a chiller now.
for people with cheaper rates in temperate areas the cost of leds might take forever to make up but with california rates leds costs could be made up in a couple years if your running a chiller now.
Kerreefer
In Memoriam
i swapped out 2- 250 MH and 4- NO T5 actinics to 6- T5 Ho's and saw maybe a 10 dollar dif. (200-190)
-now i swapped out my 8SEER pos A/C unit for a Trane 16i (17.75 SEER) system and my electric bill is roughly 90-110 bucks a month... and its summer time here at 95-97 degree averages.
of course i would never been able to afford a company to come out and do it due to rediculous mark ups (1.5 to 2.0 equipment alone), so i got it myself and changed it all out. 4500 bucks
-now i swapped out my 8SEER pos A/C unit for a Trane 16i (17.75 SEER) system and my electric bill is roughly 90-110 bucks a month... and its summer time here at 95-97 degree averages.
of course i would never been able to afford a company to come out and do it due to rediculous mark ups (1.5 to 2.0 equipment alone), so i got it myself and changed it all out. 4500 bucks
zach_24_90
New member
a DIY LED isnt in the 1000s... always a good option
My system runs around $5 a month.
Similar threads
