Energy saving ideas for reef aquariums

[Paul79936]

Since I went from a 55 w/PCs to a 180 w/MH my electric bill has risen greatly, so I have been looking at ways to save money on electricity.

It seems to me that many of the common practices in reef keeping are less efficient than they could be. Most of the new tank threads I see have people making mistakes that will cost them money later, and I have been finding less expensive ways to deal with issues such as humidity as I gain experience.

This is a thread for anyone who is interested in minimizing their tanks contribution to their electric bill.

 

[Paul79936]

Thermostats for reefers

Thermostats for reefers

One of the issues I have had problems with as a large tank owner is humidity. This is especially a problem in winter and spring here in Florida because the air conditioner doesn't run enough to keep the humidity down. Another problem is that my thermostat is not in my tank room so the tank room can be much warmer than the rest of the house.

I was planing to replace my thermostat with a programmable model anyway, so I did a lot of research into the best thermostat for my situation and ended up buying the Honeywell TH8321 VisionPro.

It is on the expensive side for a thermostat, but it has features that are useful for a reefer. In particular it can sense humidity and has a dehumidification function so it can run the AC to reduce humidity (eliminating the need for a dehumidifier).

It also has a circulate mode that runs the fan for a certain amount of time each hour. This ensures that every room is more or less the same temperature and humidity which eliminates the need to relocate the thermometer or buy a remote temp sensor. (running the fan continuously will do this too, but uses more power because it is always on)

It is programmable so I can set a higher temp while I am at work, and a lower one for when my metal halides are on.

If you currently use a chiller, have decent canopy ventilation and don't mind having the temp a few degrees lower when the metal halides are on, then any programmable thermostat could eliminate the need for an expensive chiller.

 

[polwick]

Good topic. Unfortunately I don't have many ideas. There are the obvious things--keep a smaller tank, run the lights for less time, keep the sump close to the main tank so as to require less water pressure, etc. Long-term, I'm hoping to improve nutrient export enough through macroalgae and other means that I won't need to run the skimmer as often.

Which brand of pumps is the most energy efficient?

 

[scottras]

If you can get a copy of their performance curves that would be a good way to figure out the most efficient pumps.

Insulating your tank would also work to make it more efficient. Just run some thin insulation on the non viewable side. Also insulate the pipes not in contact with the water.

 

[dblase]

no ideas eh? lets get some!

 

[Paul79936]

I have found that external pumps are more efficient than submersible in general. I think they are cheaper in the long run.

I have wondered about insulating the tank. It would make the heater run less, but it would cause the fans or chiller to run more. I wonder which way would come out ahead? It would be easy to do.

I have a WattsUp device and I am going to test everything to find out where the consumption really is. I have always assumed that it was the lights, but I have heard others claim that the biggest draw of power is the pumps.

 

[scottras]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9867441#post9867441 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paul79936
I have found that external pumps are more efficient than submersible in general. I think they are cheaper in the long run.

I have wondered about insulating the tank. It would make the heater run less, but it would cause the fans or chiller to run more. I wonder which way would come out ahead? It would be easy to do.

I have a WattsUp device and I am going to test everything to find out where the consumption really is. I have always assumed that it was the lights, but I have heard others claim that the biggest draw of power is the pumps.

Insulation will make the fans/chiller run less as well.

I only run a small pump for my return. The rest is handled in tank by a 6100. Stream style pumps tend to use less power than something like a closed loop would. This is just a generalisation, there are always exceptions.

 

[Paul79936]

I suppose it could help with the chiller, but only if you keep the room temperature above tank temp. I am going to be doing that when I get my chiller, at least while I am at work.

Running a chiller will also allow me to use my exhaust fan more, since I would not have to worry so much about high outdoor temps.

I am doing the same with the pumps. I would have gotten a smaller pump if I had planned better. If I had a submersible I would replace it with something more efficient.

I am using 15k bulbs to keep from having to run actinics, and that works well.

 

[zaf888]

i think the biggest electric drains are the lighting and chiller. anything ive seen that runs better costs much much more.

 

[DiViNeLeFT]

i just wanted to add that the equipment on the tank itself is not the only place consumption can be cut back. if you havn't done so already switch all the light bulbs in your house to compact florecent... i did that and it offset the electricity my tank uses. i realize it wont offset larger tanks as much but every little bit helps.

 

[xtm]

Use 10K instead of 14K

With 10K, you can get away with less wattage because it is brighter than a comparable 14K or 20K bulb.. as a bonus, it also looks more natural.

Instead of using one pump for each device, try ONE strong pump and "daisy chain" the equipments. I have an Eheim 1260 pump that pushes water into the chiller, then to Phosban, then finally to the display. Less pump = Less heat, less noise, less electricity consumed.

Modify your lighting schedule so your tank is only lit at night when you're at home. Where I live, electricity is also cheaper at night than daytime. Let natural sunlight penetrate the tank throughout the day (if possible) and then use MH from 4 to 9pm daily. Maybe it's just me, but I grow SPS like crazy this way.

 

[Nitro350Z]

How about investing in an alternative electric source? Solar power systems are getting cheaper and can supply quite a bit of power. Wind systems are great too if you live in a windy area.

I personally want to get a solar power system when I upgrade to a larger tank. Should be enough to power the tank during the day and if there's surplus it can reverse your power meter so that you save some money on your electrical bill.

Just my opinion tho.

 

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am going to plumb my new 65 g with a manifold system and get all pumps out of the main tank.I will use two pumps in the sump that will not be in the water preventing some level of heat transfer.Most important of all I am going to use T 5 lighting instead of MH which I consider to a dieing technology if for no other reason the power consumption and heat. As far as insolation is concerned I would say that its a good idea if your tank constantly runs cool keeping the heat in. If it constantly runs hot because of lights and pumps it may not be a good idea.

 

[davy182]

Plumbing your chiller outside helps. That way the heat produced by the chiller doesn't heat the air in the house and doens't cause the a/c to kick on as much.

 

[Foosinho]

I'm not currently running a tank (tore my last one down when I moved, and I've had too much other bad pet problems to start up again), but I'd like to build my upcoming house with a very large tank in mind. I'd also like the entire house to be able to run with as little mains power as possible - ie, use solar and a wind turbine at the farm to provide as much power as I can.

Mains power is reliable at the farm, but for "green" reasons I'd prefer not to rely on it. The tank, as a "life-support" system, needs to be able to run indefinitely on farm-generated power (without using so much that no power is left for the human "life support" systems - like heat, AC, fridge, beer fridge, etc - or that the power generation requirements become unfeasible).

I'm real interested in this thread. I was already planning on using a smaller quantity of larger, more efficient pumps, trying to provide for direct solar radiation of the tank during the day, and have been kicking around ideas for hooking the house geothermal system to the tank to provide heating and cooling via heat pumps.

Has anybody used a Kill-a-Watt meter to do an energy "audit" of the various systems in their tanks to determine the real-world electricity usage of light systems, pumps, etc?

 

[mikekman]

I agree with what Nitro said above. If and when I start a large tank, I will definitely use solar power. If done right, I will have enough electricity from the solar panels and any excess will be sold to the electric company.

 

[ThomasinKind]

Not specifically tank related but...

My parents went to a solar powered hot water heater (very cost-effective) and solar powered outdoor lighting. These alone save them quite a bit every month. You can also do other things as suggested above (switching out light bulbs, etc.).

 

[nick18tjetta]

I think the biggest electricity draw is you heater. I just don't run a heater. My water temp only varies a few degrees in any 24 hour period, and I don't think it effects my inhabitants at all. I do keep one around for those few times a year it gets cold, but that rarely happens.

 

[HippieSmell]

My best ideas are stream style pumps for circulation, a moderate return pump, use a fan instead of a chiller if possible, airstone skimmers, and solatubes if possible. If you did all of that, I bet you could have a 180 gallon tank running on 300W.

 

[jvetter]

Placement of pump is also a consideration. When the water drains from the overflow and falls several feet to the sump, there is a head loss that the pump always needs to work against. If we placed our sumps behind or beside the display tank with a slightly lower elevation, then we could use smaller pumps and use less energy.