monthly maintenance cost of a 180+ gallon tank?

victor_c3

victor_c3

Premium Member
I'm new to the hobby and I'm only just starting my 30 gallon tank. Nonetheless, I'm still fantasizing about one day getting a tank that is on par with the ones on this forum.

Without being too rude, how much do you guys pay on a monthly basis to support and maintain a tank that is 180 gallons or larger (as far as electric bills and everything else)? What about a 300 or larger tank? The initial setup costs I'm sure is high, but the monthly maintenance is what will probably get me.

I'm just looking for some honest number that will probably shatter my dreams!



Thanks in advance.

Victor
 
Tampa Electric estimated my monthly electric increase at $110.00
Then there's food, water changes, supplements.
 
There have been many threads with this sort of information. I am sure if you look hard enough you will find them.

I estimate my 210 to be between $2000 and $2500 per year. That inclused electricity, bulb replacemet, salt, replacement filters, etc.
 
Thanks for the info! Thats just the kind of stuff I need to dampen the dream for a while :)

Basically it comes down to me either wanting to support a large aquarium or maintain my classic car. I think I'll just stick to the smaller tanks for the time being.
 
I GOTTON MY BILLS FROM ELECTRIC CO TAMPA ELECTRIC TO RUN MY 600 GAL FOR A MONTH, PUMP 400W LIGHTS ONE 9AMPS 1000W (SOON TO BE TWO 1000W'S) SKIMMER ,UV ITS BOUT $80-90 MONTH, NO CHILLER HOPE I DONT NEED IT BUT I DO HAVE ONE. PLUS LIKE MFLAMB & OTHER GUYS SAID FOOD, CORALS ,FISH
CHEMICALS. BOUT $150-300 MONTH DEPENDING ON AREA AND ELECTRICITY COST.
 
Nyvp, Is that $125 for just electricity or does it count everything? Like salt, replacment bulbs, Rodi cartridges, carbon etc. ?

I figure I am about $300 a month all in for my 280 gal , 450 gal total water volume system.
 
count on one pump impellor every year
count halide and supplemental bulbs every year
count salt, carbon, filterpads, testkits supplements
count the fancy medias like the zeos/phosbans, etc.
count calcium reactor media and additives

then add in electricity

I'd say my 180 is close to 200/month
 
nyvp is right on the money... Low flow sump, tunze streams, T5s+halides used efficiently, fans with ducting for cooling w/o needing a chiller, keeping the canopy sealed so heat/humidity can be ducted outside rather than taxing the A/C (this is a huge factor that many overlook), and needlewheel skimmers... these things can keep your costs down to $50 per month or less on even a 180g (my cousin's 180 costs him about $60 only per month at $.10 per kwh)

If you use large 400watt 20,000K halides, beckett skimmers, closed loops with large wattage hungry pumps, high-flow sump return pumps, poor ventilation, a chiller, etc... these things work against each other as well as the climate control of your home. You can easily pay $300 per month if you plan poorly.
 
That's per month and that's everything. I make my own food and use NSW for changes.
My break down:
4-250w 14k hammy-1000w
2 tunze 6100 45x2=90
dart closed loop -160
seq 4200 return-180
skimmer- (Dart plus alita air)-185w
panworld 40- 45w (reactors)
Heaters- 500w
total of 2160w if everything was on full time with the tunze pulsing and the heaters not on often I'm prob closer to 1750w during the day and 750w night for an average of 1000w through out the day.
When building my system I spent long hrs here on RC and Marine depot searching for lower watt idea's. For a system water volume of soon to be 2000g thats real low.

Thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=847516&perpage=25&pagenumber=22
 
Last edited:
Well I redid my costs and $200 seems like a more realistic number (yeah I just saved a $100, lets go get a new fish :) )

But I would love to hear some way to get down to $125 like nyvp.

Here is what I've got:

electricity
barccuda 320 W
ele MH 2x 250 500
ele MH 400
heaters 500
tunze 2x6100 90
tunze 6000 15
deltec skimmer 52
misc PH 20
Cal reactor 25
total ~1925 watts
in the reef central calculator = $90.00 mth

supplies
MH bulbs $110 x 3 / 18 months $6
Attinic blulb $15x4/6mths 10
salt $70 bucket/2mths 35
food
 
sorry hit submit

food 20
carbon 5
cal media 5
filter pads 10
test kits 10
ROdi 10

total $110
+$90
= $200 mth

I am ok with this. But I know that electricity will keep going up and the tank keeps getting bigger. and wonder how much I would need to make to be comfortable spending $500+ a month on the tank.
And a nasty thought is if you were to amortize your tank.
say $15000 for my 280 all set up. And it is good for 10 years.
Thats $125 a month. Mabye not to bad but how many of us have 15 year old equipment? I am always buying new stuff and the costs really add up.

Anyway to anybody who actually read all my longwinded reply, I am not trying to be a bummer, just thinking by typing.
 
ruiny - not much to save but can see a few things
Change the cudda to a dart or seq 4200 will save you almost 200w if you need the extra flow add another tunze.
why do you need the 400 watter? can you do 3-250? raise some of the light needers?
where are the #'s for your antics?
thats 350watts you can save.
You over flow/return should only be as much as your sump/skimmer can process. I down graded my seq 4300 to a 4200 to save on wattage. Flow if more efficient in powerheads and closed loops not going through sump.
 
I am running 12 tanks with a total of 815 gal. 540 in salt and 275 fresh. I have CP lighting on the two 25 gals, the 90 gal, the six 70 gals and the 55 gal. I have the works on the 180 gal with 15000 k's and MH's. With all this said I figured I'll spend about $5000 a year on them in water changes, bulb replacement, equipment maintanance, additives, feed and electric. I guess I should of just kept chasing women, probaly cheaper and not as much worry in the end...........
 
Something tells me that you could do things alot cheaper...
-consolidate some smaller tanks into one larger tank
-fish room (keep heat/vapor from rest of house systems)
-lower wattage pumps for circulation
-centralized sump/filtration system
 
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