Saving a little electricity

[zenzence]

I read in a forum once that some people turn their actinics off after the MH turn on and then set their timer to turn them back on for a hour after the MH turn off.

In an effort to save a little cash on electricity I was thinking of doing the same when I am not home during the day.I could always turn them on when I am veiwing the tank?

Thoughts

 

[Ehgemus]

I thank it would be fine the actinics are just for you anyway I Thank.

 

[Ti]

go for it

 

[xtrstangx]

Yep, it'll be OK to do that.

 

[ChemE]

That will certainly be fine. There are many other things you can do to save electricity if you'd like.

 

[Ehgemus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7091698#post7091698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
That will certainly be fine. There are many other things you can do to save electricity if you'd like.

Like what I'm all ears.:idea:

 

[ChemE]

This is what I'm doing for my next tank which will be a 120 gallon:

Notable features here include 3.0 watts/gallon of the highest quality T5 lighting staged on and off, gravity fed CC airstone driven skimmer (9 watts!), Maxi-Stream's for main circulation, and a sump 6" below the display so that a MJ can serve as the return pump.

 

[Large Polyp Dave]

ChemE,

you may have tested this already but....

are you sure the maxijet900 will work for a return? those things can't handle head pressure at all

 

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7094235#post7094235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Large Polyp Dave
ChemE,

you may have tested this already but....

are you sure the maxijet900 will work for a return? those things can't handle head pressure at all

Behold, the power of the RC head loss calculator. Just kidding, I've been asked this question before and the answer is absolutely. 179 gph is more than ample for a 120 iff (if and only if) 100% of the raw overflow water is fed to the skimmer which is the most efficient mode of operation.

 

[zenzence]

my power company says that the first 800 kwh is 2.23 cents per kwh then 1.260 cents each additional kwh. Does that sound right?

 

[ChemE]

No way. The cheapest rate in the country is Kentucky who enjoys 5.6 cents per kWh. Look at your last bill, there will be a fuel surcharge or some other charge which brings it up into the 6-7 cent per kWh range.

 

[zapata41]

chem e, how are you going to plumb the mj with only a .25ft of straight plumbing from your sump to your return.

Tim

 

[ChemE]

Tim,

It is possible but not trivial. This is probably a more realistic representation of what I'll do. You can see the difference is only 4 gph between the two scenarios. Static head dominates all other variables with these powerheads.

How much do you want to bet I don't have any problems with microbubbles?

 

[zapata41]

looks like it will work great then.

 

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7095254#post7095254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zapata41
looks like it will work great then.

I'm sure hopeful. If it does, it is a great way to shave some watts off a reef tank. To my mind, there is no sense using more power than is absolutely necessary.

 

[zapata41]

well as soon as my qo4000 dies again i am gonna ahve to find a better return pump. the maxi mods saved me a little cash in the circulation department, now i just need to shave a bunch of watts in other departments. i would love to loose a few hundred watts here and there

Tim

 

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7095656#post7095656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zapata41
well as soon as my qo4000 dies again i am gonna ahve to find a better return pump. the maxi mods saved me a little cash in the circulation department, now i just need to shave a bunch of watts in other departments. i would love to loose a few hundred watts here and there

Tim

Hehe. You got room behind your tank to play or do you have to stick the sump under the tank?

My plan is a 2" tall interior coast-to-coast toothless overflow through the back glass down perhaps 2 inches and into a 6' tall CC airstone skimmer. The skimmer will use the AES fine pore ceramic stones since they only have to be cleaned once a year and will be powered by a Sweetwater II linear piston air pump. When the flow comes out of the hartford loop, it will enter the first section of the sump which will house the chaeto ball. From there its UOU to the return section of the sump. This water level in this section will be at most 2" lower than the level in the first chamber of the sump. The MJ900 will be submerged (at least during the winter) and draw from the return chamber and pump back to the display.

So a 2" drop over the overflow, a 2" drop between the display and the skimmer's hartford loop, and then a 2" drop across the sump. No cascading water, no microbubbles, no head pressure for the MJ to push against. I should get my target 1.5 tanks per hour through my skimmer/sump loop with a scant 8.5 watts!

 

[zapata41]

nice plan. my tank has room behind it but the sump is in the fish room. i am thinking of getting either and eheim or a quite external pump that draws very little power

Tim

 

[ChemE]

Is the fish room a floor down from the display or is it on the same floor as the display?

 

[zapata41]

same floor but sump has a few things in it and feeds a few other things too.
see below

sorry for the thread jacking too

Tim