The search for a low power SPS tank!

[Zaphod]

So I will be getting an apartment soon and am debating on getting out of the hobby unless I can really keep electricity cosumption down to a minimum. I know yea right!

Here are some thoughs having my primary flow be from a tunze wave box and then using T5 lighting. What length width and height combanation would really make this effective?

I am thinking somthing like 48x24x18.

 

[prodman]

A wave box does not work that well in a 4' tank.I consider my 120 48x24x24 to be a low energy.I use 2 6100 tunzes and an ehiem for the return an ehiem on my skimmer and ca reactor recirculating pumps and thats it for pumps. I either t off my return or gravity feed everything else. My lights are another story.

 

[Yinger]

actually, a wavebox works very well in a 4 feet tank. I have one in my 120 and the wave is about 1.5 inches. There is one guy that posted a video in the tunze forum and he got around a 3 inch wave.

 

[MammothReefer]

i had a sweet little 29 gallon sps tank for a while, small return pump, i had seios but you can use 1 small tunze, t5s, and a heater, a 1/10th hp chiller.

 

[Zaphod]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8248945#post8248945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prodman
A wave box does not work that well in a 4' tank.I consider my 120 48x24x24 to be a low energy.I use 2 6100 tunzes and an ehiem for the return an ehiem on my skimmer and ca reactor recirculating pumps and thats it for pumps. I either t off my return or gravity feed everything else. My lights are another story.

what is your power consumption do you ave any pics?

 

[jackson6745]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8248945#post8248945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prodman
A wave box does not work that well in a 4' tank.I consider my 120 48x24x24 to be a low energy.I use 2 6100 tunzes and an ehiem for the return an ehiem on my skimmer and ca reactor recirculating pumps and thats it for pumps. I either t off my return or gravity feed everything else. My lights are another story.

I do the same thing with my 120 and I agree that a wavebox works much better in a 6ft+ tank

 

[Zaphod]

okay so what would the optimal size be?

 

[Chicago]

wave box in large reef.. good thinkg?

 

[jackson6745]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253205#post8253205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zaphod
okay so what would the optimal size be?

What do you mean?

 

[Zaphod]

for a wave box.

 

[fast94m]

i consider my electricity costs to run my 75g tank somewhat low, heres alittle breakdown:

mag 5 return 45 watts
er rs80 skimmer sp2 pump 28watts
2 modded maxi jet 900s 20watts?
1 ac301 powerhead 8 watts
300w heater that almost
never turns on ? watts
2 54w actinic t5s on 12hrs 108 watts
2 150w 10k hqis on
for 10hrs day 300watts
2 pc fans on 24/7 20 watts?

Thats it and my electricty to run the tank comes out to about $20-25 a month. It'll vary depending obviously on how much you pay per kw/hr. I started w/ a bigger mag 9.5 return and mag 5 skimmer pump and went to these and i'm happy as the tank temp dropped, no longer needed as many fans, and saved some electricity. I like the idea of ppl concerned about how many watts your consuming in your tank because it follows the same conservation principles we try to emphasize about corals and other finite things that are in the tank.