How Much Electricity

[paw-paw]

HI!

Just wondering...I have one 240 litre tank that is heated to 26 C. We only have 18 - 20 degrees max in our house, so that means that the heater is running pretty much constantly...So do you think it uses a lot of electricity?
because it was suggested to me by my dear family members that we could instead keep colder water fish. But would that really make such a difference?
Doesn't a filter and light use more electricity?


We lso have one 60 liter tank, that is also heated to 26 C - does the heater in this aquarium also use a lot of electricity?

 

[Truck]

look at the Ah or amp hours the product uses then work it all out by adding them together. i dont think a heater uses much juice

 

[Rob.S]

Or use this calculator........... HERE

 

[raptorrex]

HI!

Just wondering...I have one 240 litre tank that is heated to 26 C. We only have 18 - 20 degrees max in our house, so that means that the heater is running pretty much constantly...So do you think it uses a lot of electricity?
because it was suggested to me by my dear family members that we could instead keep colder water fish. But would that really make such a difference?
Doesn't a filter and light use more electricity?


We lso have one 60 liter tank, that is also heated to 26 C - does the heater in this aquarium also use a lot of electricity?

the only real way to do this is with some form of, energy coast meter. unless your heater has a light, and you sit and watching it for a day, noting when it comes on and for how long. the net calculator is of no use. both Maplin and Aldi had one for about £10.

 

[tibby25731]

Has anyone got one of these energy meters? I'm looking into the wireless ones, wondering if anyone had any experience of them?

 

[Corleone]

I have one that goes in the outlet and you plug into that. Works quite well, though I use it on my refrigerator, not the tank. What type of wireless meter are you referring to?

 

[pippoodle]

coldwater fish and not using a heater would only reduce the electricity a tiny bit
but it would increase the maintenance as they are a lot messier and remember gold fishes need at least 10 gallon per fish got you could only have 4-5 fish in that large tank

explain to the family that the small cost of the heater is worth it for the joy they will get out of a tropical tank

Cheers Sarah xxx

 

[Corleone]

Goldfish aren't the only option by any means. There's a great many fish that can live unheated at the temperatures the OP is giving. There was a thread recently I can dig up that has a great many fish, even some generally considered tropical, that can easily live at reduced temperatures.

If the heater is on continuously, it's not a trivial power draw. My heaters are much higher wattage than the filters on the same tanks, and the heater on my planted tank is only slightly behind the lights. Edit: after seeing Oldman's post below and checking, it's still almost three times the wattage of the lights, so still well over twice the wattage of all the other equipment.

 

[OldMan47]

The filter on all of my tanks use less than 25 watts, and that is the big one on my 120 gallon tank. The lights use whatever it says on the bulbs so if you do high light plants it may add to quite a bit but if you don't have plants and don't leave the lights on all the time you won't use much power there. An air pump is usually only 3 or 4 watts so you can ignore that load. The reason you get suggestions of 5 watts per gallon on a heater is because it could take that much to keep up with the heat losses from the tank. For a 65 gallon tank that means you probably use a 300 watt heater. If you assume it is only on about half the time it would be like running 150 watts continuously. The energy consumption is many times as large as the rest of the equipment you have. It means that as much as I don't like the answer, your family is probably partly right.
While they are trying to save energy, the TV uses just as much energy or even more, the lights in the house often cost at least 100 watts per room to run when there are people using the room and the refrigerator uses much more if it is a modern self defrosting model. One of the biggest electrical consumers is the furnace fan. Things that we consider a necessary part of daily life do consume energy but few of us would want to go without these conveniences.

 

[tibby25731]

I have one that goes in the outlet and you plug into that. Works quite well, though I use it on my refrigerator, not the tank. What type of wireless meter are you referring to?

Was looking at this http/www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=225407

 

[raptorrex]

or one i mentioned!
http/www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...14&doy=3m11