Light Wattage

[rocknurworld2006]

will it cost much more electricity to run 3 60watt light tubes than 3 30 watt light tubes?

 

[drobbyb]

will it cost much more electricity to run 3 60watt light tubes than 3 30 watt light tubes?

Yes to a degree. You are talking 180 watts vs 90 watts. You will consume 100% more power with the 60 watt tubes than the 30 watt tubes. Watts are what count towards the electric bill not the type of lighting used. 400 watts of flourescent light uses exactly the same amount of electricity as 400 watts of metal halide.

 

[tyyrlym]

It's an extra 32 kilowatt hours a month, roughly. Multiply that times your electric rate and that's what it'll cost you to run them.

 

[drobbyb]

My 8 tanks cost me roughly $30 a month. Most of them are run by air driven sponge filters however.

 

[tyyrlym]

Aside from heaters or very large light set ups there's little in your fish tank that'll make any appreciable dent in your wallet, electricity wise. Even heaters aren't as bad as you'd think depending on how warm your house is, and even a big light set up is hardly more than three to five regular house lights.