Power Saving on Reefs

[carouche]

Hello,
I´m from Brazil and here the energy supply is going to a very problematic situation.
As it´s happening we here will face a terrible increase of billing and also in some cases three days of no supply at all.

I don´t know if in US or any other country it´s an issue also and what did you do in cases like that...

I personally have a 50 gal reef with HQI (150W), Chiller, 80W of Actinic Lamps, heater (150W) lots of Corals and fish...
I usually spend more than 350KW/H monthly with thae aquarium...

So If any one have any suggestion in order to reduce energy, I´d really appreciate that...

Best regards.

 

[Anonymous]

You are going to need a generator. Sorry I do not know what else to tell you.

 

[Anemone]

A couple of small fans blowing across the surface of the tank or the sump will knock the tank temp down 4-6 degrees, and reduce the need for the chiller to run all the time.

You can probably reduce your tanks photoperiod by an hour every day without much harm, or even give the tank a "lights out" day once every week or two.

As for having the power off for several days, you'll need a generator or some long-term battery powered pumps. The little air pumps that run on D batteries will run for almost three days, so having a bunch of them around can keep your water moving and remove the worst risk you'd likely face (oxygen deprivation). I doubt that temperature drops will be a major problem, will they? If they are, there are also battery-powered heaters out there.

Kevin

 

[Anonymous]

Look closely at your pump situation, too. Try to use external pumps if possible- that will help with the overheating problem. See if any pumps can be eliminated. Also, when it comes to your return pump, it pays to invest the extra money in an energy-efficient one.

As far as lighting, you may want to invest in electronic ballasts - that will help as well.

 

[bigtank]

Your tank will do just fine without actinics. 150w HQI are plenty good alone.

 

[JohnD]

Oi Carlos,

Tudo bem?

I was in Rio de Janeiro 2 weeks ago visiting my inlaws. Yes, the electricity crisis is front page news in Brazil.

Our fellow board members have offered some good advice.

Do you need to run the chiller now? I suggest you try running the tank with out it. If the tank gets too warm, consider this: freeze some water in a couple of bottles and place a frozen bottle in the sump to cool the tank.

Regards,

JohnD

 

[Merkur]

swap all of the incandescent light bulbs in your house for the 15w power compact ones. the energy savings of these bulbs have offset the electricity ussage of my reef.

example, upstairs bathroom vanity had 4x75 watt incandesents, total, 250 watts. swapped to 4x15 watt PC's, total 60 watts. and its a nicer whiter light while saving 190 watts for a couple hours a day.

 

[Anonymous]

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[mariner]

Wire the outlets for your tank equipment for 220 voltage. If you are at 110 right now, that'll decrease your energy usage by a third.

 

[EnvironmentalWacko]

Dear Reefer,

Ask yourself this: Can I guarrantee the mortality
of my reef w/out power in the worst case?

The answer I get is a resounding "no".

Just like the bad stocks we own in our retirement
funds we sell, you should sell too.

I personally don't have your crisis to consider but
if it were a decision between a hot stove and a
aquarium, I'd rid myself of the aquarium.

EW

 

[monkeyboy]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by EnvironmentalWacko:
<strong>I personally don't have your crisis to consider but
if it were a decision between a hot stove and a
aquarium, I'd rid myself of the aquarium.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Never! I'd eat some cuttings first!

Sounds like you need a generator, those 3 day power outages scare the hell out of me. Like others have said, you can drop the actinics and use fans to drop the water temperature. Good luck!

 

[HARRISON]

We have had a power crisis here in California too. I changed the bulk of my light bulbs to the power saver florescent bulbs and I think it has helped a bunch. My power bill went down from previous bills. Also, I can stress the effiency of pumps. I had Home Depot pumps in my pond then changes them out for more efficient pumps that used half the juice. All these things can add up over the long run.

You probably should consider a generator or like EnviroWaco says, consider selling out. The crisis will pass and you can pick up later.

Hope things work out.
HARRISON

 

[HARRISON]

To clarify (and save myself from the flame), the bulbs I changed were for the rest of the house not my tank!!!

 

[esmithiii]

EnvironmentalWacko:

Your name is well deserved. Who are you man, confucius?

E

 

[tom1356]

If you can, you should use a cold water chiller.

 

[tetra]

Is it legal to say reef and power saving in the same sentence?

 

[R33f_$hark]

:lol: