Electrical question - upgrading tank

[JohnD]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to upgrade from my 55 AGA to either a 135 or 150 Oceanic. A tank this size is out of my realm of experience, so I wanted to ask: How much juice will I need?

I will need to run:
powerheads
heater
return pump
MHs
wavemaker
skimmer

I may also want a:
chiller
calcium reactor

I am planning to have an electrician in for other work, so I rather error with too many outlets than not enough.

Help me out here.

TIA,

JohnD

 

[Iron]

I added 2_20amp dedicated circuits. I run 3 maxijet 1200, 2 mak4 1 Iwaki30. mag2 geo reactor 3 110vho IC 2_250w pfo 2 6" fans ,pin point monitor and probally still can add more. I added 2 4plex boxes also on high on low = less need for strips. I would add more if your not sure but 2-20amps is easy. And shouldn't cost to much. maybe 3 -20amp= no way you can overload that with a 135g. You probally will be fine with 2. ask the electrician

 

[bowfront]

At least one dedicated line for the tank and anther outlet (dedicated or shared) is how I would approach it. I like to play it safe with electricty and also avoid throwing breakers. Two seperate lines gives you the option to keep minimal live support pumps/power heads on each line in case one kicks when you are away.

 

[suckair]

well if you plan to run high power lighting like dual 400w MH lighting you would need a dedicated line. This would use almost 10 amps on it's own.

Throw a chiller and some pumps and you could hit the 15A limit that most breakers are rated for on common outlets.

My system runs two 250w MH lamps on electronic ballasts and my pump demands are not that high. My chiller is in the basement so I just used the plain old outlet.

My 105 system at work is going to be a SPS system so it has dual 400's, chiller ect so I had two outlets on two different breakers. Each is 15A and the lights are on their own. I had a local electric company run the outlets and it cost me about 175 dollars.

If you plan to go to high power lighting I would have the custom outlets installed as it would be alot better to spend the money than to find out your tank has been "dead no power" after comming home from work or that weekend trip.

I would also tighten the screws that clamp in your wireing on both the breaker and the outlet. If they are loose it will cause excessive heat and will cause either to fail.

I check my breakers about once/year and make sure they are all very tight! This is espicaly important if you have aluminum wireing as dissimilar metals have different expansion ratios to heat and often create their own bad connections. It is against code to use dissimaliar metal contacts in most locations but it is quite common. There are special contact lubricants you should use if you are using a dissimiliar metals. Most of these problems can lie dormant because you are not drawing massive ammounts of current across the circut. It is for these reasons that a few checks are in order before you start to max out the circut!

Well as you can tell I have some experience in this area and there is just one more very important piece of advice you must heed! Use GFI outlets!!!!! and a ground porbe!!!!! This could save your life and your livestock! GFI outlets don't do much good unless you use the ground probe so make sure you use both! If you have a heater explode it will cause the GFI outlet to trip before it kills everything in your tank! The same could apply for a failing pump! GFI outlets are cheep and a must have for any reefer!

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I would add two dedicated circuits. This will be more than you need but you would not run into tank shut down and crashed because of the circuit tripped. Add two circuits shoudn not be twice the cost because it would be on the route. i would have at least two GFCI outlets (4 plug in) for each circuit. (these cost are minimal in compaire to setting up a tank)

 

[Lark]

The math is pretty easy - figure out all the devices that possibly could be running at one time, add up the total watts used by those devices, and divide by 120. That will tell you the number of amps that you may be drawing at any one time. Standard household breakers will open at 15 amps, so if you're anywhere near 1650 watts or so, you could be running in the red zone. I figured for an 80 gallon, I'd be around 1350 (and I'm not using very high wattage MHs.)

There are, however, many many other things to consider. First, the number of "outlets" is not the right question. Any number of outlets (in different rooms) can be on one circuit. So, if you run your tank on a circuit that also includes other electric equipment, that equipment will count toward the 15 amp limit. (In other words, you could switch on 2 lightbulbs in another room and trip the circuit.) One way, although not the only way, to see what is on the circuit is to flip the breaker that corresponds to the outlet where you want to run the tank and see what else in the house turns off.

Another thing you want to know is the gauge of the wire in your house. If you live in a development, it is probable that your contractor picked the sub-contractor that offered the lowest bid, which means electrical wire that meets the bare minimum code standards. If you have the lower rated guage wire, you probably don't want to run more than 70-80 percent of the total available wattage on the wire.

When I can afford it, I'll end up going with 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits with separate GFCIs. I'll run one heater and one pump through one, and one heater and one pump through the other. I'll probably split up the lights too. That way, even if one GFCI trips, I'll still have a good chance of pulling through.

Ultimately, nothing you read on the internet can substitute from good advice from a bonded electrician.

 

[JohnD]

Wow, those are some great responses. You guys and gals know your juice!

My service is maxxed out, so when we finish the attic, I will have the electrician add a new service as well as run lines for the proposed new 135 in the basement.

I have an old house and recently redid my bathroom. While there, I had the electrician do a lot of rewiring throughout the house. Suckair I had a dedicated line and 6 GFI installed for my 37 gallon in the living room. You are absolutely right. GFIs are the only way to go. Now that is taken care of. What exactly are you taking about regarding custom outlets? I know I will have to do some serious homework when it comes to lighting.

Lark I ment dedicated lines. You are right, outlets are not the issue. Thanks for the tip about wattage and dividing by 120. I have to get my calculator out and start figuring.

Bowfront great idea for splitting the different pumps and powerheads on the different lines. Always some backup.

Minh and Iron, I think I will go with 2 20amp lines, but I will ask the electrician.

Thanks again, everybody.