Such a shame to see this fish tank go

[Dave 54]

I read today in PFK that the UK's largest privately owned fish tank has to close due to exessive running costs :-

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co....shwater_tank_is_closing_down&utm_content=html

Such a shame but a warning to others make sure you can afford to run your creation being the past owner of a large 6 x 2 x 2.5 tank in which we kept our koi for 22 years .
Do your home work first and look at every aspet before committing .
Strangely running two 2x 2 x 2 tanks along with the large tank we found didnt cost the earth and stranger still the pond we now own costs less

Dave

 

[MitchM]

I cut down the heating costs on my big reef tank (2300 liter) by replacing my electric heaters with a hot water loop from my domestic hot water tank. The temperature is controlled with a controller that controls the circulation loop.
I don't know what you guys across the pond use for heat though. We use natural gas over here.

I also switched my current pumps over to DC.

 

[Dave 54]

Mitch domestic water heaters sometimes have problems when the thernostat goes ballistic giving you bioling water , arent you afraid that this could happen and cook your fish ?
Do you have a temerature cut out switch on your reef tank to negate this should it happen ?
Your idea is oherwise quite a sound one

Dave

 

[MitchM]

Dave, I use an aquarium controller that turns on or off a 25 watt recirculation pump that has domestic hot water running through a plastic pipe loop as needed to heat the aquarium. The loop includes a coil of the pipe sitting in the aquarium sump.
If the water in the hot water tank is too hot, then the recirculation pump runs for a shorter time.
I have it set to run within a 0.2 Celsius variable range.

 

[Dave 54]

Dave, I use an aquarium controller that turns on or off a 25 watt recirculation pump that has domestic hot water running through a plastic pipe loop as needed to heat the aquarium. The loop includes a coil of the pipe sitting in the aquarium sump.
If the water in the hot water tank is too hot, then the recirculation pump runs for a shorter time.
I have it set to run within a 0.2 Celsius variable range.

Mitch I take m hat of to you my friend very inventive and very clever thinkng , perhaps we should try get in contact with this guy to tell him all is not lost
My other suggestion to him would be to keep koi in it , thus no heaing costs and he gets to keep his tank

Dave

 

[MitchM]

Thanks Dave, but it's really just an extension of a system that is used a lot in our over-sized North American houses.
This system is used in large houses so that the occupants can have instant hot water whenever they want it out of their kitchen or bathroom sinks.
Heaven forbid you have to wait for a minute while your hot water has to travel from the other end of the house. :lol:

 

[sissy]

even a pond is getting more expensive to run .Electric is not cheap .

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

My electric bill last month was $528.00.

 

[HARO]

Are you complaining or bragging? :dunno:
John

 

[sissy]

oh well guess mine is low then at 174 dollars last month .It was high for me since with taxes it is usually around 140 dollars

 

[Dave 54]

Here in the UK he big sx power companies have fleeced the British public normally hiking the prices up in the winter.
This year the public had enough and the government has become involved their party are the ones that privatized the utilities so it seems they are panicing forcing he companies to cut prices .
We in the South West pay £1,000 pa for our water and because we cant go to another company for our water we are a captive market, should the government ever pu water to competition they know this company would b bankrupted as we would leave them in droves.
But for now we remain the ripped off

Dave

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

John I was just making a comment that went along with utilities. OK ?

 

[HARO]

Oh, OK! Ours runs from $230 to $280 Cdn. a month.
John

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

I guess that is why we do not keep a close watch on the cost of a hobby.

 

[Dave 54]

Dave not only do I keep an eye on the cost ofour hobby I also keep an eye on the advancement of equipment in our hobby i;e equipment that is greener and nore cost effective to run .
This way potential savings can be made, exactly as we did on our indoor koi tank which ended up with far better kit over the 22 years we ran it from lighing to filtration .
Expensive though that kit was it made for major savings over the years so it sort of evens things out especially in filtration .
With the Fluvel FX5 and the Eheim Professional III 2080 being he very best we could buy at that time , thankfully knowing people in the trade we managed to secure near trade discounts on everything from our lighting to filtration .
Our lighting comng coming down from two 50 watt lights to a 38 watt double unit .
Outside the U/V-C hasso far saved us alott of money as have our twin airpumps , we are now looking into he pump which is 75 watt.

Dave