switching back to power compacts from halides

[scunan]

I was wondering if anyone has gone from metal halides back to power compact lighting. My electric bill is through the roof and today I took my halides off the tank and put my power compacts back on. I am going to do this for a month or two to see what the difference is in my electric bill. I am not sure what effect this will have on my corals, but I am going to keep a close eye on things to make sure nothing suffers from this change.

[benray4fun]

My metal halides are brutal, they bleached my rocks and some corals. My power compacts never did that and everything maintained and/or grew fine. The pc's just don't look as good, but they do the job and that's all that matters...IMO

[rreddick]

I run 3x250W MH for 9 hrs a day, which equates to 6.7 Kwh per day, plus 4/96 watt dual atinics for 12 hours, which adds another 5 Kwh per day, for a total of almost 11 Kwh per day. Consider your average household usage is 5 kwh per day, my reef lighting is twice the daily average alone. Average cost per kwh on the cape is 16.8 cents. So my dailiy lighting cost is $1.84 which is not bad, but when you add in the pumps running 24/7,chiller, heaters it all adds up. so run the math on your wattage to get the real numbers, I think will be suprised to find it will only save 20 to 30 cents per day. That is not the main cost of a tank.

Take the averag pump using 4 Amps running 24 hours, that alone is 480 watts per hour, so ver 24 hours that is 12 Kwh, almost the same as the lights, then add power heads, etc, and you get my point, it ALL adds up.

Ron

[cerolost]

Actually that is exactly what I am doing. I started a 40g breeder about 6 months ago and I am using a 250w mh alone. Even though my electric bill has gone up I don't really it to my light. I'm going to a 40g hex and am going to use 130w pc. The reason is evaporation is horrible. My relative humidity is around 70% in the office and so mold started growing. My new tank will be in my kitchen with a glass top and the pc's. I'll post if I notice anything.

[rreddick]

I lose about a gallon a day on the 180, and about that in a week on the 50. The 180 is open top, with egcrate to stop the jumpers. Humidity in the room has never been a problem so far
Ron

[dragonforce]

rreddick is right on with this one. It ALL adds up my friend and MH is probably close to the cheapest in that you get the most bang light output for your dollar.

[FEEDERFISH]

I would never go back to PC now that I have MH, No longer a fan of PCs, corals never looked better since I switched to MH, and replacing 8 PC lamps every 8-9 months was a huge expense, my MH lamps last alot longer so I save $ there over the PCs

[blureef1]

I agree. Having run PC's for some time, the switch to MH's has been great. I have seen much better growth from corals with MH. In the long run, I don't think its that much more expensive.

[Watch Yo Wrasse]

ahhh and the shimmer effect with those MH's .... simply no substitute for the sHiMmErInG effect!!!!!

[sunfish11]

My hallides seem to cost a fortune as well. I lowered my photoperiod by 1 hour at the begining of the month and noticed a 20-30$ difference on my electric bill. When they do that whistle and start powering up I just picture money spilling out of my wallet. I sometimes doubt that whole power calculation thing. Supposedly the police scan for very high electric bills to find out who is growing pot with hallides. We could all be under suspision. LOL. I still wouldn't switch to PC though because I do like the look and coral growth of my hallides. I want to learn more about the new LED lighting that is out now. Cheap and bright so I hear. The set-ups are still so expensive though. When they come down to a resonable price I will consider that.

Lisa

[Tripspike]

Instead of switching halides to PC's, switch your crop for positive cash flow....:bum:......:wildone:

[spmedi]

Feels good to live in Indy now. My bills are around $0.054 per Kwh. I love my T5's more now too. At 156w total, adding in heaters, pumps, etc I just calculated that I use about 6Kwh/day for my 40BR/20L. I'm moving to a 65 (have to stay @36") = (.
But I actually run about the same cause I will be using more efficient pumps. So that is about what $10/month for my setup.

Of course that is about what 1/7th of rreddick's volume. But then again if he lived here he'd save $$ too. = )

[reefgeek84]

PC's are good for anything but SPS. SPS really needs, MH of good t-5's...if you are wanting to lower your bill, I would go t-5's...they will keep anything...I have 8 54watters on top of my tank, but I only run all 8 of them for about 8 hours a day, and then I only run 4 the rest of the time...so it is helping on the bill. Plus the t-5's, run much cooler, you can change bulbs out to get a desired look, they also last much longer then halide bulbs...I will never do halides again.

[HBtank]

T-5 here too...

I love them.

[pledosophy]

Hve used MH's T5's and PC's. Love them in that order. MH's aren't the expense for me, its all the new SPS frags. :D

[scunan]

I will see what one month of power compacts does to my bill and if it is not that significant I will probably switch back to the halides.

[DMK]

i can never go from MH/VHO to anything else... even though they do add to electric bill...

[msman825]

I run MH's and T5's my light bill is 200-250 every month

[DMK]

your LIGHT bill is 200-250 each month....???!!!!
- no it's not. after i added my tank( 2X250W HQI MH on mag ballast, 2X95W VHO actinics, return pump, 7 MJ1200;s, 1 TUNZE 6000, 2X250W heaters, skimmer, etc., etc.), my bill went up about $40 a month. how could u be paying 200-250/month on lights......?

[scunan]

I am paying about $200 a month here in Maine and before I moved the tank to the new house the bill was less than $100 per month

[somethingphishy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8890388#post8890388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by benray4fun
My metal halides are brutal, they bleached my rocks and some corals. My power compacts never did that and everything maintained and/or grew fine. The pc's just don't look as good, but they do the job and that's all that matters...IMO
did you aclimate your coral to more intense light or just switch to halides?

[msman825]

they got us by the BIO----:lol: lol

[rreddick]

New England has the highest electric rates in the USA right now. I feel Maine guys pain, my bill doubled this year with the new rate hike, and they went to a step, so after the first 50 Kwh the rates steps up, then again at 500 Kwh, it bites, but I am still working on my nuke battery to run the whole house, just need to find enough old watchs to slavage the radium <grin>

Ron

[DMK]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8893767#post8893767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scunan
I am paying about $200 a month here in Maine and before I moved the tank to the new house the bill was less than $100 per month

if it's really true, u guys are getting SCREWED hard :hammer:
$200 a month to just run a fish tank is retarded. i though an extra $40-45/month was bad! on top of that u have all your other tank expenses( bulbs, food, fish, coral, equipment, etc.)...

[Racenrich]

for my 120g setup and all electricity in the house...i run about $120-$140 per month.....yes the tank is about 1/2 of that!

Buy hey, its a hobby and certain hobbies require a certain expense...in the long run, you get what you pay for.....

Now switching from MH to PC?? :( :(
There are other ways to save $$, I'd keep the MH's!

[scunan]

I am now looking into solar power to maybe run everything on my tank except the lights, pumps,power heads, etc. I am not sure if this is possible or not.

[scunan]

I meant to say run pumps, powerheads etc not the lights

[goreefer]

I switched from PC's to T5's.
If you have the ballasts to power the PC's, they will most likley fire the T5's.
I will never go back to the PC's.

[Alaska_Phil]

You guys might want to check this out www.climate-energy.com

It's a home sized small gas fired generator with a very very efficent heat recovery system. In fact it recovers enough heat to be just as effiecient as a conventional furnance, making the electricity effectivly free. They're in use in Japan and I understand being tested in the new england area now.

Phil

[HBtank]

The rates are ridiculous here in Cali. as well...

T-5's are my solution.

Anyways, I think they are just as good as MH or better, so you would not be "downgrading". I would not go to PC's ever again, I do not think they are even close.

My bill is pretty mellow even with the best T-5's I could fit into my canopy, and I have more light than I will ever need and a customized spectrum I love...

If the PC's cut your bill, think about T-5's for a permanent solution..

[lpkirby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8893767#post8893767 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scunan
I am paying about $200 a month here in Maine and before I moved the tank to the new house the bill was less than $100 per month

:D I wish, my electric bill is around $400 per month...... No wonder my wife is mad:(

[lpkirby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8895457#post8895457 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scunan
I am now looking into solar power to maybe run everything on my tank except the lights, pumps,power heads, etc. I am not sure if this is possible or not.

Solar is very expensive, I checked into it and I would have to remortage the house just to get enough power to supply my tank and AC.

But the guy did tell me that it is catching on and the price should start comming down. Also expensive is windmill power but it will pay for itself in 5 years if you have the upfront money.