There are many expenses in the aquarium hobby, but one often overlooked expense is the cost of electricity. Small aquariums may add only $10-$50 a month to energy costs, but larger aquariums can easily cost hundreds of dollars a month without energy-efficiency planning. Three simple areas where energy savings can make a difference are pumps, lighting, and temperature control.

Pumps
Water pumps can use a significant amount of power, but there are several ways to reduce power usage. Investing in new pumps might have a high up-front cost, but if you expect to have your aquariums for more than a couple of years, the pumps we recommend will probably pay for themselves with all you will save on electricity.

In the past, water movement was done with external pumps, but internal flow pumps, such as the Hydor Koralia, IceCap Gyre, and IceCap Flow Pumps, only use about 1/3rd the electricity of a similarly sized external pump. The Tunze Turbelle Stream 6255 and Tunze Turbelle Stream 6105 are even more energy-efficient. If you’re using closed-loop pumps or a large external pump connected to a sump, consider either replacing the external main system pump with internal pumps or using a smaller external pump. For reef aquariums with a sump, you only need enough flow through the sump for your protein skimmer. The rest of your flow can be done more cheaply with more efficient internal pumps.

Some equipment, such as recirculating skimmers, media reactors, calcium reactors, and sump return pumps, requires the use of impeller pumps to operate. For these needs, consider switching from an AC pump to a DC pump. DC pumps, such as the Reef Octopus DC Pumps, use about half the power, and are also quieter and controllable. Or, you could switch to one of the innovative, energy-saving AC pumps such as the Hydor Seltz D.

Using one pump with a manifold can replace multiple pumps. Larger aquariums with sumps tend to have a lot of equipment in the sump. All of this equipment needs water feed pumps. Rather than using individual pumps for each of these pieces of equipment, it is more efficient to use a single large pump with separate ball valves to control the flow to each piece of equipment. Doing this can not only reduce power consumption but also simplify the system by removing the number of cords and moving parts needed for your aquarium.

Lighting
Aquarium lights are often the most energy-intensive part of your tank’s equipment, but there are ways to make lighting more efficient.

Most aquarists have given up on energy-inefficient metal halides and fluorescent lights. Modern LED lights can significantly reduce energy costs. In most cases, an LED light will use less than half the power of an equivalent halogen or fluorescent light. In some cases, the savings can be much greater. The Kessil A160WE LED Light Fixtures were designed as replacements for 150-watt metal halides, yet they only use 40 watts!

Even if you use energy-efficient LEDs, you may still be wasting a lot of money on electricity by leaving your lights on longer than necessary. Corals and plants in your aquarium only need 4-6 hours of light. If you have your lights on for longer than this, it is only for your enjoyment and not for the benefit of the animals and plants in the tank. Installing a simple timer on your lights can ensure they are not left on longer than necessary. For those with dimmable LED lights, only run your lights at the selected maximum intensity for 4-6 hours and use dimmer light for viewing the rest of the day.

Heaters & Chillers
Heaters and chillers use a great deal of electricity, but there are ways of making them more efficient.

Keep your aquarium in a well-insulated area of the house. The best way to reduce your tank’s heater and chiller's power consumption is to have them turn on less often. Placing your aquarium against an interior wall can prevent outside hot and cold air from affecting your tank's temperature and triggering your heater and chiller. Avoid placing your aquarium in direct sunlight or opening windows near it.

Choose a proper target temperature. Temperatures between 76 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit are OK for a reef aquarium. If you are in a cold climate, aim for 77. If you are in a warm climate, aim for 80. It is far more important that you limit temperature variation than that you achieve a particular temperature.

Use a chiller rather than air conditioning. If you live in a hot climate, air conditioning can be a major part of your electrical bill. You can turn your air up or off when you leave your home, but this can lead to the death of your entire aquarium. Adding a chiller will allow you to turn your air up when you are at work or out of town.

If you are using both a chiller and a heater, then there is a risk of the two fighting each other. If the chiller is plumbed after the heater, then the heater could be sending extra hot water to the chiller which causes the chiller to turn on and give the heater extra cold water. In the end, your heater and chiller will counteract each other and waste power. Using a temperature controller, such as the Pinpoint Temperature Controller, will allow only the heater or chiller to be on at any point in time. Setting this up is very simple—the heater and chiller just plug into the Pinpoint Controller, and the included Pinpoint Probe is placed in the sump or tank. The Neptune Apex can also be used to control both the heater and chiller.