With @scottw selling his 300 gallon for a great price, even though I have no where to put it except a storage unit, it's tempting to scale up. However, it's all the other stuff that gets you and it would be helpful to know what to expect cost wise. Anyone running something in the 300 gallon range care to share their monthly expenses? It's additional salt, water, supplements, consumables, etc.....I assume at this level there are also humidity concerns requiring additional consideration and heating/cooling capacity, electricity for all the pumps, lights, etc. Is a generator a must at that level as well? How much time a week for maintenance? With my 90 and 40 gallon tanks, it seems like there is always something to do.
Large tank costs per month
- Thread starter Cook
- Start date
Yeah, the power bill is the big hit to the pocket.
Electric bill
Start up cost with equipment
Water maintenance additives
Livestock
Your time to upkeep.
Owning a successful tank that size is priceless though.
Start up cost with equipment
Water maintenance additives
Livestock
Your time to upkeep.
Owning a successful tank that size is priceless though.
My electric bill went up $38/month (I keep my house around 72 degrees in the summer and 70 in the winter). I am running all DC pumps and LED's. Gone are the days when I ran 8 x 400 watt MH with 8 VHO bulbs over my 800 gallon reef with a 2HP chiller, huge AC external pumps, and $300/month addition to the electric bill. With the technology today, it is finally worth running larger systems. I never do water changes so my salt costs are minimal at this point. My water bill went up about $5/month with ATO water. The costs between a 75/120/300 isn't that much more. I am sad to sell the 300, it is simply too big for the darn room it is in and I don't have any other place to put her 
.
I spend honestly less than 30 minutes a week on everything. thats including my fish room. Once you have it dialed in, I am hands off. I got a little algae bloom, I let nature take care of it, I added a few more snails, and guess what, 8 days later sand was white again. I find bigger easier, it will allow you to make a boo boo dosing, and not really see a major swing, small tanks you make a boo boo and you can nuke a tank.
. I spend honestly less than 30 minutes a week on everything. thats including my fish room. Once you have it dialed in, I am hands off. I got a little algae bloom, I let nature take care of it, I added a few more snails, and guess what, 8 days later sand was white again. I find bigger easier, it will allow you to make a boo boo dosing, and not really see a major swing, small tanks you make a boo boo and you can nuke a tank.
