I'm looking into planning a large aquarium build. The smallest I'd like to go is 400 gallons and potentially all the way up to around 1200-1500 gallons. What very well could be the limiting factor however, isn't the actual volume of water. I'm thinking my limiting factor will be running cost. I'm not worried about equipment cost and startup costs, as I can always DIY, buy used, or save up. That does no good though, if in the end, I get everything up and running just to find out that my pocketbook isn't up to the task of supporting that large of a tank let alone enough of a budget left over afterwards to actually put a living animal in the tank. So being one that likes to research and plan things out, that brings me to the question of, how does one calculate running costs of a large tank?
Of course you have consumables like salt, filter socks, filters, light bulbs, ect, all of which are fixed enough to at least calculate based on water volume, water change plan, and length of running time. But then you have things like, calcium dosing, alk dosing, that are all variable tank to tank. You've also got your literal consumables, all your fish food, how does one at least come up with a rough cost estimate for all of these?
Then there is power. Again, you've got the easy things to calculate like return pumps, powerheads, skimmer, ect. Using wattage and estimated run time you can figure out running costs that way. But how does one calculate the cost to actually heat such a volume of water? Figure out the ambient temperature difference vs the desired temp, then somehow figure out the thermal heat transfer efficiency of whatever heating method I go with? Is that even possible? Or what about humidity control, on large tanks humidity is always a concern and we all know it sure costs enough to keep our house comfortable, let alone having several hundred gallons of water to worry about as well.
I understand for a small tank, running costs are just part of owning a tank, and if you're worried about the running costs there that you've probably chosen the wrong hobby. However, I have got to imagine that at some point there has to be some kind of regard and planning to upkeep costs in relationship to the size of the tank. I mean, some of the large tanks home to Reef2Reef have got to cost several hundred if not thousands of dollars a month to maintain and keep running. I personally just want to figure out where my limit is BEFORE I go through the trouble of planning a tank that ends up being too large for me, er.. my wallet to support.
Of course you have consumables like salt, filter socks, filters, light bulbs, ect, all of which are fixed enough to at least calculate based on water volume, water change plan, and length of running time. But then you have things like, calcium dosing, alk dosing, that are all variable tank to tank. You've also got your literal consumables, all your fish food, how does one at least come up with a rough cost estimate for all of these?
Then there is power. Again, you've got the easy things to calculate like return pumps, powerheads, skimmer, ect. Using wattage and estimated run time you can figure out running costs that way. But how does one calculate the cost to actually heat such a volume of water? Figure out the ambient temperature difference vs the desired temp, then somehow figure out the thermal heat transfer efficiency of whatever heating method I go with? Is that even possible? Or what about humidity control, on large tanks humidity is always a concern and we all know it sure costs enough to keep our house comfortable, let alone having several hundred gallons of water to worry about as well.
I understand for a small tank, running costs are just part of owning a tank, and if you're worried about the running costs there that you've probably chosen the wrong hobby. However, I have got to imagine that at some point there has to be some kind of regard and planning to upkeep costs in relationship to the size of the tank. I mean, some of the large tanks home to Reef2Reef have got to cost several hundred if not thousands of dollars a month to maintain and keep running. I personally just want to figure out where my limit is BEFORE I go through the trouble of planning a tank that ends up being too large for me, er.. my wallet to support.