my new lights...I went all out!

[pcurry18]

I certainly hope someone other than me sees the humor in this!

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/259635704.html

[funman1]

Dude I could turn my pool into tank now!!

My dream of making a pool into a sweet reef tank so I can go diving, is finally coming to life!!!!

[Ebmorri]

Would they work on my 12gl nano?

[chinaman4u]

If you want to simulate a reef on Mars, then go for it Eb!

[pepe.king.prawn]

Notice that they're now sold.. to me, proudly.

[pbetito]

Group buy time...Lets up the mars membership and buy those suckers. YEAH BABY!!!!!!!

[pcurry18]

Could you imagine having to foot the bill for that retro kit! LMAO

[MrMikeB]

Hell with those we would run the very first indoor Olympic size pool reef - complete with glass sides for our viewing pleasure.

Lets see... assuming good efficiency of the ballast, heat loss, etc. at about 60%, 48 bulbs at 1500 watts a piece and the discount going rate of .14 per KWH, factor in for about 10 hours of light a day comes out to approx $143 per day or $4300 a month in just electricity for the lights! I think I will stick to my 150 gal with only 2x 250w MH for now. :)

[4jlong]

OH MY GOD! thats funny! you could use thoughs to signal UFO's! LOL!

[MrMikeB]

Come on 4jlong, everybody knows aliens do not like bright lights shown in their eyes. Ever see Independence Day?

[boviac]

Yeah... Only if you use that much electricity you go way beyond the nominal $0.14/Kwh rate. Try more like $0.25 or $0.30/Kwh!!!
If you live in the PG&E/SDG&E etc... There is a reverse economy with electricity (i.e. the more you use the more you pay!!!) My opinion has to do with the overstressed decentralized grid network as well as certain regulations. If you want to use that much lighting energy... I'd recommend moving to a place where I hear the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) energy providers actually gives a rate discount on volume electricity usage. Or put up a football field or two of solar panels! ;-)

Chris

[pepe.king.prawn]

You mean... your bill doesn't get to the $0.32/KWhr rate??? ugh.. mine does....

[pepe.king.prawn]

The baseline usage is like 400Kwh/month!! can you believe that?! what household of four people.. is going to use that little?

[MrMikeB]

SMUD also follows a ludicrous tiering model that has some crazy low baseline. Then it goes up almost exponentially after that. Imagine paying for your gas at the gas station and if your gas tank is bigger than...oh... 5 gallons, the $$ per gallon goes up per every gallon afterward. If its bigger than 10 gallons, well you might as well drop those pants now.

Completely bass ackwards.

[pcurry18]

These companies rob us on a daily bases but yet the govt stands by and condones it. Its stupid. Its also funny how my humor got us onto this subject. lol

[boviac]

Yeah sorry... I believe the rates for the baseline energy usage are set in stone or regulated that is... so I understand that any increases in energy rates are 100% brought on to the backs of those in the higher tiers (i.e. those who use more pay a lot more per unit). In the summer I almost hit the $0.40/Kwh mark. I had just moved and had a hot 5 day bill in the new house with the A/C on and worked out to only 17Kwh/day. So I ASSUMED house was energy efficient and continued to run the A/C. 30 days later $380 bill came in. OUCH!

That's one concern I have about this hobby - electrical rates. I'm scoping out houses and I'm planning to install Solar PV at a minimum to at least cover my tank(s?) if I can't afford bulk of the house loads.

That's only one sustainable way I can begin to feel I support this hobby as well as do well big picture wise.