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Visvoer, welk voer geef ik mijn vissen?
Visvoer, welk voer geef ik mijn vissen?
Posted in: General
12/08/2023
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Visvoer is een essentieel onderdeel van het verzorgen van aquariumvissen. Het voeren van de juiste voeding aan je...

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Osmosewater in je aquarium, waarom?
Osmosewater in je aquarium, waarom?
Posted in: General
12/08/2023
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Je hebt er vast wel eens van gehoord; Osmosewater. Je hebt je vast ook wel eens afgevraagd of je het nodig bent....

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Create a vegetated back wall for your aquarium
Create a vegetated back wall for your aquarium
Posted in: Tutorials & How-to
08/17/2023
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Covering the back wall of your aquarium with moss or plants can be quite a challenge. Here we show you how to do this...

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08/11/2023
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Hardscape examples
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07/21/2023
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Not sure how many kg of stones you need? These examples make estimating a little easier.

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Thread algae in the aquarium, how do you get rid of it?
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Thread algae belongs to a green algae species and manifests itself in the aquarium as long threads that can be up to...
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Save energy on your aquarium with 10 tips
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Posted in: General
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18111 views 3 comments 0 Liked
The energy consumption of an aquarium can unknowingly leave a reasonable mark on the energy consumption in the home....
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Posted in: Algae
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Visvoer, welk voer geef ik mijn vissen?
Visvoer, welk voer geef ik mijn vissen?
Posted in: General
12/08/2023
3057 views 0 Liked
Visvoer is een essentieel onderdeel van het verzorgen van aquariumvissen. Het voeren van de juiste voeding aan je...
Read more
Osmosewater in je aquarium, waarom?
Osmosewater in je aquarium, waarom?
Posted in: General
12/08/2023
4011 views 0 Liked
Je hebt er vast wel eens van gehoord; Osmosewater. Je hebt je vast ook wel eens afgevraagd of je het nodig bent....
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Posted in: Aquarium plants, General
09/06/2023
3689 views 0 Liked
Which plant food does plants grow best with? This blog provides more information about different types of plant food.
Read more
Create a vegetated back wall for your aquarium
Create a vegetated back wall for your aquarium
Posted in: Tutorials & How-to
08/17/2023
2893 views 0 Liked
Covering the back wall of your aquarium with moss or plants can be quite a challenge. Here we show you how to do this...
Read more
Aquarium verlichting vergelijkingstest
Aquarium verlichting vergelijkingstest
Posted in: General
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1646 views 0 Liked
Verlichting vergelijkingstest
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Save energy on your aquarium with 10 tips

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3 Comments
★★★★★ (5.0)
Posted on: 11/11/2022
 

An aquarium can unknowingly leave a reasonable mark on the energy consumption in the home. As energy prices continue to rise, we are becoming increasingly aware of our consumption. Saving has never been such a hot item and suddenly saving on energy pays off more than ever! To save energy on the aquarium, we would like to give you a few tips:

TIP 1: Lower the aquarium temperature

We often think that we spoil our fish with 26 °C. The cold-blooded animals are then very active and eat more. However, they live shorter lives and produce more waste. Plants also grow faster at higher temperatures, requiring more frequent pruning. Feel free to turn the thermostat down a bit. A temperature of 22 °C is usually still a good temperature for most animals and plants in the aquarium.

TIP 2: Heat the aquarium efficiently

Such a heating element or thermostat is often concealed in a corner, because they simply do not look very nice. This is not ideal for good heat distribution. The temperature around the heating is then much higher than in the rest of the aquarium. If the thermometer is far away from it, it can also cause inaccurate readings. Place the heating element in the flow, so that the temperature is evenly distributed in the aquarium. This prevents the thermostat from switching on and off unnecessarily, which extends its lifespan.

TIP 2b: choose a filter with built-in heating. This ensures an extremely efficient distribution of the heat, whereby all heat energy is used.

TIP 3: Reduce the number of light hours

In addition to heating, lighting also has a major impact on energy consumption. It is of course great fun to have the light on for 14 hours a day, but it is a bit pointless. For the photosynthesis period, 8 hours is fine. More than 8 hours is actually superfluous. We would keep a minimum of 7 hours to allow the plants to grow well. When the lighting is controlled with sunrise and sunset, the duration may also be reduced to, for example, 15 minutes.

TIP 3b: reduce the intensity of the lighting. We are not directly in favor of this, because it has direct consequences for the splendor of our plants. This is an effective measure for those who want to save as much as possible. More difficult plant species could be replaced by less critical ones.

TIP 4: Invest in LED lighting

For those who haven't made this step yet: take it! There are still many people who have T5 or even fluorescent lighting in the aquarium. Switching to LED can easily save more than half in energy costs. The fact that LED does not give a nice light or that plants do not want to grow under it can really go to the realm of fables. Nowadays we can choose from many types of LED lighting. In our opinion, the most energy-saving is Daytime Matrix with a light output of 230 lumens per Watt. Daytime onex with 180 lumens per Watt is also an excellent investment to replace fluorescent or T5 lamps. Unfortunately, investing in LED lighting is also becoming increasingly expensive, because prices only go up and up. If you're smart, don't wait any longer and start earning returns right away.

TIP 5: Take an energy-efficient filter

An aquarium filter is on 24 hours a day. A difference of 1 Watt between filter A and filter B results in a difference of € 6.39 (€ 0.73 per KwH - Oct '22) on an annual basis. With a 10 Watt difference, it already saves € 63.90. For a while back it couldn't be big enough. A 60 liter aquarium? Put a filter on it that pumps 1200 liters per hour. The more filter capacity the better is the motto. We have never really understood the "trend". When the water is pumped around 10x in an hour, that is more than enough. Even with 5x per hour it should be enough. A little extra filter volume for more filter material is of course not a superfluous luxury, but not a necessity. Consider keeping fewer fish in the tank, feeding more sparingly, and removing debris from the bottom more regularly. Clean the smaller filter more often so that it retains its capacity. When using two filters, perhaps one can be removed.

TIP 5B: Make it as easy as possible for your filter. Pumping water up takes a lot of energy. By placing an external filter on an elevation, and thus reducing the head, less energy is lost during inflation. Even more profit is achieved by keeping the hoses as short as possible. Less resistance to the flow results in more capacity.

TIP 6: Insulate the aquarium

The aquarium is warmer than the living room and will lose its heat to its surroundings. If the opportunity is there, then it pays to insulate the back wall and side walls. A sheet of Styrofoam against it retains the heat in the aquarium better. When the aquarium can be viewed from 3 sides, this option is not really practical. The rear wall can usually always be fitted with an insulation plate. Also think of the lid where a lot of heat can be lost. Tempex is of course not such a pretty sight. For a nice finish, for example, Alu Dibond can be used.

TIP 6b: Also insulate the aquarium furniture. The filter and filter hoses are also exposed to room temperature and cause heat loss. When the furniture is insulated where the filter is located, this saves energy. Bonus advantage is achieved because this will also remove any noise nuisance. Styrofoam plates can be fitted on the inside of the furniture to prevent heat loss through the aquarium floor. The filter hoses can be packed with pipe insulation if necessary.

TIP 7: Prevent evaporation

An aquarium cools down through evaporation. Something that can be pleasant in the summer months, but is certainly not desirable in the winter months. Cover plates can be used to prevent cooling by evaporation. A closed aquarium has a clear advantage on this point compared to an open aquascape aquarium. Cover plates are never pretty, but they do provide some energy savings.

TIP 8: Limit peripherals around the aquarium

Is peripheral equipment such as an air pump, UV filter, Skimmer or flow pump being used? Then you can also look at this. These types of devices often do not need to be switched on continuously. A UV filter or Skimmer may also be able to do its job with 5 minutes per hour.

TIP 9: Refresh with cold(er) water

Just grabbing a bucket of warm water can already use quite a bit of gas, let alone a number of buckets to refresh the aquarium. Many of us will let the water flow into the bucket "by feel". The idea is that it should be "warm" water, which often makes it too hot. If this sounds familiar, it pays to let the water flow into the bucket a little less warm. Refreshing with water at, for example, 18 °C instead of 28 °C yields a nice annual saving. Fish and shrimp often appreciate the fresher water during the water change. They become more active and promote reproduction. Too cold and too large fluctuations are of course not desirable.

TIP 10: Last resort

Are the above tips unable to keep the energy costs for the aquarium acceptable? A number of choices can be made, whereby the energy consumption is kept as low as possible. Consider a biotope aquarium, where the emphasis is on the hardscape and less on the plants. The LED lighting can then be used even more limitedly. Choose fish species that are comfortable with lower temperatures, so that less energy is needed to heat the water. Take few fish so that a small filter can be used with less power consumption. With fewer fish, water changes are also less necessary.

BONUS: Designer radiator

Let's also remember that the heat that an aquarium gives is not lost. The aquarium heats the living room and saves on heating costs. As far as we are concerned, an aquarium is the most beautiful designer radiator you can have. Maybe not the most efficient, but definitely the most beautiful. With an aquarium in the living room, the humidity is also increased. The perceived temperature will therefore be higher and the room thermostat can be lowered again.

Conclusion

In times of luxury and opulence, almost nothing can be too crazy. We have been able to experience this time in recent years. Filter; couldn't be heavy enough. Relief; couldn't be intense enough. Save on water changes? How superfluous! This has prevented many from investing in new technology in the aquarium. Times have changed and this requires a small change. Those who have solar panels with a solar boiler or a fixed energy contract will not immediately see the need. Those who have to pay attention to the little things will hopefully be able to achieve the necessary impact on the energy bill with the above measures. Less energy costs = more fun in the hobby and better for the climate.

Do you have more tips for saving energy on the aquarium? Let us know in a comment.

 
Posted in: General

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Comments

  • Besparingen
    By: Patrick Bastiaens On 01/23/2024
    Rating:
    ★★★★★ (5.0)

    Bedankt voor de informatie,is zeer nuttig

  • Koudere temp aquarium
    By: Berno On 01/22/2024
    Rating:
    ★★★★★ (5.0)

    Ik heb de Geophagus redhead
    Overal wordt gezegd dat deze min.25* en best 28* nodig hebben
    Dus 22* zoals hier gezegd wordt is niet toelaatbaar!
    Grtz berno

    Replied by: Wilco Piest On 01/22/2024 Gewoon even goed lezen en even letten op het woordje "doorgaans" en "de meeste".
    In jouw geval zou je dus kunnen proberen op 25 graden ipv 28 graden en misschien dat 24 graden ook toelaatbaar is voor nakweek.

  • Tips die je hebt gemaild dank u
    By: Patricia On 03/23/2023
    Rating:
    ★★★★★ (5.0)

    Wat leuk deze tips door te geven Ik heb er wel wat nut bij gehaald dank u

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