How much does it cost to run an aquarium?
EIA data · June 2026About $6.43 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
35.0 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 30–400 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
40% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
An aquarium sits mid-table at #30 of 88, which means something else in the house costs more. See whether fitness & hobby or something else drives your bill.
Published figures for this appliance disagree by a wide margin. Why other sites price an aquarium so differently.
How many watts an aquarium uses
A tropical aquarium combines a heater (roughly 3–5 W per gallon), a filter pump (5–25 W) and lighting (10–60 W). A 40-gallon tropical setup is therefore near 120 W total; large reef tanks with strong lighting reach 400 W.
- Low
- 30 W
- Typical
- 120 W
- High
- 400 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 120 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $222 |
| California | 34.74 | $146 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $125 |
| New York | 29.49 | $124 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $80.69 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $67.02 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $63.49 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $56.22 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $55.71 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $55.12 |
Worth knowing
- The heater is the biggest and most variable component — it cycles against room temperature, so a tank in a cold room costs far more than the same tank in a warm one.
- The pump runs continuously and is the only part that never cycles.
- A lid or cover cuts evaporation, and evaporation is what forces the heater to work hardest.
Other appliances
- Treadmill
- Exercise bike
- 3D printer
- Space heater
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Electric water heater
- Electric clothes dryer
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.