HIGH TEMPS: A little $$ can get you 3 to 5 degrees! Do you use one of these?

[revhtree]

Since it's heating up outside I thought today would be a good day to remind everyone that it's not expensive to keep your water temperatures down!

Do you use a fan or chiller on your reef tank to keep the temperatures from spiking too high?

Depending on your equipment, tank placement and the area you live sometimes it's near impossible to keep temps down without some help! It's really easy and cheap as you just need to get the air flow moving over the surface of the water. A fan blowing across the top of the display water or sump will work. Even a frag tank as long as it's plumbed into the main system.

Please note that you will also have more evaporation and will need to top your tank off with fresh water more often as this heat exchange takes place!

So here are some easy and cheap solutions!

• Clip on fans: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=clip+on+fans&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
• Box fans: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=box+fans&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
• Blower Fans: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=blower+fans&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
• All types of fans: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=clip+on+fans&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

So the question of the day is this:

Do you use a fan or chiller on your reef tank to keep the temperatures from spiking too high?


@Gablami chooses to cool this reef via GHL aquarium fans.

 

[Krully]

I used fans on my Nuvo 40 but that wasn’t enough with the heat wave and I had to get an AC. Now that I moved to my own house I got the AC installed in several rooms so the house temp will be low enough I don’t have to go with a chiller.

 

[jda]

Real fans for me - box or a vornado, or the like. Computer/Clip-on are a joke over a larger tank.

I also turn them on when the lights come on. I found that if I got cute and waited until the temperature in the tank started to rise, then I was already behind and sometimes would never catch up.

I live in Colorado where, while it gets very hot some days, the humidity is 10-20%, so evaporative cooling is very effective. Even in the midwest, fans were great when the AC was on, but when the AC was not on, I needed to use a chiller.

 

[X-37B]

$10, 6" clip on, in the sump.
Keeps tank 79° vs 82° max.
Never had an issue with the higher temp but for $10 its simple and effective.
I did go from 1 to 2 gallons of evaporation a day but thats how it works.
It comes on when the lights come on.
I live in norcal. 100° today. Keep the house 75°.

 

[AZMSGT]

We live in the Phoenix suburbs and let the AC temp run at 78 during the day. The tank can spike up to 83 with no fans. (I tested it back before I had corals in it) I originally had bought the GHL 4 fan unit, controller and have it hooked to my Profilux 4. I would still see temps hitting 80. I try to keep my system at 78. I bought the GHL because it looked pretty... It's good for a 2-3 degree decrease

So I bought a cheap Vornado fan at Home Depot and it brings the temps down to the 78 mark. Presently I have to manually turn on the Vornado fan and I do it when I see temps rising above 79. Eventually I'll quit being lazy and connect it to my controller. With the Vornado running the Tank will drop to a temp where the GHL shuts off and heaters need to kick on to keep the 78 temp.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy the GHL fan set up. The Vornado fan does a great job by it's self.

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

I have no need for equipment to reduce my water temperature. I stay between 77.5 and 78.5 with a little help from my Neptune. However, I am not currently creating as much heat as most reefer probably are. My tank is 5 months old now (almost). I am prepping my system to handle SPS, but currently have a tank full of softies. My lighting does not need to be intense right now. This might all change in the coming months as I plan on adding two more lights. I do have an open top... sort of... screen tops. Changing the tops from glass to screen instantly brought my temps down by several degrees. If needed, I’ll try adding fans first.

I keep the thermostat in my house set to 71. It’s cycles off at 70 and cycles on at 72.

 

[SaltyCupcake]

I live in a part of the desert known as 'Death Valley'. While untamed and beautiful, it can get upwards of 105F. Like today haha.

I bought two fans from BRS and clipped em to the top of my step ladder with them aimed at the top of my tank(I have a screen lid). On really hot nights, I have to babysit them a little, but I don't sleep much anyway so it kinda works out.

Popping em on for about 30 minutes can drop my tank a few degrees pretty easily.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Does anyone use anything to cycle around the air in their fish room? Mine isn't even a closed door, and it has a separate AC vent and dehumidifier, but even then the air get's hot and stale in there. Just curious if there's anything specific others are doing (I'm assuming just fans).

 

[Mikeltee]

Does anyone use anything to cycle around the air in their fish room? Mine isn't even a closed door, and it has a separate AC vent and dehumidifier, but even then the air get's hot and stale in there. Just curious if there's anything specific others are doing (I'm assuming just fans).

A ceiling fan is what you need. Nothing is more efficient for that task.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

A ceiling fan is what you need. Nothing is more efficient for that task.

No way can I get that in there haha. I think the room is only ~5' wide and only 8' tall. I already hit my head on the ceiling when I get into the tank for maintenance.

 

[h2so4hurts]

No way can I get that in there haha. I think the room is only ~5' wide and only 8' tall. I already hit my head on the ceiling when I get into the tank for maintenance.

You could screw a couple fans into the ceiling I have an oscillating fan on the floor and then a double Honeywell turboforce on top of my light rack. Dehumidifier is a must in that room though

 

[coriii]

Voted "Other". I keep my fish room temperature stable with an air conditioner.

 

[PR_nano]

Good thread, I'm trying to get a battery operated one since hurricane season is upon us. Already experience 2 short power outage here in Florida and don't want to wait until last minute.

 

[92Miata]

I just keep my house at 70-72 degrees all year. Don't need any sort of tank cooling.

A big 17+ SEER heat pump is going to be significantly more efficient at removing heat and humidity than any tank specific cooling systems

 

[Whasmack]

I run 2 systems in the garage & in the summer time it gets hot in the Portland, or area. I have a 1 HP chiller on standby & don't like to use it because it heats up the garage even more, then I have to use additional fans to move that air around. (Garage actively vented).
+1 on Vornado Fans. They work well.

 

[dbowman5]

i have LED's and a AC unit that i am able to set where the fish stay comfortable. fans might be more practical.

 

[Victor_C3]

I just adjust the temperature of my apartment’s AC a few degrees cooler than I normally would if I didn’t have an aquarium.

I usually keep my tank’s temperature around 77.2-77.8. A few days ago, the outside temperature was in the low 90’s and my AC was having a hard time keeping up and the temperature of my system climbed up to 78.0, but I’m not worried about that.

 

[fish farmer]

It seems the past few summers have been hot in Vermont..long runs of 80+ degree days with not much cool down at night. Usually we can have 20 to 30 degree outside temp swings.

I run a small fan on the tank and also employ an A/C unit in the living room along with ceiling fans. I have some frozen water bottles if the tank starts getting to 82.

The cheapest thing I do through on hot days is close all my drapes and shades in the house in the morning. That will keep the temps of the house a few degrees cooler. Once the heat of the day has past, I start opening windows and running box fans to draw cooler air in at night.

 

[thirst]

i run a bunch of halides on my system. using 2 vornado fans blowing over the surface. This is the first year that I'll have the halides on during the summer, so fingers crossed!

 

[725196]

My houses A/C keeps it right where I want the tank, but I do have a small fan just in case it is needed. I also keep RODi ice ready all the time. I can put that in the ATO which is a compartment in the sump r float it in bags in the tank if need be.