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

How do you keep your aquarium temperatures down during the hot months?

  • Fan

    Votes: 254 36.8%
  • Chiller

    Votes: 112 16.2%
  • No need

    Votes: 275 39.9%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 49 7.1%

  • Total voters
    690

Mikeltee

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I would like to acknowledge the importance of having a fail safe in place in case your $10 clip-on fan happens to get loose and fall in your sump. I dont need to tell you what 120v will do to your animals and your thousands of dollars in equipment... even on a GFI circuit. Tether that bad boy and if that's not an option than dont use a clip-on.
 

Mikeltee

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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.
Lol it sounds like a high powered bathroom fan ducted to the outdoors would do you good. Since you say the door is open, I would direct a floor fan into the room if that's possible. No way in hell that would be happening with my boss but may e yours is a little more understanding.
 

Vette67

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It’s summer here in Ohio, and things can get pretty warm. I have a 4 inch fan on my hood with the thermocouple attached. The higher the temperature, the more flow; the fan spins faster. But mostly, my air conditioning keeps the temperature regulated. I keep the house at 75, so the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much. Actually, my heaters sometime come on during the summer because the house is cool enough and actually cools the tank too much.
 

BullyBee

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I run a chiller 24/7 for my axolotls. All year long. If the temp goes over 63 my chiller turns on. I use an EcoPlus chiller and so far it’s been solid. Over a year of constant use.
 

Marc2952

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I have a fan on my sump but tbh it doesnt seem to keep the temperature from getting to high that much.
 

Passedyouby

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Quick question- how does everyone with an enclosed hood keep their tanks cool?

The wifey made me enclose the sump and build a tank topper to eliminate noise and the occasional skimmer odor. Since doing so I've noticed a drastic increase in tank temps, even with my ac set to 71-72. I assume a fan wont help much since it will just be recirculating the same air.
 

ca1ore

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Not a huge house AC fan … prefer windows and doors. Means the house can easily approach 80 with relatively high humidity so evaporative cooling doesn't work all that well for me, thus the chiller.
 

RoyinSpain

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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).
Yeh, same problem. Am just now installing thermostat controlled forced 2 way ventilation to renew air.
 

chadg

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Quick question- how does everyone with an enclosed hood keep their tanks cool?

The wifey made me enclose the sump and build a tank topper to eliminate noise and the occasional skimmer odor. Since doing so I've noticed a drastic increase in tank temps, even with my ac set to 71-72. I assume a fan wont help much since it will just be recirculating the same air.
Not sure how you built the hoods, but can you put small computer fans in the build of the hoods? Have them pull air out. Have a gap or something on the bottom so they can pull air through.
 

Mark Novack

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I have a Teco chiller/heater/uv combo. Precise to 0.1 celcius, I like the 3 in one concept. Aquariums can become so gadgetized that they look like a government operation, 80% admin and 20% fish tank.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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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!

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.
2772426aec3b8f0ad79b4602ad5150a8.jpg
My system is located outside and being in California we heat up to 118 degrees somedays, so a chiller 1/2 horsepower keeps my tank at 74 degrees. For filtration I have 70 Pacific oysters plus dry Rock. My children of the sea are very finicky

First photo from Lam Nguyen

Screenshot_20200602-205956.png IMG_20200527_180212_126.jpg
 

MoreReefPlease

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Everything I have is from 80F + waters and my house is kept at 74F. I keep my tank @ 80F.

I use LEDs so heat from lamps isn't a problem.

Previously I had 150w MH 3 inches off the water on a 29 JBJ and I had to keep a fan on top to keep it at 83F.
 

Biglew11

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i voted other, i do have 4 4" fans in my canopy that the apex tuns on when temps are high. but if that don't work i have 6 5lbs yetty ice blocks in my freezer that i can rotate in and out 2 at a time.
 

raffy026

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I use a chiller. here in Puerto Rico it gets very hot almost all year lone. in December, January and february it cool down a little but a chiller here its a must if you wanna be in the hobby. right now its over 96 F.
 

eleslie3

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Voted other because my 125g tank is in my Midwestern basement. Heat vents on in the winter and AC vents off in the summer
 

Crustaceon

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Just a pair of clip-on fans. I have them set to turn on at 82 degrees just as a precaution. I’ve ran my tank at 84 so, it doesn’t worry me too much.

44A3F77E-0134-4023-AEF3-0CA4DE43AADD.jpeg
 

McPuff

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Thankfully, my tank is in our basement where I've got a dehumidifier and it stays cooler than the rest of the house. I actually set my AC to 78 so that the heaters don't have to come on in the summer months.
 
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