Reef tank in the summer

[anguyen1371]

Hi Guy,

I just start my first reef tank 2 months ago and my temperature had been at 78 degrees. Since the summer just starts, my tank starts to increase in temperature to over 81 degrees. I got a fan on top of the light and put a frozen bottle inside the tank to cool it down. I was wondering how you guys deal with the summer heat. I don't have the money to buy a chiller. At what temperature do fish and corals start to die? I have 29-gallon tank, 6 beginners soft coral and2 clownfish fish.

 

[Copingwithpods]

I use 3 little fans to keep me under 80 in my 29 cube, 84 is probably fine temporarily although uncomfortable and at 86 bad things start to happen.

 

[sprungson]

I keep the AC on all summer

 

[anguyen1371]

I use 3 little fans to keep me under 80 in my 29 cube, 84 is probably fine temporarily although uncomfortable and at 86 bad things start to happen.

what light are you using ?

 

[Copingwithpods]

what light are you using ?

Ai prime hd

 

[fish farmer]

Fans, room A/C, open the hood if you have one, cut back lighting or shift the schedule to cooler parts of the day, iced water bottles. I use a combinations of these tactics on my 29 gallon. I've also in the past run "summer temps" on the tank keeping it 80 to 82, less of a swing if you normally keep it at 78.

 

[Alex808]

King of DIY has a cool video on how to rig a cheap mini fridge into a chiller quick and easy. Just need a drill and a big hole saw bit.

 

[Hugh Mann]

I'm sure there are ways to rig up a DIY chiller for cheap. My immediate thought, being no expert on the subject, would be a coil of thin wall airline tubing in the tank (copper would be better at higher cost), and circulate water through it, supplied by a tub of ice water.

Opening the hood if you use one, running fans (beware of evaporation!)

Use larger blocks of frozen water. More surface area means more cooling, and larger mass means it will last longer.

I haven't had a tank through the summer yet, but this is just off the top of my head.

 

[ca1ore]

Mini fridge doesn’t work well. Maybe for a really small system. Just look at the BTU rating on them and you’ll quickly understand why. Whatever you do, don’t put copper in your tank. Best option is to use a few fans and run your AC.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Right, forgot about that. Copper is terrible for reefs.

 

[NickC]

Like many have said, a fan blowing over the water while the lights are on is the best and easiest answer.

I use 3 little fans to keep me under 80 in my 29 cube, 84 is probably fine temporarily although uncomfortable and at 86 bad things start to happen.

Not to hi-jack, but what are those fittings on your dosing lines? Looks like they bleed air; do they work well?

 

[Copingwithpods]

Like many have said, a fan blowing over the water while the lights are on is the best and easiest answer.


Not to hi-jack, but what are those fittings on your dosing lines? Looks like they bleed air; do they work well?

Ehh lol no, that is a mickey mouse dosing line "holder" I put together from some spare parts I had. It's only purpose is to hold the lines in the right place lol sorry to disappoint. Finding a dosing line holder for a nano with no free space and that doesn't break the bank can be tough so I made my own.

 

[NickC]

Ehh lol no, that is a mickey mouse dosing line "holder" I put together from some spare parts I had. It's only purpose is to hold the lines in the right place lol sorry to disappoint. Finding a dosing line holder for a nano with no free space and that doesn't break the bank can be tough so I made my own.

Shucks haha. One can dream I guess, thanks for the reply.

 

[Victor_C3]

Right, forgot about that. Copper is terrible for reefs.

You could use a coil of pex and make sure to keep all the metal fittings out of the water.