Summer is almost here! How do you keep your tank cool?

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Summer is almost here and my tank is starting to tell me! I been using a fan running over the tank, it keeps the water about one degree cooler and PH higher but water evaporation is faster, the sun rises through my window and that room turns into a spa in the day! Been considering a dehumidifier over an AC this year but from what I read keeping an ac on will run me a similar increase in light bill from a chiller.

What do you run ? What are your experiences with chillers


I have a standard 75g 30g sump

683DD5DA-02D6-4728-85F1-FC9AEA9578FE.png
 

BestMomEver

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
2,998
Reaction score
5,812
Location
Lower Alabama
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
We run the AC about nine months out of the year. We don’t get a lot of winter here, at least by most standards. It gets cold enough for me though. But even when we run the heater the tank doesn’t get too hot. I guess I’m lucky.
 

Dpate

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
163
Reaction score
247
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you don’t run a chiller then don’t worry too much about it.
These pics were taken in Indonesia last month in 85+ degree water!
e60f1052571f9c9aa651a8e62aeaf2ba.jpg

fbac30cb643a7017cb218c7c06ddc25b.jpg

f68a94c563dc56b1f638ff1b41520429.jpg

f6e56c44a9ec3e67c748bcde3d6ae4b8.jpg


Cheers from the dock at four bobs surf spot, mentawai islands.
0ed80fba21db93c07c228f06537a12c6.jpg
 

jda

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
14,342
Reaction score
21,756
Location
Boulder, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Fans. I don't use some square computer fans, but a real fan like a Honeywell or Vornado. They keep my reefs from not even moving a degree with many Metal Halides over them. I do have open tops, so they are easy to cool.

Even if you get a chiller, keep the fans and the chiller will cycle less.
 

ScottR

Surfing....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Messages
8,365
Reaction score
25,180
Location
Hong Kong
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I run a chiller. Keeps my tank from crazy fluctuations. Weather changes a lot this time of year. (depending where you live).
 
OP
OP
Oshengems

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My girlfriend doesn’t like ACs much so she wanted to do the dehumidifier this year but I’m not sure that can keep my tank at 78 specially during this summer heat spand, that’s what I’m using now a Honeywell fan going across my water surface
 
OP
OP
Oshengems

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you don’t run a chiller then don’t worry too much about it.
These pics were taken in Indonesia last month in 85+ degree water!
e60f1052571f9c9aa651a8e62aeaf2ba.jpg

fbac30cb643a7017cb218c7c06ddc25b.jpg

f68a94c563dc56b1f638ff1b41520429.jpg

f6e56c44a9ec3e67c748bcde3d6ae4b8.jpg


Cheers from the dock at four bobs surf spot, mentawai islands.
0ed80fba21db93c07c228f06537a12c6.jpg
Lol


Is that a pavona colony ?
 

ca1ore

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
14,193
Reaction score
19,711
Location
Stamford, CT
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Keep in mind that fans work well in low humidity, not so well in high. I keep my house at 75 in the Summer so a chiller is still required. I’m having a heat exchanger made for me to replace the chiller (and heaters).
 
OP
OP
Oshengems

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you are going to run a dehumidifier I hope it's not a topless tank or you will be adding like 10 gallons a day.

dang i didn’t think about this, that humidity has to go somewhere and I have noticed that the fans is making my water evaporate faster
 
OP
OP
Oshengems

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is my tank with halides and T5, I use 2 fans, open top tank. I keep my home thermostat at 75. Also I live in Mississippi.

CBA7B0B9-955A-43FF-836E-B83A7CCC84F2.png

I’m in nyc we get 40 degrees one day 70 the next winter is so easy a cracked window keeps everything good but summers and the location of my room vs the sun rise turns it into hotbox the sun is literally beaming that wall and window the majority of the day
 

BadFish619

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
888
Reaction score
3,485
Location
San Diego
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Pray, just pray for the best.... lol really tho, my house is upside down meaning bedrooms downstairs living area upstairs, built into side of a hill. I just keep my ac at 80 when not home, figuring water temp will stay within a couple degrees.
 

russell13

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
301
Reaction score
585
Location
lake elsinore,CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Fans hooked up to a aquarium controller. One venting the sump area and one blowing air across the surface of the water. Does wonders for keeping the tank cool
 

jda

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
14,342
Reaction score
21,756
Location
Boulder, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you are struggling with fans keeping your tank cool, just turn them on when the T5 or MH come on, or just before it gets hot during the day if you are using less hot LEDs. Waiting until the tank is starting to heat up will get you a bit behind whereas getting ahead can often keep you a degree or two cooler.

I turn my fans on when the MH come on... works a lot better than waiting for the tank to heat up half of a degree.
 

Seawatcher

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
We run the AC about nine months out of the year. We don’t get a lot of winter here, at least by most standards. It gets cold enough for me though. But even when we run the heater the tank doesn’t get too hot. I guess I’m lucky.
I run the same and I have no issues as well
 
OP
OP
Oshengems

Oshengems

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
1,112
Location
Bronx, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Today with the fan on and it wasn’t even that hot, that room gets no ventilation although it has a window, I was considering the humidifier but getting the AC tomorrow and hooking it up

101DA983-25E6-4A72-AF09-273CD2D5D263.png
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 34 28.1%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 41 33.9%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 27 22.3%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 11 9.1%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 8 6.6%
Back
Top