T5 light raises water temperature

[canadianeh]

After I installed 6 bulb ATI sunpower T5 with reefbrite xho, y water temperature has risen to 80F from 78F
I hang the light about 6" from the edge of the top tank. My tank is 20" deep.

Is it normal that T5 raises water temperature? Is there anything I am doing wrong here? Help?

 

[dbl]

What lights did the Sunpower replace? If it was LED's, then I would say yes, it's normal.

 

[canadianeh]

What lights did the Sunpower replace? If it was LED's, then I would say yes, it's normal.

It was nanobox duo LED. Am I placing it too close to the water? What can I do to keep my temperature around 78?

 

[dbl]

You can try raising it if possible, as long as you can maintain the coverage you're looking for. As far as cooling, you could try a small fan blowing across the surface. Last resort would be the addition of a chiller.

But I personally wouldn't worry about an 80 degree water temp. If you find it going up as we approach the summer months, you may have to tend to it at that point. My chiller doesn't kick on until it goes over 82, but I'm in SW Florida...where it's summer all year long. This is just my opinion and others may vary.

 

[Flippers4pups]

At 6" from the surface, you shouldn't have much in the way of thermal transfer to the water. Try as others have said, raise it to 8" and see if it helps.

Also as stated, try a small fan to blow air across the water. If you have a sump, place it down there.

Imho, a chiller would be a last resort.

Do you have a canopy on this tank?

 

[wkscott]

Place your hand on the top of the tank and under the lights. Leave it there for a minute. If your hand starts to get warm then the lights are indeed warming the water.

 

[canadianeh]

At 6" from the surface, you shouldn't have much in the way of thermal transfer to the water. Try as others have said, raise it to 8" and see if it helps.

Also as stated, try a small fan to blow air across the water. If you have a sump, place it down there.

Imho, a chiller would be a last resort.

Do you have a canopy on this tank?

No canopy. It is an Innovative Marine fusion 40 all in one tank

 

[canadianeh]

Place your hand on the top of the tank and under the lights. Leave it there for a minute. If your hand starts to get warm then the lights are indeed warming the water.

I did this, and I can feel the warm. But I suspected all T5 or even regular desk light bulb are radiating some heat. So does it mean I hang my light too low?

 

[Flippers4pups]

If there is no other external source of heat:

Room ambient temperature is much higher than tank temp.

Heater/s malfunctioning.

Pumps generating heat.

Sun light hitting the tank/sump.

Then if these are good, not happening, wkscott is right, place your hand under the light fixture just above water level. If it's very warm, then it's the lights.

Like I said, raise the light fixture and use a fan to cool the tank. That should help a great deal.

 

[Fish Werx]

I had the opposite of what you have found. I went from a 4 bulb HO T5 set up to LEDs. I dropped a couple degrees on a daily average. So I would say that unless your home ambient temp happened to raise at the same moment as you installed the T5s, that they may be raising the temp a tiny bit at least. Try raising them up 2 or 3 inches higher and see what happens.

 

[wkscott]

I did this, and I can feel the warm. But I suspected all T5 or even regular desk light bulb are radiating some heat. So does it mean I hang my light too low?

Yes most all lights radiate some heat, including LEDs. Feeling the warmth doesn't mean that the lights are too low necessarily, it just makes them a heat source and hotter than your LEDs.

 

[canadianeh]

What water temperature you guys (with T5 set up) keep?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Regardless of lighting, 77-79

 

[Fish Werx]

76-80.0 Fahrenheit with as little change per day as possible no matter what lights you use is a good range.
Just adjust certain aspects to get it where you need. I had to raise my heater temp just a tiny bit to make up for my lighting switch. You could use a small fan on your sump or surface of your tank like has been mentioned a couple times.
Stability in a safe range is most important when it comes to temp in your tank.

 

[canadianeh]

I will raise it to 8" and see what happens.

 

[canadianeh]

Just an update. I raised the height to 8.5" yesterday morning and when I came home at night, the temperature stays around 78. I think the height adjustment solved the issue. Thanks everyone.