Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller

cheebman · 07-21-2008, 02:35 PM

hey fella's,

i recently got a mh light and now my tank is running at about 80-82 at the end of the day. i dont have the money to purchase a chill at this point in time. what can i do to lower the temp.. i already have a fan in between the light and tank..

thanks

Witfull · 07-21-2008, 02:40 PM

add a 6" fan into the stand blowing towards the sump~

Woodstock · 07-21-2008, 03:07 PM

Fans do a WONDERFUL job at cooling the water's temp. Just note that the evaporation rate will increase significantly so top-off with FW often!

Woodstock · 07-21-2008, 03:08 PM

You can also raise the MH further away from the water's surface... but adding another fan should help.

Is the MH in a canopy? The canopy should have fans installed in it; one blowing air in and another blowing air out works well.

jkburton1s · 07-22-2008, 12:23 PM

i have a 6" box fan on my sump and between my mh and tank. so far i have no problems keeping my tank at 78 . i have seen a drop of about 4-8 degrees.

cheeks69 · 07-22-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheebman

hey fella's,

i recently got a mh light and now my tank is running at about 80-82 at the end of the day.

I certainly wouldn't be concerned with a temp of 82*F but if you insist on lowering the temp fans will work as well as keeping the ambient temp lower with AC and if it's an emergency frozen water bottles can help lower the temp.

lcstorc · 07-22-2008, 12:29 PM

More fans.
I only saw one the other day. Add more and if possible have them run opposite. One drawing air in one pushing air out. Fans over the sump and anywhere their is water. Evaporation = cooling. Raising the light is also going to help.
Meanwhile my reef stays at higher temps than that with no real problem. The consistancy is more important as well as the type of fish/corals you keep. Some are from warmer water and some from colder water.

DAHansen · 07-22-2008, 01:12 PM

Fans work wonders!

I actually have one of those oscillating floor fans that I put in stationary mode, pointed at the tank, and set it on a timer (I have a few left over). It comes on a couple hours after the light does, and goes off near when the light does.

I had it set on medium the first few days, until I came home and found that my tank was cooler with the fan and light on, then when both are off. It lowered temp by about 3 or 4 degrees, and the fan is across the room.

Devnull · 07-23-2008, 05:26 PM

I agree with Cheeks69 that 80-82* is not extremely high, I am interested in what your swing is like? Meaning the difference between the temp just before the lights turn on and the temp just before the lights turn on. I have always tried to keep that swing to a minimum. I have also found that when using lots of fans to cool a tank that my tank would be cooler with the lights on than with them off. What was your stable temp before you added the MH lamp?

Blair

Techno-Vicki · 07-23-2008, 06:03 PM

Fans! I have a high powered fan hooked to my controller that blows directly across the surface of my tank. The temperature around here is between 98 and 107 degrees. I only run a water cooler except when the temperature gets above 104, then I run the window air conditioner. My tank never gets above 80 degrees (that is when the fan kicks on). It works like a charm. Also, check your heater. Mine drove me nuts unil I figured out it was on way too soon. I am not running it in the summer. I hope to get a better controller that adjusts for both. Good luck

coleBB · 07-28-2008, 01:40 PM

to decrease my swing i just put my fan on a timer to come on with the lights and had a smaller fan turn on at night

coleBB · 07-28-2008, 01:42 PM

surface aggitaion + fan + MH = losing a million gallons a week.. but its worth it

Snelly40 · 07-28-2008, 04:16 PM

AC Jr. will controll your lights, fans, lights and pumps, its great!!!
my tank which used to fluxuate is 79.3 degrees all the time!!!

ReefTycoon · 07-28-2008, 04:47 PM

i kinda have a setup similar to another poster .... i have a tank room in my basement that has an AC unit controlled by one of these

Green Air Temp-H/C-3 Temperature Controller at Sunburst Hydroponics

keeping the room temp at exactly 75 F

then the ACJr controls a large centrifugal fan that boasts some serious CFM lol .... yeah it's a little loud .... but it's in the basement and i like the extra evaporation .... although i do seem to go through sediment and carbon block a lot more in the summer !

but boy, gotta love those stable temps

07-21-2008, 02:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
cheebman Fire Coral Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 68 View Gallery Karma Komment	Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller hey fella's, i recently got a mh light and now my tank is running at about 80-82 at the end of the day. i dont have the money to purchase a chill at this point in time. what can i do to lower the temp.. i already have a fan in between the light and tank.. thanks __________________ *28gal BowFront Reef Tank* 250watt MetalHalide w/ 2 65watt Atinic blue PC's w/ 8 LED's 75gal capacity wet/dry w/prefilter/overflow box magdrive 700 Hydor Koralia 1 coralife super skimmer (protien skimmer) 23 pounds of live rock 15 pounds live sand --- 2 clown fish --- 1) purple/orange ridicola mush, 3) frilly-lavender w/ green tips mush's, Burgandy w/ green mouth Zoo's, Purple/pink Zoo's, 2) medium silver branching xenia, 1) small pom pom xenia, green star polyps, Pink devils hand Leather, 1) Small green brain, 2) Green stipped mushrooms, 2) Huge Umbrella Mushrooms, 2 tipped torch coral 2in each, 3 Tipped Green/purple Frog Spawn-Huge, 1 feather duster, 4 Purple Bumpy Mushrooms

07-21-2008, 03:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 23,685 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller Fans do a WONDERFUL job at cooling the water's temp. Just note that the evaporation rate will increase significantly so top-off with FW often! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

07-21-2008, 03:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 23,685 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller You can also raise the MH further away from the water's surface... but adding another fan should help. Is the MH in a canopy? The canopy should have fans installed in it; one blowing air in and another blowing air out works well. __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

07-22-2008, 12:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
jkburton1s Bryozoan Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 55 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller i have a 6" box fan on my sump and between my mh and tank. so far i have no problems keeping my tank at 78 . i have seen a drop of about 4-8 degrees.

07-22-2008, 12:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 20,979 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller More fans. I only saw one the other day. Add more and if possible have them run opposite. One drawing air in one pushing air out. Fans over the sump and anywhere their is water. Evaporation = cooling. Raising the light is also going to help. Meanwhile my reef stays at higher temps than that with no real problem. The consistancy is more important as well as the type of fish/corals you keep. Some are from warmer water and some from colder water. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. In Loving Memory Of Z 01/22/07 - 08/19/08

07-22-2008, 01:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
DAHansen Tuxedo Urchin Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Abington, MA Posts: 299 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller Fans work wonders! I actually have one of those oscillating floor fans that I put in stationary mode, pointed at the tank, and set it on a timer (I have a few left over). It comes on a couple hours after the light does, and goes off near when the light does. I had it set on medium the first few days, until I came home and found that my tank was cooler with the fan and light on, then when both are off. It lowered temp by about 3 or 4 degrees, and the fan is across the room. __________________ Dave - Who wants to breed corals some day. Dave's fishlog *Please Reef Responsibly.*

07-23-2008, 05:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Devnull Tunicate Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 12 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller I agree with Cheeks69 that 80-82* is not extremely high, I am interested in what your swing is like? Meaning the difference between the temp just before the lights turn on and the temp just before the lights turn on. I have always tried to keep that swing to a minimum. I have also found that when using lots of fans to cool a tank that my tank would be cooler with the lights on than with them off. What was your stable temp before you added the MH lamp? Blair

07-23-2008, 06:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
Techno-Vicki Dancing Mandarins Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sanger, CA (on Kings River) Posts: 1,130 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller Fans! I have a high powered fan hooked to my controller that blows directly across the surface of my tank. The temperature around here is between 98 and 107 degrees. I only run a water cooler except when the temperature gets above 104, then I run the window air conditioner. My tank never gets above 80 degrees (that is when the fan kicks on). It works like a charm. Also, check your heater. Mine drove me nuts unil I figured out it was on way too soon. I am not running it in the summer. I hope to get a better controller that adjusts for both. Good luck __________________ AKA - "Speedy" Extreme Reef Addition Videos of Mandarins, reef tank, and "His Majesty's" DIY water changer http://www.murrayproductions.org/Ree...RM_videos.html "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." - Henry Ford (1863-1947)

07-28-2008, 01:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
coleBB Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Quad Cities Posts: 85 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller to decrease my swing i just put my fan on a timer to come on with the lights and had a smaller fan turn on at night

07-28-2008, 01:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
coleBB Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Quad Cities Posts: 85 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller surface aggitaion + fan + MH = losing a million gallons a week.. but its worth it

07-28-2008, 04:16 PM	#13 (permalink)
Snelly40 Golden Moray Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 2,960 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller AC Jr. will controll your lights, fans, lights and pumps, its great!!! my tank which used to fluxuate is 79.3 degrees all the time!!! __________________ Snelly's 90gal Reef-O-Rama *Member-"Crabs Are Evil" Society*

07-28-2008, 04:47 PM	#14 (permalink)
ReefTycoon Midas Blenny Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: MA Posts: 88 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Help. Need to lower temp 4 degrees/no chiller i kinda have a setup similar to another poster .... i have a tank room in my basement that has an AC unit controlled by one of these Green Air Temp-H/C-3 Temperature Controller at Sunburst Hydroponics keeping the room temp at exactly 75 F then the ACJr controls a large centrifugal fan that boasts some serious CFM lol .... yeah it's a little loud .... but it's in the basement and i like the extra evaporation .... although i do seem to go through sediment and carbon block a lot more in the summer ! but boy, gotta love those stable temps __________________ ~John~ 75 gallon RR Oceanic Systems with 90lbs. LR and 2 x SeaFlo 1200 mods and 2 x Koralia #4s for circulation 30 gallon fuge with DSB 1260 Eheim return AquaC EV 120 2 x 250 watt 14K Phoenix DE HQI powered by Lumatek ballasts 2 x 110 watt VHO Actinic Knop C calcium reactor PM Kalkreactor Neptune Systems ACJr

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