HELP! Alternatives for pumps

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ReefRob

New Member
Dear fellow reefers,

I own a Red Sea Max C-130 and it's no secret that it's a mission impossible to control the heat.

Next month I will replace the T55 lighting with a SteveLed armature, but I would like to know if any of you have experience with alternative pumps (flow and skimmer) which produce less heat than the standard RSM pumps.

It's also an option to replace the skimmer with another model, but in that case I don't want to make modifications to the tank.

Thanks!

Rob
 
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ReefRob

New Member
@DaveK - thanks for your reply. The pump you're referring to in the link is the one I have. I own a C-130 which is newer than the 130D. I read (somewhere on the net, don't remember where) that the standard pumps supplied are working great, but produce much heat, hence the question. I still struggle with the tank's temperature and would like to solve this with other means than an external chiller device. That's why I'm replacing the T55s with LEDs and I'm also looking for other possibilities...
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
I don't think your going to do a lot better with your pumps, short of doing all the plumbing that modification so you could use something like a DC controlable an external pump. This would be a project way beyond what most would care to get involved in.
 
Pat24601

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
ReefRob said:
@DaveK - thanks for your reply. The pump you're referring to in the link is the one I have. I own a C-130 which is newer than the 130D. I read (somewhere on the net, don't remember where) that the standard pumps supplied are working great, but produce much heat, hence the question. I still struggle with the tank's temperature and would like to solve this with other means than an external chiller device. That's why I'm replacing the T55s with LEDs and I'm also looking for other possibilities...
Click to expand...

The LEDs made a huge difference in temperature for my C-250. I went from having a constant temp in the low 80s, to having to use my heater to keep it at 78-79.

I'm not sure if you will get the same mileage out of LEDs on the 130 because I don't have one, but you might. So. I'd see where that goes before you worry about it too much.

I literally stopped using my cooling fans at all because I didn't need them once I switched to LEDs. However, I eventually turned them back on for condensation reasons.
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Changing to (specifically) a Steve's LEDs system will completely eliminate putting heat into your water. The system was specifically designed to have the air intake on one side of the aquarium, and the warm air exhaust out of the other side. High speed laminar flow keeps the LEDs running cool to the touch.

Pumps are usually around 40% efficient at best, so a 10 watt pump is going to put about 6 watts of heat into the tank. That's why the higher end circulation pumps have the motors outside of the glass, and why bigger aquariums use external pumps. That way the waste heat is transmitted to the air instead of in the water.

The C-130 has about as close to a sealed lid as you can get, so you get minimal evaporative cooling. This means that the LED upgrade will definitely have a big impact, whereas it would be less of an impact if you didn't have a hood at all.

Granted it has water cooling fans which are excellent, it's far from optimal. I have mine on just like Pat - to keep condensation down, and to keep the lens over the lights as clean as possible.

More expensive pumps use more expensive (more efficient) motors, making upgrades well worth it.

Hope that helps?
Jeff
 
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