View Full Version : Tank temperature problems


steve671
Jul 31st, 2003, 03:14pm
The temperature in my tank is consistantly 86-88 degrees. I really do not want to buy a chiller.
Are there any ocots that can handle this type of heat?
Thanks

Colin
Aug 1st, 2003, 05:04am
Some of the tropical species can live in warmer water but even 88 is pushing it for a marine tank...

Have you looked at other ways to keep your tank cool? Perhaps fans or similar?

What live sin your tank now? Are there big MH lights on the tank?

steve671
Aug 1st, 2003, 08:04am
There is nothing in th tank right now besides about 40 pounds of live rock and 2 inch deep live sand bed. There are also no lights on the tank yet. I had planned on adding a 65 watt power compact.

Do you know which species that are tropical?

Colin
Aug 2nd, 2003, 05:23am
Best idea would be to ask your LFS what species theycan get and where they come from... obviously you want a reef species...

Is there no other way you can cool your tank down? Put it somewhere cooler near A/C or something???

steve671
Aug 2nd, 2003, 01:59pm
The only thing that I can think of is to get the pumps out of the water. That would mean replace the Rio 2500 return pump with a non submersable. And replace my euroreef skimmer with a non submersable skimmer. But then that would probably exeed the cost of a chiller.

Any idea what the highest temp a Bimac can safely live in?

Colin
Aug 3rd, 2003, 03:32pm
I wouldn't like to go much above 75 for a bimac

b25oshea
Aug 7th, 2003, 11:12pm
I realize this response is rather late...
I effectively reduced and stabilized an overheated tank by installing an air-conditioner. However, the room the tank was in was rather small.

Colin
Aug 8th, 2003, 03:58am
That's good to know that it was effective :)

Armstrong
Aug 8th, 2003, 04:04am
The temperature in my tank is consistantly 86-88 degrees. I really do not want to buy a chiller.
Are there any ocots that can handle this type of heat?
Thanks

ummm, Mabye the AC can totally make the water much cooler if the tank is in a room and u can close the door and let the room chill up a bit.
It could work.

dbbga
Aug 8th, 2003, 08:10am
I had the same prob. I took a Soda cooler, drilled holes oppisite each other on the sides of the cooler, about 4" from the bottom. Attached a quick connect to the hose of my return on my canisterand connected longerhose which runs thru the cooler in a coil. Then out of the cooler and another quick connect back to the tank. I fill the cooler with alittle water, then keep frozen pop bottles in the freezer. I put three at a time in and keep the lid closed. Stays cold almost 2-1/2 days, then replace the pop bottles. Not the prettiest but my tank stays cool now. If you dont have a canister type filter, im sure there is a submersable type pump you can use in the cooler to recirculate the water and just make it loop in the tank. I hope this made sense, it has really worked great for me :D
Oh I also put pipe insulation all the way up to the tank on the outside of the cooler were the chilled water comes out of the cooler. This keeps the water cold until it reaches the tank.Hope this helps someone :?

Nancy
Aug 8th, 2003, 12:56pm
Hi Debbie,

Interesitng solution! How many degrees does this lower your tank?

Nancy

dbbga
Aug 8th, 2003, 06:56pm
i heave gotten the tank down to 64 degrees but had to remove dome bottle around three bopttles keeps it at 69-71 :D

Armstrong
Aug 8th, 2003, 09:48pm
I HAVE AN IDEA!
Put Ice cubes in you're tank.
That will chill it down a bit.

dbbga
Aug 8th, 2003, 09:50pm
:roll: :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :x ya know this topic is really not a joke :?

Armstrong
Aug 9th, 2003, 02:43pm
:roll: :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :x ya know this topic is really not a joke :?

Im sorry!
Do u mean my ice cubes was a joke? Well it wasn't.
Im sorry if I wasn't specific enough.
Look, mabye u can take the octopus out of your tank IF U HAVE ONE and put it in a bag or something for a few hours with saltwater in it.
Then try putting HUGE ice cubes in your tank. Put a LOT of it becuase the more ice cubes the more colder.

Im sorry if my idea sucked, but I tried to help. Iv done it b4 and it worked if u put LOADS of icecubes in your tank. It may bring down the salinity, but it cools it down a bit.

Nancy
Aug 9th, 2003, 02:55pm
There are a lot of reasons not to use ice cubes directly in your tank. You don't want to have a drastic temperature change in your tank (just as you don't want a big change in sg or pH). Whatever you do must be implemented slowly.

You don't want to have the ice cubes floating there like little icebergs for your octopus to touch (maybe even get his arm stuck on one).

Remove the octopus? You'd have to catch it - not an easy task, and most people don't have another emply tank to put their octo in.

Then too, you'd have to use RO/DI water or you'd be adding water of poor quality to your tank.

There are a lot of better ways to lower the temperature than using ice cubes.

Nancy

Armstrong
Aug 9th, 2003, 10:36pm
There are a lot of reasons not to use ice cubes directly in your tank. You don't want to have a drastic temperature change in your tank (just as you don't want a big change in sg or pH). Whatever you do must be implemented slowly.

You don't want to have the ice cubes floating there like little icebergs for your octopus to touch (maybe even get his arm stuck on one).

Remove the octopus? You'd have to catch it - not an easy task, and most people don't have another emply tank to put their octo in.

Then too, you'd have to use RO/DI water or you'd be adding water of poor quality to your tank.

There are a lot of better ways to lower the temperature than using ice cubes.

Nancy

Sorry, then I guess my idea was stupid.
I forgot about that.

Burstsovenergy24
Aug 10th, 2003, 09:54am
But couldnt you put the ice in a plastic bag and put the bag in the sump or is this a bad idea also?

rrtanton
Aug 10th, 2003, 11:23am
I agree...soda bottles or plastic bags can work. Also, if it's time to add freshwater anyway, then (RO-water) ice can work. But still...if you work out what's involved, ice just isn't a practical solution for daily use...it's really only best for the odd situation where something has gone wrong and the tempereature has spiked a lot. If you can't work something out with making sure your lights aren't too bright/too close, using room AC, having an open lid or sump, and a fan actively encouraging evaporative cooling, then you need to consider a chiller.

rusty

dbbga
Aug 10th, 2003, 02:47pm
I agree completely :)

Armstrong
Aug 10th, 2003, 05:15pm
But couldnt you put the ice in a plastic bag and put the bag in the sump or is this a bad idea also?

I was thinking of that too.

dbbga
Aug 11th, 2003, 10:43pm
:grad: