My Tank isnt cool

thebulkhimself · 11-23-2006, 12:35 AM

Hi guys

after 4 months of preparation getting all the right equipment and doing alot of research I have finally put water in my tank and its up and running with liverock arriving today........ the only problem is its warm here at the moment 90'F and my apartment (which im renting) sits at about 80'F during the day and im not sure what at night but it would be roughly 70'F. The problem is I can't get my tank below 82'F, I've tried everything - Fans across the surface turning stuff off, in fact last night I turned EVERYTHING off and this morning it was still sitting at 77'F and heats up to 82'F with not much help.

I have a chiller on order but I want to get my tank running efficiently without the use of a chiller so that the chiller is like a backup rather than a full time cooler.

Does anybody have any suggestions as to what could work.

* I'm running a 45Gal tank with a 5Gal sump using
* Aquamedic OR2500 (in sump)
* Some random 1000L/H powerhead supplying my protein skimmer
* 2X 150W Metal Halide with one Blue Actnic
* Lights are in a hood which is well ventilated and has extraction fans (I have experimented with this and i dont think its the source of the problem surprisingly)

Please help
Andrew

Loverotties · 11-23-2006, 08:08 AM

Good luck !I think the chiller needs to run!

tims · 11-23-2006, 08:10 AM

one thing you can do until you gat the chiller.
make RO water ice cubes to add for top off, you can also take a very clean container and fill it and make a freezer block to have sit in the sump.. yes they only last a few hours but that will help

Geoff · 11-23-2006, 08:18 AM

i think you are battling an uphill battle.

how long has the tank been setup? it is a good idea to wait 2 months after setting up the tank before adding any critters, that way you have a chance to work through annoying problems before the critters are added.

G~

Diving The World · 11-23-2006, 12:39 PM

In the summer, I take ziplock sandwich bags (double bagged), fill them with water and drop them in the freezer. I pull them out twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, float them on top of my tank for about 20 minutes (or until they fully thaw), then wash them off and pop them back in the freezer.

Drops the tank a few degrees each time. I can fit 4-6 across the top of my 29. There are only a couple weeks a year it really gets HOT here in Nor Cal, so this is the most ecomical option for me.

If I needed to do it more, say a couple months of the year, or my tank was any bigger, say 55 or larger, I'd go with a chiller. At this point (29g)they just don't make financial sense to me.

Diving The World · 11-23-2006, 12:41 PM

By the way, I just noticed your location. You have no idea how jealous I am. Been there once, did a Mike Ball trip out of Cairns. Dying to go back!

Wizard · 11-23-2006, 12:50 PM

Hi i live in the uk and even though we only have high temperatures for about 3 months of the year, i would,nt run my 100 gallon system without my chiller. We spend a lot of money stocking out our reefs, i think we should keep the temperature in the reef tanks as stable as possible.

stang5_o2002 · 11-23-2006, 12:53 PM

I keep a two liter pop bottle full of water in the freezer for when it gets really hot here. It works great for my tank and its a 46 gal.

thebulkhimself · 11-23-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote:

By the way, I just noticed your location. You have no idea how jealous I am. Been there once, did a Mike Ball trip out of Cairns. Dying to go back!

You should!! It's just starting to warm up which is great in all respects except my tank.

Unfortunately for me I'm not home everyday so the Ice bag idea is just not an option for me.......Ahh well - might have to look for a new place with air-conditioning

jenajet · 11-23-2006, 06:41 PM

2 liter ice bottles do the trick. I use a big box fan blowing thu the back of my tank instead of the little fan as well as my canopy has a 6 inch opening across the back as well as pc fans aimed right at my mh. My tank with 500 watt mh never goes over 80. I do have central heat and air tho. In high temp areas I think chillers are just required. Just keep trying different methods with the ice and different fan positions until the chiller gets there.

thebulkhimself · 11-26-2006, 05:34 AM

cheers guys. taken the pump out of the sump and only run my protein skimmer at night - has got it down to 78'F so the liverock will survive until the chiller has arrived

Did i mention there is no livestock in the tank yet - thought id make sure i could get everything running smoothly before i put anything besides liverock in.

Cheers guys