Hot water

mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
I have a 120 with a 40 gallon sump/refugium. I run a 5500k PC over my cheato from about 8:00am to 6:00pm. I then turn on my 48" pc lights 1 10000k and i actinic for about 5 hours. My temperature used to fluctuate between 76 and 84 everyday. The guy at my LFS told me that a heater set to 82 degrees would keep the water more consistent and would reduce stress on my fish due to temp swing. I just got home and the tank was 88 degrees. Should i try to use a chiller instead of a heater? Did i do something wrong?
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
yikes! the thermostat on your heater is a bit off. i would turn it down lower than you had it to start with. maybe that's your problem in the first place.
 
mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
For a while i thought i was going to have fish for dinner but every body seems to be ok. I forgot that i also have an 18 watt uv sterilizer running 24/7.
I will drop the heater to 78 and see if that makes a difference. What do you think about the chiller? The man at the LFS said that a little bit higher temp will help keep away parasites.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2833215
yikes! the thermostat on your heater is a bit off. i would turn it down lower than you had it to start with. maybe that's your problem in the first place.
+1 Heater thermostats are, IMHO, not accurate (even the good ones!), and you have to measure tank temps to see how they actually regulate. Once you figure out the differential between setting and actual your heater should work just fine. Agree about a more stable temp being good for the fish. You could also try a fan across the top of the tank to bring your high temps down a couple of degrees-84 seems a little high
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
if you can maintain a steady 82-84 temp you should be okay IMO.
wait ... is this FOWLR or reef?
 
mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
FOWLR...Im trying to talk the wife into a 265 reef and a 75 frag tank. Thank god my 7 month old loves the tank or we would not be talking about this.. As all SWF tanks go there is alot of start up money involved. I really want to get a frag tank started.
 
mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
Its a tonga rock that had some green hair like algea on it. My tang ate all of it in like 3 days. So the rock is bald now. I want to keep this tank for fish. I want a 265 to make a reef tank. I've got it all picked out i just need the nod of approval.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
wow! i would go the other way around..265 predator/fowlr, and 120 reef. easier to light a 120!
 
1990jpyj

1990jpyj

Member
Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2833403
wow! i would go the other way around..265 predator/fowlr, and 120 reef. easier to light a 120!
+1. the tank you get set up needs to go reef. then you might not want to go with the big one. and you could just set up a frag tank. love the rock work though. i wish rock wasnt so expensive ro i would get some more.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by mrdonkeyazz
http:///forum/post/2833308
Its a tonga rock that had some green hair like algea on it. My tang ate all of it in like 3 days. So the rock is bald now. I want to keep this tank for fish. I want a 265 to make a reef tank. I've got it all picked out i just need the nod of approval.
Your tank is beautiful! How old is it? The tang grazed the heck out of that one rock. How many and what kinds of fish are in there? That seemed like the only natural growth in the tank.
 
mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
Its about 6 months old. I got it brand new off of craigs list with a huge pump protein skimmer and uv sterilizer all for $400. I built the canopy and stand myself to save the 500$ for a prebuilt. I bought that tonga rock with the hair on it because i thought it looked good. Im trying to build up the coraline algea in the tank now.
the fish i have are
1 six line sweetlips
1 sailfin tang
1 yellow tang
2 large eye squirell fish
6 green chromis
1 percula
5 turbo smails
2 red legged hermits
I unplugged my heater but the water will not come under 83 degrees. With the water that temp i havent been running my lights on my cheato or the DT. it will not come down. I was thinking about floating some ice in a bag to try and get it down.
 
robertmathern

robertmathern

Active Member
I would not try ice that is only a tempoary fix. Maybe for right now to help the fish but I dont think it will bring it down a hole lot and it will just go back up. Have you tried a fan if so look into a chiller.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
what pumps are you running on that tank? big/multiple pumps also create heat.
if i heard you correctly, you are running no lights on it and the temp is still up? something is heating the water. follow each cord and figure it out by the process of elimination.
i just had to do the same thing for an electrocution issue. turned out to be a koralia in the frag tank(all my tanks are plumbed together). this is the 4th koralia that i have been electrocuted by. you sure get what you pay for.
 
mrdonkeyazz

mrdonkeyazz

Member
I have 1 big dolphin pump in the sump. It says it pushes 2200 gph before head loss. I think its probably close because when i open the gate valve on my return line wide open it blows the sand all through the tank. I have 160 gallons of water with the DT and the sump. I dont know how long it takes for the water temp to come down. I will take my Koralia out today and see if it helps. I do have a fan blowing across the top of the tank but i dont think its helping.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
if the temp in your house is 80, the water temp will never fall below that. a single koralia is not going to heat up the tank. put your hand on that pump in the sump and see how hot it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top