How to lower the temperature in your Aqurium
- Thread starter vdtank
- Start date
sweatervest13
Active Member
I have never had to cool down my tank, but I have heard many times that a fan blowing across your tank or sump can drop the temp a couple of degrees. Give that a try, before you go buy an expensive piece of equipment.
bang guy
Moderator
I agree on the fan. Have it blow across the water surface to increase evaporation. You will need to top off more often but when water evaporates quite a bit of energy is removed from the water.
Don't point the fans at the lights, it's the water you need to cool, not the light bulbs.
Personally, I prefer 82F - 85F for a reef tank but I've always leaned toward the warmer water animals so your stock list should determine the water temp.
Don't point the fans at the lights, it's the water you need to cool, not the light bulbs.
Personally, I prefer 82F - 85F for a reef tank but I've always leaned toward the warmer water animals so your stock list should determine the water temp.
S
saxman
Guest
The ice thing only works if you're there to monitor it and keep adding new bottles of frozen water...we've done it, and it's no fun.
vdtank
Member
Right now my tank is only a (FO) so i don't have any lighting schedule...Yeah that is true I need to consider the scaling of jug of ice.... The good thing is this heat in So Cal is going be cooling down by tomorrow. But I'm going to try tonight the fan over the tank and see how much it cool it down. Also another issue about putting any jug in tank is that going to be the rise of the water with that jug...Like i said I'm going to test first the fan over tank and see if that helps...Thanks for everybody's into input.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Keeping the ambient temp of the room lower than your tank will help a lot. Most chillers wont even chill unless the room is cooler than the settings on the chiller. Go figure.
Fans help. Adding an algae scrubber with a fan on it is even better.
Fans help. Adding an algae scrubber with a fan on it is even better.
geridoc
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by VDtank http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521145
Right now my tank is only a (FO) so i don't have any lighting schedule...Yeah that is true I need to consider the scaling of jug of ice.... The good thing is this heat in So Cal is going be cooling down by tomorrow. But I'm going to try tonight the fan over the tank and see how much it cool it down. Also another issue about putting any jug in tank is that going to be the rise of the water with that jug...Like i said I'm going to test first the fan over tank and see if that helps...Thanks for everybody's into input.
Please be sure that the fan is plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet! If the fan falls into the tank you could lose more than a few expensive fish, but you will definitely lose the fish.
Originally Posted by VDtank http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521145
Right now my tank is only a (FO) so i don't have any lighting schedule...Yeah that is true I need to consider the scaling of jug of ice.... The good thing is this heat in So Cal is going be cooling down by tomorrow. But I'm going to try tonight the fan over the tank and see how much it cool it down. Also another issue about putting any jug in tank is that going to be the rise of the water with that jug...Like i said I'm going to test first the fan over tank and see if that helps...Thanks for everybody's into input.
Please be sure that the fan is plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet! If the fan falls into the tank you could lose more than a few expensive fish, but you will definitely lose the fish.
tthemadd1
Active Member
I had this issue for a year in college. Poor college students with no a/c. I ended up spending the money on a chiller after different attempts to drop temp. Our apt was almost 96 degrees on a daily basis. Keep in mind chillers are expensive, the cheap model I bought was 1/2hp believe and around 400-500 bucks.
Also you need to put it in a location where it is vented away from the tank. I had to put it in a window to push the heat exchanged outside.
The heat is exchanged into the room. In hind sight I would have been better off just buying two A/C units for the two legged inhabitants which would have dropped the tank temp anyway.
Stupid human I. Am. LOL.
Also you need to put it in a location where it is vented away from the tank. I had to put it in a window to push the heat exchanged outside.
The heat is exchanged into the room. In hind sight I would have been better off just buying two A/C units for the two legged inhabitants which would have dropped the tank temp anyway.
Stupid human I. Am. LOL.
flower
Well-Known Member
I keep seahorses, and a chiller is a must for me, they aren't as expensive as they used to be. My electric bill is on a budget, I pay the same bill all year long, and it makes it easy to budget. My bill doesn't change even running both chillers and my AC. I do the same thing for my gas bill...never any surprise high bills. Insulating the tank helps quite a bit to maintain the cool temps and not run the chiller to death.
+1000 on the GFCI outlets.
+1000 on the GFCI outlets.
vdtank
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521182
Please be sure that the fan is plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet! If the fan falls into the tank you could lose more than a few expensive fish, but you will definitely lose the fish.
Right now I have extension for all my aquarium power input... I don't think I need worry about the fan falling on top of my tank I have my light aquarium to cover it. So if it would fall I'll just hit the light cover and fall to the side anyways.
When i got my temperature hit at 85F :/ crazy hot last night.
But now I have a secured fan running across the tank not directly toward tank. So when i get home I'll see how much this help. Thanks
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521182
Please be sure that the fan is plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet! If the fan falls into the tank you could lose more than a few expensive fish, but you will definitely lose the fish.
Right now I have extension for all my aquarium power input... I don't think I need worry about the fan falling on top of my tank I have my light aquarium to cover it. So if it would fall I'll just hit the light cover and fall to the side anyways.
When i got my temperature hit at 85F :/ crazy hot last night.
But now I have a secured fan running across the tank not directly toward tank. So when i get home I'll see how much this help. Thanks
geridoc
Well-Known Member
In order for the fan to cool the tank it must blow across the surface of the water -you cannot have a cover on the tank, which would block evaporation. When water evaporates it uses up 596 calories of heat energy, lowering the temperature as a consequence. If the tank is covered so that airflow is impaired evaporation will be reduced, so cooling will be minimized. I use plastic egg crate on my reef at work to allow evaporation, and it never gets above 79 degrees, even with 3 submerged pumps and two powerheads (and the room temperature around 75-77).
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521223
Flower, I'll go out on a limb and assume you don't have things heating up the tank like high water flow and intense reef lighting.
When I had the 90g as a reef, yes I did, but I found that my Hippo tang was quite happy with the temps at 82 to 84 degrees. We have a tendency to panic because we can't keep the temps at 79, and actually the critters do quite well in the low 80's. The only coral I couldn't keep was a pagoda cup, it didn't like the heat at all.
I was mostly commenting on the chiller not costing an arm and leg to run, nor costing a small fortune to purchase. I purchased each of my chillers for around $350.00, and I run 2 chillers without my electric going through the roof...I have one on each of my tanks running now.
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521223
Flower, I'll go out on a limb and assume you don't have things heating up the tank like high water flow and intense reef lighting.
When I had the 90g as a reef, yes I did, but I found that my Hippo tang was quite happy with the temps at 82 to 84 degrees. We have a tendency to panic because we can't keep the temps at 79, and actually the critters do quite well in the low 80's. The only coral I couldn't keep was a pagoda cup, it didn't like the heat at all.
I was mostly commenting on the chiller not costing an arm and leg to run, nor costing a small fortune to purchase. I purchased each of my chillers for around $350.00, and I run 2 chillers without my electric going through the roof...I have one on each of my tanks running now.
vdtank
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521267
In order for the fan to cool the tank it must blow across the surface of the water -you cannot have a cover on the tank, which would block evaporation. When water evaporates it uses up 596 calories of heat energy, lowering the temperature as a consequence. If the tank is covered so that airflow is impaired evaporation will be reduced, so cooling will be minimized. I use plastic egg crate on my reef at work to allow evaporation, and it never gets above 79 degrees, even with 3 submerged pumps and two powerheads (and the room temperature around 75-77).
Got it... Plastic Egg?
The weather here now will give me a break. Thanks for the info.
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521267
In order for the fan to cool the tank it must blow across the surface of the water -you cannot have a cover on the tank, which would block evaporation. When water evaporates it uses up 596 calories of heat energy, lowering the temperature as a consequence. If the tank is covered so that airflow is impaired evaporation will be reduced, so cooling will be minimized. I use plastic egg crate on my reef at work to allow evaporation, and it never gets above 79 degrees, even with 3 submerged pumps and two powerheads (and the room temperature around 75-77).
Got it... Plastic Egg?
The weather here now will give me a break. Thanks for the info.
sweatervest13
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by VDtank http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521461
Got it... Plastic Egg?
The weather here now will give me a break. Thanks for the info.
It is used to defuse light from a florescent light fixture. Bought at Lowes or HD for like $10.00 a sheet.
Originally Posted by VDtank http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521461
Got it... Plastic Egg?
The weather here now will give me a break. Thanks for the info.
It is used to defuse light from a florescent light fixture. Bought at Lowes or HD for like $10.00 a sheet.
vdtank
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521463
It is used to defuse light from a florescent light fixture. Bought at Lowes or HD for like $10.00 a sheet.
O I see... Sweet...This something for sure I'm going to add. Thanks you so much for clearing that up for me.
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/395493/how-to-lower-the-temperature-in-your-aqurium#post_3521463
It is used to defuse light from a florescent light fixture. Bought at Lowes or HD for like $10.00 a sheet.
O I see... Sweet...This something for sure I'm going to add. Thanks you so much for clearing that up for me.