my temp is constantly 86+ help!

[reef master]

Vince,
Another option is to change your lighting schedule from day to night. This will reduce the heat being put into the tank during the heat of the day. One other thing would be to make sure your heater is not on when u see your tank heating up. During summer months a lot of people turn them off. Have seen heaters malfuction and stay on which would cause a constant heating problem.
All other suggestions that have been made thus far are very good. Would fall back to the question too of how warm is the room the tank is in also?
Good luck!

 

[playtime]

I was just going to suggest that. Also, keep the lid open as much as you can to keep the air flow, add frozen waterbottles and the fan. That should do it. I keep my tank at around 82. It has been there from day one and everyone is fine. I keep the house cool so it works fine. It didn't say what state you live in. Maybe keep the room darker and switch your lighting to night as was suggested.
Playtime

 

[the new guy]

Here ya go Vince,
I have seen several DIY chillers and they are not too hard to make.
Get a small fridge; cut two holes in it and run pump return tubing coiled in the fridge.
Another way is to get the fridge, cut the holes, then put a 5 gal bucket in the fridge part, run tubing from the bucket into the freezer part, and coil it in the freezer, put a pump into the bucket attached to the coiled tubing and the other end of the coiled tubing into the bucket, fill it with water and then run the tubing from the tank coiled into the bucket, the water gets cooled while going thru the freezer part and it continually gets cycled by the pump, then the tank water gets cooled by going into the cooled 5 gal bucket of cool water (I don’t think I have said cool enough). The reason this more difficult version is better is because a fridge that is full runs more efficiently and you can control the temp more.
Another good advantage of these chillers is it gives you a freezer to keep your food and stuff right by your tank.
I hope I haven’t confused anyone with this lengthy post. I am going to make the bottom one when I get my 125gal tank since my 52gal runs at about 82 deg.