Problem with MH lighting: the heat = chiller = alot of extra money.

[chris009]

I've almost decided completely on T5 lighting over MH lighting simply because of the overwhelming cost of a chiller for my size tank(90 gallon - prob around 400-500 dollars). I intend getting two 250 watt MH pendants if I decide to go with it. Someone suggested getting a fan hooked up to a digital controller than turns the fan on when the tank gets around 78 degrees. Is this sufficient, or would I be best sticking with the T5 since I don't want to shell out the money for a chiller?

 

[cgj]

A nice set of little 12 watt fans, id say a strip of 6 would work great for what you have. My tank is a 36 and I use a twin-fan unit... it keeps the temp around 78-80 degrees as all time and i have a 250 watt MH. There is a possibility you might want to get an extra twin-fan unit for the summertime.

 

[reefraff]

Depends on how hot the room gets. A lot of people are able to control the heat with fans BUT if the room gets very hot you will have issues.

 

[newbostonconst]

I would go with the MH. If you have or add a sump the extra water capacity and surface area of the sump will keep it cool. I have a 20 gallon tall with a 250 MH on it with a large sump and it stays cool all the time. 80 is a where I have my heater set at and it may get up to 81.5 on a warm day.

 

[scsinet]

If it makes you feel any better, I am a huge proponent of a chillers even on reef tanks that don't need them on a regular basis.
The reason why is that it affords many advantages...
- If your house AC fails or you forget to set the thermostat, that chiller will likely save your tank
- It affords much more stability in your reef's temperature. A chiller can easily hold your tank's temperature to within 2 degrees, and stability is a huge piece of a successful reef.
- It allows you to set your home's HVAC system thermostat to whatever you want, without worrying about the effect it will have on your tank.
Call me crazy, but when I think of what I have invested in my reef's livestock, a chiller seems like a no-brainer investment in safety.

 

[isistius]

everyone has opinions, and no one is wrong or right. that being said, i live in south florida. my house a/c is set at 77 during the summertime (now). even so, my 135, with 2x150w mh and 2x130 dual actinic was getting to almost 84 consisently. i added a small computer fan to cool my sump ($12) dropped the temp to 82. i then proceded to add 2 small 4" fans ($5 ea) to blow across the surface of the water. the tank now sits between 78-80. for me it was a no brainer about not going with the chiller for several reasons. #1 being the initial high cost. #2 the extra $ every month to run it. my electric bill is already outrageous. #3 i have no way of venting the chiller outside due to the location of the tank. that means that it would exhaust into my family room. that's just not acceptable to me.
like i said, everyone has opinions.
hth