Temperature issues

[matro]

I have been having a problem keeping my temp down. I don't have any fish or inverts yet so it's no big deal....yet.
My info:
75 gal Glass 4ft (cycling)
fluval 404
Penguin HO (The double-wide not sure of model)
Seaclone 150 w/ Maxi-jet 1200
maxi mini 404 powerhead
201 powerhead (model?)
Lights- 4ft coralife 50/50 (not on for past 24 hrs)
My temp is at around 85. I removed the light and took off the top about 24hrs ago....still no drop.
I live in Ohio and has been in the upper 70's for a few days. Do I have too many motors running? I notice a lot of people from Florida posting and I know it can't be any hotter here! Anybody have any thoughts? I don't have an air conditioner. Are there certain filters/pumps considered hotter or cooler?
Thanks,
-Matt

 

[vwbortoni]

I have similar issues on a 55g. 80watts of NO lights. 1 Mag 5 in the WD. 1 MaxiJet 1200 and 1 rio 600. Lights on about 8-9 hrs per day. AC on @ 76. Temp ranges from 81-83.
What can I do?

 

[ratpack]

i use to have that problem. whta i did. i just put a bag full of ice into my wet/dry until i saw the temp drop to 72*. then i took it out and afer that i dont have problem. but i keep my AC between 80* and 85* as maximum

 

[matro]

I reread my question and wanted to clarify. Atmospheric temp is in 70's and tank temp is @ 85

 

[ratpack]

try to put a bag of ice into you wet and dry. (dont let the ice melt and mix with your water). after your water temp drop to the desire temp it should stay day because your atmospheric temp. but you have to either use a chiller or. put a frozen bag in the tank.
**since you dont have fish or any live animal you can do this in have and hour. but in the case of having live stuck you have to do it gradually.

 

[belothsurf]

Originally posted by RatPack
i use to have that problem. whta i did. i just put a bag full of ice into my wet/dry until i saw the temp drop to 72*. then i took it out and afer that i dont have problem. but i keep my AC between 80* and 85* as maximum
Not to give you a hard time "Rat", but I think they want a more permanent solution. I personally keep my AC at 70, so you have already lost me, if you keep yours between 80 and 85. Maybe I have Eskimo in my blood........ Anyway, the biggest thing you want to worry about is a temp. fluctuation. As long as your tank stays stable between a few degrees, everything should be ok. Bang Guy is the expert on this, and maybe he will read this thread tommorrow. It's my understanding that a tank at 85 degrees is "ok", as long as the temp doesn't fluctuate. Anyway, if your tank is too hot, your only long term solution is to get a chiller........:happyfish

 

[b0gart]

I didn't see mention of a heater, is there one in the tank? Sounds freakishly hot for the ambient temp in your house. I had temp problems in mine for a while, but then I blew a fan across the top for a couple days, which although it caused evaporation it lowered my temp from 82 to 76, which took about 24 hours, I removed the fan and since then the tank stays at a nice 78 degrees. being pretty new to this myself, I may be wrong about this, but coolers are friggin pricy, they make fans that are temp activated. I could post a link, but I think that is a nono here. do a google for icecap fans.

 

[damndamsel]

Maybe a pump is going bad and over heating? Sounds very hot if the air temp is only 70.

 

[tsx]

No AC? Ouch

airflow will evaporate the water and cool it; some people use fans blowing over their sumps or tank.
with no ac you probably need a chiller.

 

[matro]

Thanks guys.
I already unplugged one of my powerheads. I figured I could turn each one off for a day to reveal the culprit. I'm afraid it will be my MJ-1200, my skimmer pump.

 

[bang guy]

If you can place a small fan blowing across the water then it will cool your water. Powerheads & water pumps heat the water, there's nothing you can do about it.
85F is fine as long as you don't let it drop rapidly. You can maintain 85F indefinately but don't let it drop more then 2 or 3 degrees in a day.

 

[wocka]

metro. what do u think of that skimmer? i have one but dont use it because its load, doesnt skim too much, and the powerhead sometimes blows off the toobing

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by matro
Thanks guys.
I already unplugged one of my powerheads. I figured I could turn each one off for a day to reveal the culprit. I'm afraid it will be my MJ-1200, my skimmer pump.
I had a similar problem, when I replaced my skimmer with a new one the tank temp dropped from 83 to 80-81. I was using a mj in the old skimmer. I have a feeling that they seem to run really hot.
Another way to help reduce the heat is to pull out the PH and create an external closed loop system with an external pump. I just finished mine and used an Iwaki pump. With all the powerheads gone the tank stays now at 78-80. I finished this project about a week ago and love it, simple, cheap to build and works really well!

 

[matro]

Wecka, I don't have anything to compare it with-First tank/skimmer. I also don't have much for it to pull out yet as it's been only about a week.
msd2, is that a second loop? One for the filtration/return pump, and another just to give current?
I did put a fan blowing over. It dropped it down to 80-81. But it seems I have lost about 2 gallons in a day! Guess I just have some more fine tuning.
Thanks for the ideas. I might try out the external loop. It seems counterproductive to have a fan cooling down to a temp where the heater kicks on.

 

[kl8n]

Wocka is a known seaclone basher....he had a bad experience and now swears they suck.
Wocka ever consider that you may have gotten the one out of the bunch with a defect?
Im just saying...everyone else seems to sing their praises.

 

[debbie]

Hi, I know the heat is getting to everyone all over. Here in Canada where I live we have had 35-41C everyday since June. No rain is site, we are considered semi-desert here and in Vancouver B.C. (6 hrs away from me) they are not quite as hot but they are alot more humid there and just cooking.
A lady i know from one of our LFS stores here lost every coral in her tank recently due to the heat. Her tank went up to 90

when she was at home and everything is dead including the fish. What a horrible loss.
I count my blessings over and over for central air in our home, i would not live here without it. My tank is just perfect and never goes up or down thank goodness.
Best of luck to you all and I sure hope that non of you loose any of your fish, corals etc.
Debbie

 

[belothsurf]

Originally posted by Bang Guy
If you can place a small fan blowing across the water then it will cool your water. Powerheads & water pumps heat the water, there's nothing you can do about it.
85F is fine as long as you don't let it drop rapidly. You can maintain 85F indefinately but don't let it drop more then 2 or 3 degrees in a day.
................

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by matro
Wecka, I don't have anything to compare it with-First tank/skimmer. I also don't have much for it to pull out yet as it's been only about a week.
msd2, is that a second loop? One for the filtration/return pump, and another just to give current?
I did put a fan blowing over. It dropped it down to 80-81. But it seems I have lost about 2 gallons in a day! Guess I just have some more fine tuning.
Thanks for the ideas. I might try out the external loop. It seems counterproductive to have a fan cooling down to a temp where the heater kicks on.
Yup one is for filtration, and the other just for current. works really nice, the other perk is you can put it as deep in the tank as you want for circulation.

 

[neoreef]

msd2,
Could you tell us some more detail about your closed loop, or some pictures? I would like to start one as my next aquarium project, and apart from melev's reef, have not come across any plans.

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by neoreef
msd2,
Could you tell us some more detail about your closed loop, or some pictures? I would like to start one as my next aquarium project, and apart from melev's reef, have not come across any plans.
Melev's was pretty much what I followed. the scwd setup, w/o the scwd until payday. I varied very little from his design. The only thing I really did different was I put two 1" unions on the pump to make it easy to disassemble for cleaning/repairs. and I also setup a T for one end that adapts down too 1/2 inch so I can put it behind the rock towards the bottom of the tank. I will attach a crude, quick pick to the way mine is setup. I have to say I really like it and you can change fittings for different effects, bigger smaller, 90 degrees, 45 etc.
The other big perk is heat. it also allows you to agitate the water deep in the tank (big perk if you have a tall tank like mine) w/o the fear of overflow. Also melev's design stays primed unless you open up the top cap. Priming is way simple too, I put in 32oz of water closed up and away it went.
As a final not (long winded today) I have noticed that w/the increased flow all the bubble algae and 'gunk' that sometimes formed on the top of the water is gone. The water is crystal clear. I wouldnt suggest any higher flow than what I have (x25 turnover) but it doesnt seem excessive and no violent coral movements at all. BTW my purple tang LOVES it, he will swim up to the return and swim up stream, get to the pipe, float back and start again.
Okay enough of my blabbering, any questions feel free to ask!! and if ur in SF you can feel free to stop by.
I used 1' thin walled tubing for all of it, mostly because its simpler to work with and cheaper since I only have a drill and a hacksaw.
I toyed with the idea of going with grey/black pipe but went with white because I know the coraline aglae will grow on it soon enough. My old black overflow never did have anything grow on it.