::hitsthefan:: ::hitsthefan:: i have a 35 gal tank i just put a new power head set up in the tank. i was keeping the tank at 78 to 79 dergrees, now the tank is getting close to 82 degrees. im looking for a cooler or way to not add haet to the tank?
First, what type of lighting are you using? do you have a hood on the tank, if so, do you have a fan running through it? do you have a sump? pics would be great. So, that we can see what your setup looks like.
I don’t think the powerhead is producing that much heat to make it too hot.
i do not have a sump. yes i have a hood and no fan .i have 3 22 inch 15 watt t8 lits. i will post pixs to day.
im sorry thay are not 22 inch there 18 inch lits
The heat is not getting out of the hood. Is there a way you can put a fan in the hood to dissipate the heat out of the hood? that will help lower the heat in the tank.
if i hand the lit and do away with the hood and add a fan you think that will be ok?
if i hang the lit not hand the lit.
verdict_in
It’s amazing what a fan can do. I read a lot of chiller use and don’t get it fans do wonders. In the spring we leave windows open as long as possible and our house gets to 85 or higher and with fans the tank stayed lower than the house. Warning you will need to add water due to evaporation. Just look at the pump or power head you added how many watts is it? That’s just like a heater my mag 12 was 120w so that’s just like running a 120w heater constantly.
Evan a fan blowing in or through the hood will help. What temp do you maintain in the house?
You can still use the hood if you want. The main thing is to hook up a fan to be able to blow across the hood to get the heat out.
If you hang the light with out the hood, you will get light spillage and light up the whole room, if you don’t mind that. Like dunk said, what temp do you maintain in the house.
i keep the house at 75 to 76 degrees all year . the power head is 19 watt for the big one and 16.5 for the smaller one. i am running to clip on petsmart brand filters adding to 50 gal filter " one 30 gal and 0ne 20 gal" and a homemade lime wood protin skimer.
Yeah that’s fine any air movement will help
i just put a muffin fan in places and left the hood its moven alot of air a cross the lits and water.
Cool keep us posted :
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Fans can carry heat away from the bulbs and the tank helping prolong the life of the bulbs and cool the tank. Fans can also increase the evaporation rate of the tank which is a cooling process.
Also note 82F no matter what you read isn’t necessarily bad. If your tank cools 4-5 degrees each night and the sky rocks up then it is not healthy, but if your tank stays stable it isn’t bad. My tanks have thrived running at 82-83F for months at a time(but they only went down 1-2*F at night) Stability is almost more important then the specific number.
Some people unplug their heaters in the summer which I do not think is a good idea. On what day will you remember to plug them back in? If the heater is set to keep the tank above 78*F is it that you don’t trust it won’t come on? If you really don’t trust it do you really want to use it at all? (not saying specifically you, but just those people that choose to unplug their heaters)
Let us know if you have questions.
Other then losing water fast my tank is at 78 degrees thank for the help I will return for more help.
78 good deal a good idea is plug it in with your light so it runs with the lights only
< :BEER before the tank was heating up i woul mantain 78- 79 degrees all day and nit. i never unplug my heater cuz its a pan to get to. i wired the fan in with the lits, the lits r on a timer so the fan is only on with the lite to cut down on water loss. the tank cooled down with in 2.5 to 3 hours the was at a stedy 79 degree temp all nit. im vary happy with the way this is working, i am going to keep a eye on it for a bit tho. thank you all for the help i need all i can get the tank is 5 mouths young so i have a lot to learn.
Be careful keeping your temp too stable. I am a firm believer that temp fluctuations enable your corals to adjust and survive easier in the even something goes wrong. It’s always been MY OPINION that if you allow the coral to adapt to temperature variations (as well as salinity, PH, and other parameters) it will not be such a shock to them if something malfunctions, such as a heater, an ATO, etc.
Now I’m not encouraging anyone to toss a bucket of ice cubes in to their tank every few days, but if my temp climbs to 84 during the day, and drops to 76 at night, then when my heater sticks on and holds the tank steady at 84 degrees for 4 days, or sticks off and lets the tank drop to 74, then my corals will be better adapted to survive the disaster. (granted I don’t have nearly as much temp swing since changing to LEDS from MH)
Same concept for salinity - ATOs are great for ensuring your water level / salinity remain stable - but god forbid it fails - corals and fish both have issues and can die quickly. I don’t use an ATO - I let water evaporate to a certain point, then top off by dumping a 5 gal bucket in to the sump. I believe it enables corals to adapt to salinity swings and also immitates the natural enviornment in which they are found and collected.
Again - just my opinions and how I maintain MY tank - take my advice and experiences with a grain of sand.