Alternate cooling methods of large reef tanks

[fishnerd]

How do you guys cool your large reef tanks with out using a chiller?

I have been playing around with the idea of burying a poly-tank into the ground for heat exchange. I am setting up a 325g using a 265g poly-tank with a 100g refugium and 100 sump.

What do you guys think? let me know your alternate methods

Thanks Bryan

 

[nyvp]

I have a 560/g display a 240/g sump and a 70/g so right at 1k total volume with plumbing. I run 4 400/w pfo hqi radiums 6" from the water. I keep my house at 74 degree's -24/7. My tank goes from 76 at night to 78 at peak. Now this is with out my cabinets in yet and my tank is 3 sided viewable.
I will be getting a circular driveway added soon and will be burying a 1000/g cistern in the ground. Its not going to lower your temps because it takes a while for the heat to radiate out into the ground from the tank but it slows down the time it takes to raise. 2000/g will heat up slower then 1000/g. The added benifit is that everything that happens (nitrates . po4 ect ) moves up slower. I will be installing it on a slight angle and having a tube drawing from the bottom to keep the silt out. with a 2 x hr turnover of the cistern I should be ok.

 

[ReefingBuddha]

sounds like a good idea. I have also had people suggest a simple ground loop if putting a tank in the ground ends up being to expensive.

Wish I could put 1000g cistern in my yard... that sounds great.

 

[KurtsReef]

My sump and refuge are in the cellar of my house, with no change to the indoor temps of my house that alone dropped the temp of the display by 10 degrees where the reef is now at 74-76 depending on the time of day.

 

[Bebo77]

fans...and an open canopy....

 

[nyvp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10623185#post10623185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thirschmann
sounds like a good idea. I have also had people suggest a simple ground loop if putting a tank in the ground ends up being to expensive.

Wish I could put 1000g cistern in my yard... that sounds great.

not as crazy as it sounds. it will cost me 1k to buy and install the cistern( can't use a regular plastic tank it will squish) and then no added costs for ever. if I bought a 2HP chiller would cost 2k and 22 amps so no idea how much a month but not cheap.

 

[erics3000]

I hope fans work. I really want to steer away from another added electric expense.