Chiller needed?

N

natas

New member
90 gallon tank with sump (holds about 15-20 gallons while in use).

Anyway, I live in Texas but I do have AC. However, in the summer we keep the house around 79-82 to save on electricity (13.3KWH).

Currently my new tank has not dropped below 82F, in fact most of the time during the day its at 84-85F. I have 2 MJ900 with mod, Mag7, Skimmer, Pendant that hold 1x250Watt HQI and 2x75Watt VHO (fan on each end).

I know I could put some small fans down in the sump, but I doubt thats going to drop my tank 5-10F. So is my only choice a chiller? If so, whats a good but not break the bank chiller I can get? I was reading that a 1/10hp may cover it.
 
There is nothing wrong with your temp. It is nearly ideal for coral reef growth. There is no need for a chiller. If the temp bothers you and you would like to keep it cooler, some fans over the sump will probably reduce the temp 3-5 degrees depending on the humidity.
 
The fans will help, but I agree it's highly unlikely that the temp will come down the desired amount.

If you're looking to avoid the cost of the chiller, try the fans on the sump and also one for the lights...see what that does for you. Even if you go with the chiller, it will help and will keep the chiller from coming on as frequently.

Other than than, there aren't too many options.

One of the more interesting ones I know of is a guy who ran a line down several feet into the ground...a long coil of pipe. He pumped water through it and used the natural cooling power of the earth, like a heat pump for a house.

Don't know if you're in a position to do that, but it's an alternative. And in Texas, ulike New Jersey where I live, you don't have to worry about any exposed pipe freezing in the winter.

Good luck.
 
So what is the ideal temp for a reef tank? I always thought 80-85 was to high...then again that was a advertisement I read for a chiller :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12676956#post12676956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by filippo
"So what is the ideal temp for a reef tank? I always thought 80-85 was to high"

I am interested too :)
Click to expand...

I am wondering the exact same thing actualy .... my temp has now gone up from 79 to sometimes during the day to 85 because of the heat of the summer.
 
Most of the stuff I've seen over the years says 76 to 78 degrees. Not that you can't go warmer, but that's what I've seen. Some folks also vary the temp by season, a little warmer in the summer months and a little cooler in the winter.

In the end, I guess "ideal" really depends on what you're keeping in your tank...what part of the ocean did your corals come from and what temperture ranges are best suited for each specific coral. You'll probably find that you have corals form different points around the world, each with slighly different "ideal" conditions. In that case, "ideal" will be a compromise that some will tolerate and others will thrive under.

But like I said, 76 to 78 degrees is the general guideline that I've typically seen.
 
77 to 78 here, I run a chiller with a back up. Not going to take chances with my SPS. To many dollars and time involved to cut corners with a chiller. Or gamble with temperatures going into the 80's...

Happy Reefing
 
76-86 with an average around 82. Most corals, including many species of Acropora and Pocillopora for which the thermal optima are known are around 82-84. What part of the world your specific corals come from is largely immaterial and there's no real advantage to keeping the temp on the lower side or more stable, especially if the temp doesn't tend to be that way without the aid of heaters or chillers.
 
Hmmmm, does warmer oceans not cause corals to bleach??? I thinking some of the problems with coral in the wild are directly linked to global warming..

just a thought...
 
My 180g got up to 86.5F yesterday and I bought one of those cheap clip-on fans and this morning I woke up and the tank is 75.1F... :eek:

I've read that a lot of people buy chillers they don't need... And now I believe it. :)
 
Agreed, it takes a prolonged period at high temps in an otherwise healthy environment to cause bleaching.

Greenbean, as for the 76-86 range with an average of 82, could you share some sources with us on that? I'd love to do some more reading and possibly let the temp on my tank creep up a bit from 78 if that's preferred. Beyond improving the quality of the environment I'm providing for the corals, it should reduce the work my chiller has to do...save on my electric bill.

I need to do some research on this because I don't recall the details entirely, but if memory serves, the book Ultimate Marnie Aquariums by Michael Paletta documents a number of successful reeef tanks and includes details, like temperature, about the parameter that these aquarists use. It has been a while since I pulled that book off the shelf, but I do recall that I settled on 78 degrees based in part on what I read in this book.

I'll try to remember to look when I get home tonight and chime in if/when I find what I'm looking for.
 
"My 180g got up to 86.5F yesterday and I bought one of those cheap clip-on fans and this morning I woke up and the tank is 75.1F... I've read that a lot of people buy chillers they don't need... And now I believe it. "

watch out with leaving your fans on too much. if you had a smaller tank than a 180 your temp would have gone even lower than 75, even w/ a heater on!

it's possible to have fans instead of chillers, but you have to do some testing first. you gotta make sure your fans don't "overfreeze" your tank. i would put fans on a timer, probably on the same timer as your lights, this way when the lights are off, then the cold breeze to remove the heat is gone as well.

that said, every tank is different. I am going to wait to purchase a chiller for now. i just bought two mini fans that will be placed inside the canopy blowing air on the surface of the water, and i am also going to place a medium fan blowing on the surface of my sump. i'll keep an eye an it all day today and tomorrow and see how low the temp will go, and at what temp i should set my heaters too. lastly, i'll figure out when the fans should turn on and off.

:)
 
i think you'd be VERY surprised how much a simple fan does. Try that before you invest the money in a chiller. I like to blow one across the DT water and then one on the sump. The DT fan not only causes evaporation which cools the tank, but it helps prevent your heat from the lights from reaching the water.

I was never a believer in fans just like Rjsilvers until i tried it! I kept my home in the high 80's and 90's last summer (we had a crappy window unit and didn’t want it on when i was at work) and my tank was peaking in the 90's! Sometimes. A simple fan and it was in the high 70's day after day.

As for the temp, I don’t think it matters weather its at 78 or 84 as long as it doesn’t go from 78 to 84 in 2 hours
 
watch out with leaving your fans on too much. if you had a smaller tank than a 180 your temp would have gone even lower than 75, even w/ a heater on!

it's possible to have fans instead of chillers, but you have to do some testing first. you gotta make sure your fans don't "overfreeze" your tank. i would put fans on a timer, probably on the same timer as your lights, this way when the lights are off, then the cold breeze to remove the heat is gone as well.

that said, every tank is different. I am going to wait to purchase a chiller for now. i just bought two mini fans that will be placed inside the canopy blowing air on the surface of the water, and i am also going to place a medium fan blowing on the surface of my sump. i'll keep an eye an it all day today and tomorrow and see how low the temp will go, and at what temp i should set my heaters too. lastly, i'll figure out when the fans should turn on and off.

:) [/B]
Click to expand...

in response to this a great investment to prevent this problem is something like a aquacontroller. You can program it so when the temp goes above 84 to turn the fan on and turn off when it hits 80 for example. the $300 is a great investment to have ultimate control like that!
 
btw, keep in mind that by blowing air over your tank (using fans) will increase evaporation. which means you'll need to invest on an ATO or you'll be having nightmares adding water daily (unless you don't mind :D).

running a chiller is waaaaaaaay more expensive than topping off your tank w/ ro water 10 times a day!

water is so cheap - take a look at your water bill. here in AZ we're paying roughly $50 a month. $6-8 is for the actual water consumption, while the rest is all fees and taxes. if we would be using let's say an 1000 gallon of water for topping off evaporated water, the cost would be less than a dollar a month! :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12679316#post12679316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by filippo

watch out with leaving your fans on too much. if you had a smaller tank than a 180 your temp would have gone even lower than 75, even w/ a heater on!

:)
Click to expand...

Very good advice, I found out. This was with -three- 300w heaters set to 80... That little fan works wonders.
 
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