Custom Cabinet for 90g Reef (Build Thread)

Afraid I'm going to have to invest $500 or $600 in a chiller....even with a 6" King Air fan blowing over the halides/water, the temp hovers between 84.5 and 85 degrees after the 2x250w halides have been running all day.

Anyone recommend a good chiller to work with the AquaController Jr? I can't seem to find a chiller without a built-in controller; seems like they'd sell them standalone for use with the Aqua Controller, Reef Keeper, etc.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11165965#post11165965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RedEDGE2k1
I would stop short of calling the 250w halides "mega heaters" in my case, considering they are a full 12" above the water line, with an additional 10" or so of air space from the bulbs to the top of the cabinet enclosure. Compared to most mass-manufactured "large" canopies, my design leaves an large amount of air space above the tank, not to mention the back is completely open (where the tank sits). At this point, I'm not even considering fans anymore. However, there's plenty of room to integrate them later, if needed.

That being said, we keep our thermostat between 68°F (night) and 72°F (day). During these winter months, I'm sure I will need at least one 250w heater to keep the water temp above 80°F all night while the halides are turned off, and our AC is only maintaining 68°F.

I can't sleep if I'm warm!
Click to expand...

As predicted (page 10!)

Good thing you still have room left in the stand! Will you be able to vent the chiller out to the garage, like the extra wiring you had to run that way?
 
RumLad, your comments in general have been thoroughly annoying from the beginning, but I guess that is to be expected from a certain percentage of responses when posting a DIY project on an internet forum. I also understand how easy it is for you to be critical on the outside looking in, using the "error" of other people's trial & error to give yourself a false sense of experience & knowledge. That being said, it's not necessary to quote me, this is my project and I have adequate memory :)

But to answer your question (was it really a question?), no, I won't be "venting" anything to the garage. I'll sit it next to the cabinet, if I do indeed buy one, and that will be the end of it.

Before I spend the money on a chiller, I have several other ways of getting the water temp down. I can add another fan blowing over the sump, as well as add two 4" fans on top of the cabinet -- one blowing in, one blowing out.

I can also externally plumb the Ehem 1262 return, it's currently acting as a heater in the return area of the sump.

I can reduce the time the halides are on; currently they're on 12hrs/day.

I only need to get the temperature down 3 or 4 degrees.

If none of those work, and I end up buying a chiller, save yourself the trouble of posting "I told you so," as this will be the last time I acknowledge you.
 
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Plumbing the 1262 externally should make a noticeable difference. I would go evaporative heat loss all the way. Here is a link to my site which discusses it from the chemical engineer/mad scientist point of view. I've enjoyed your thread so far. Thank you for sharing despite the peanut gallery.

http://www.energystarreefs.com/cooling/
 
Now THAT is a useful response and verifiable knowledge! :)

Very impressive website, I'm looking forward to reading the "Lighting" section when it's up & ready.

Just curious, is there a calculation that can be done to determine the effect of removing a device from the water? ie. externally plumbing my Eheim 1262, and the cooling of the water than would result?
 
I have been enjoying the thread myself and loved your woodworking skills. I just mounted my fans in my canopy and a local DYI guy from a great store mentioned when I said about one fan blowing in and the other out that the one blowing out will get ruined by salt. I didn't know that and several have told me having both blowing in is more effective. Have to say it went against my "common sense" approach but what they all said.

In addition to the whole tank looking nice, the whole room looks awesome!! I like the white for the stand. I wanted to do black but my wife made me stain mine!! ; )

Now, the real question is what reefing supplies is Santa going to be filling those stockings with?

Lee
 
Wow, must have struck some nerve there Dustin, sorry. I really hadn't tried to p@#s you off so much by asking questions (yes they were all questions) in order to invoke some thought on your behalf. Can you really blame me for you not taking the questions seriously? I honestly thought that you have room left in the stand, next to the sump (Pic from page 12, I believe) and if not, then you might have to vent the heat and moisture from the chiller. Why is that so offending?
Seems that you only care to acknowledge those that praise your obvious woodworking skills, which I myself have done on numerous occasions throughout this build.
Anyway, good luck getting the temps down one way or the other.
 
Very nice build, I am starting the process myself now and this has been an inspiration.

Just to be clear myself, the tank sits directly on the 2x6 on the front and on the plywood on the back, but it is not sitting over the plywood supports on the sides Am I correct or did I miss something.
 
Correct. The 90g tank is only 18" wide. With the front/back being directly supported, the plywood alone can span the sides with no problems. I originally had some 2x4 supports spanning the width of the tank, but removed them to save weight.
 
I would recommend reducing the MH times to like 8 hours a day. Make it where they turn off just before you go to bed so you can enjoy the tank when you get home and into the night. I have mine run form 5-11pm so I can enjoy the tank in the evening. There is no rule saying that you can't fire them up longer or on a different schedule on the weekend to enjoy during the day. Set the antinics to start and end a couple hours on the front and back end of the MH times.

Blowing a fan across the sump should help but if there is nowhere for the water vapor to go then it may not be as efficient as needed. Some more air flow in the hood will help also.

P.S. You have any Chick-Fil-A bowl tickets you want to sell...
 
Another ?? and again I may have missed it while looking at all the pretty pictures, but where did you get the T5 lighting? That is what I plan to use over my 75g.
 
Just another thought here RE2K1.

Could you cut a few large diameter (4" ish) holes in the top of the cabinet to vent some of the heat? If I recall, the top is solid, isn't it? Seeing as you already have some fan action, perhaps this increased airflow would provide enough relief.
 
Can I ask what you paid for your ballasts and MH fixtures? I am trying to find a good deal and so far have not found that Number I want. haha. Tank looks great BTW. Thanks.
 
I bought everything metal halide related on Reef Central's used drygoods forum.

(2) New Aqualine 10k bulbs - $95 for both
(2) Ice Cap 250w Ballast - $170 for both
(2) ReefOptix II reflectors, mogul socket, & base - $50 for both

Total = $315, savings of around 40%

Used is definitely the way to go for drygoods!
 
Awesome. Thanks. That is what I was looking at doing. I just didn't know if used was the way to go. I need to get a skimmer too.
I've been running a year with out a skimmer.
 
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