Do I need a chiller

[mbx5r4life]

I'm running a 60 gallon, FOWLR tank. Seems the temp is fluctuating 3-4 degrees from dawn to dusk every day. Would a chiller help? Do I even need a chiller for a tank this size? If so, any recommendations?

 

[gweston]

What temp range?

I try to keep my tank in the 77-78 range.. but it can run up around 80 or so on the hotter days. Today for example, is crazy hot with temps in the upper 90's. Very odd for our region (Taxachuesetts). I put two ice packs in a zip-top bag into the sump ... temp is around 81.1 right now. I have an old computer fan hooked up to the Apex that kicks off at 80 degrees. Usually it is all I need.

I have a large ceiling fan running in the house, but no AC. No chiller obviously either.

I'd think gradual temp changes by 2-4 degrees over a full day is fine. Its the quick temp changes to watch out for. But.. I suspect the critters would be more comfortable if the temp was always regulated and predictable.

I start to get worried as I approach 82 degrees. If I get near 84.. I'd get -really- worried.. but I have yet to see that happen.

 

[d0ughb0y]

I have a 60 gallon and only use a $6 fan from walmart and keeps temp between 77 to 79.
80 on really hot days (>90). evaporation is higher on hotter days, as much as 12-14 gallons on a hot week. my normal evaporation is only about 6-7 gallons a week.

 

[chimmike]

FYI: most ceiling fans use a LOT of electricity if run all the time.

Give a desk fan a try for a little while. But again, what's the temp range?

 

[mbx5r4life]

at night, it's about 77.5 and in the day, I noticed it gets to about 80.5
my heaters (in sump) are set at 80 degrees. Also, it hasn't gotten that hot yet this year in Los Angeles, so I'm not sure how hot it'll be once the temps get into the 90's or 100's.

 

[SkyPapa]

My tanks are at 84F right now.
They go down to 80 on cool mornings but this mornings low was 82.

 

[mbx5r4life]

i'm only concerned because my shrimps are dropping left and right. not sure if temp is a main killer of them.

 

[Maivortex]

Fan blowing on the water in the sump is wat i use

 

[mbx5r4life]

So it's not better to blow directly into main tank? I have a 6 inch computer fan blowing right into it.

 

[JDMhoes]

you would be less worried when you get a chiller..just find a used one for a good price..thats what i did..225bucks later..lol

 

[tangtang clown]

I have a 125 with 3 250w MHs and T5-s. I was running a ceiling fan all day on high and setting my AC down to 73 all day. I bought 2 $9 fans with clips from walmart and clipped them to the back of my canopy. My temps were between 81-84 before the fans, now there are between 76-81 and I turned my AC to 78 during the daytime. Best $18 I've spent on this hobby in quite a while

 

[yellojello]

Depends on your setup, canopy, stand, etc... I have a 120g with 55g sump in the backroom. 2 4" fans in the canopy on 120g, and 1 Vornado Clip-On fan in sump for super cooling (but loud) when needed.

 

[solitude127]

If you decide to get a chiller, a 1/10th should be plenty for your application. Keep in mind, if you add a chiller and whatever room it's in, it'll add heat to that room when it's running.

 

[mbx5r4life]

Problem is, my canopy isn't tall enough to stick fans under neath of it. Also, the tank is a 60 gallon acrylic, so there's only 2 openings. No place to clip the fans on. So please explain this: if the fan is blowing in the sump, the cool water should circulate enough that the water in the main tank will be the same?

 

[swenholz]

Problem is, my canopy isn't tall enough to stick fans under neath of it. Also, the tank is a 60 gallon acrylic, so there's only 2 openings. No place to clip the fans on. So please explain this: if the fan is blowing in the sump, the cool water should circulate enough that the water in the main tank will be the same?

Yep.

I have a long desk fan over my sump I installed after my tank started get up aroung 82 on hot days. I haven't seen it get much more than 79 with my base temp being 78. If done properly, a fan alone can keep your temps down by 6 degrees at most. If you need to cool it more than that, start thinking about a chiller.

 

[rgfast]

IMO if your running lighting that cause large temp swing daily you need a chiller, for me it was the only answer. I could only keep my tank below 81 at end of light cycle if fans blew all night and had tank down to 76 in morning. Since adding 1/2hp chiller my system maintains 77.9 to 79.0 degrees with four 250 mhs running 10 hour light cycle.My corals look much better which could be due to the fact that I can now run longer light cycle without the threat of low country boil in my tank or that the system is stable now

 

[mbx5r4life]

I have a LED lighting system (12 whites and 12 blues) running about 10 hours a day. Question is, is it expensive to run a chiller?

 

[reef_doug]

i'm only concerned because my shrimps are dropping left and right. not sure if temp is a main killer of them.

I would say the shrimp are molting or if they are dying, it's from something else like copper.