Garage Reef with NO AC!

[sedor]

Let me start by saying that I live in Charlotte, NC. Average temps range between 80 - 90 during the heat of the summer and the highest temperature ever has been 103. I have a semi-finished garage, which means its insulated and drywalled (not the garage door) but it has no heat or ac connected to it.

My question is, it is possible to keep a 125G reef tank in these sort of conditions without overheating my tank, AND without running a chiller. I am already fearing the answer is no, either run AC into the garage (which I am assuming with decimate my power bill due to the uninsulated garage door) or get an expensive chiller for the tank.

Lets say its the worst of conditions and the temperature outside mid-day is reaching 100. If I had a shop fan blowing in the garage, would a water volume of this magnitude heat up quick enough that it would kill the tank before the evening came and allowed it to cool off.

Of course there will be no car parked in the garage with the tank, and halides don't come on until 6 pm.

 

[Shane Hoffman]

When my house hits 80 degrees my tank is 84. Once you add in all the lights and pumps the aquarium usually runs 3 to 10 degrees hotter than the ambient temp around it. I would definately invest in a chiller. Your tank would overheat on the first sunny 85 to 90 degree day you have.

 

[mattsummers]

i would run a/c to garage reef should stay around 78
you can buy insulating panel kits for garage door for around 60.00

 

[sedor]

I read that running ac from the house to garage is pointless because the thermostat in the house would shut it off without allowing it to properly cool?

Is it possible to cut a small hole in the ceiling and connect to a duct and run the ac? I am in a 2 story townhouse and I don't quite understand how to access the ductwork on the first floor.

 

[Uncle Luke]

I think it's totally possible to run that tank in your garage without a chiller. I would set it up with fans. You'll be surprised how effective fans are at brining temps down.

 

[DEXNC]

i live in greensboro, a friend of mine just tried running tanks in his garage without ac, chiller got new insulated garage door lost about 4g's in fish and corals last summer. he is now running fans and had an ac unit installed. my garage door is not insulated and during the summer it got to be over 100 in there, a chiller would be useless and would even add more heat

 

[ufbrad24]

Moved my 170 into garage last week. I live near Tampa. Insulated my garage doors and bought a used 1/3 hp chiller and keep the tank at 80 degrees with no problem. Ive found the humidity is worse than the heat in the garage so I plan to add a dehumidifier. Also running a fan to keep the air moving.

 

[justisathomesea]

I have seen a set up of something called a swamp cooler, that one of the guys uses here locally to keep is frag tanks cool. And it works it keeps his three tanks with mh at 78-79 degrees, you will more then likely have to research it to find a diy for it but basically it was a 2" pvc pipe that had a fan blowing in it that used the evaporated water to cool his tank. Its a genius of an idea.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

Why have you been booted to the garage?

 

[sedor]

Turns out the tank is to big to go on the second floor in my townhouse (125G, probably would be ok, but its a rental so I don't want to risk it) not to mention, getting it up the stairs would likely kill me. The garage is the only other place for me its actually kind of exciting because i'm going to set up a whole little area in there for me. Just needa figure out this temperature thing.

 

[csmfish]

Mmmmm, steamed shrimp!!

 

[sedor]

Anyone else have any cooling suggestions. Or maybe you successfully run a reef in a unheated/uncooled garage? Let me reiterate, my garage is never so hot its unbearable. I assume it stays relatively cooler than the outdoors seeing as how its always in shade etc etc, i'm just worried about the extra hot days.

 

[r-balljunkie]

i firmly believe you will NOT be able to run a tank, connected to a garage without chillling, or sealing and AC'ing the garage. no way, no how.

you will see crazy temps, since you are so far down south, aint gonna happen. i would also have two chillers running, as that will be your lifeline in keeping temps in check. i love running fans, when i can, but in this instance, it aint gonna help, cuz you'll be pushing hot air around. its around 90 in houston, and i spend a lot of time in my garage, already starting to sweat!! good luck

c

 

[tspors]

To answer your question as it was asked..... NO never happen. I have a 150 and keep my house at 72 in the summer.. I live in Wisconsin. With my lights the tank will hit 82+ in the late day. Your tank will easily hit 90 without a doubt.

 

[Fishamatank]

I agree, it's not going to happen. You may have some short term success but you will have a major temperature problem at some point.

 

[agreeive?fish]

not only is summer heat and winter cold gonna be an issue in a grage so is water evaperation especially in the summer months. i converted my grage into a master bedrooom in a rental house a while back and ended up installing a seperate heat/ac unit to stay comfy in there...with out heat and ac your tank is not gonna be happy in the garage

 

[sedor]

Thanks guys! With this thread I was able to convince my wife to let me move a ton of furniture around and fit in as the showpiece in a front room

 

[travis32]

Awesome ploy. you knew the answer from the start didn't you.

I agree though. I live In North Dakota, so I wouldn't have the nice winter months you have. With the garage getting 40 below zero fahrenheit. I wouldn't have enough heaters on the planet to keep my garage warm. Although I have heard of some people that have heated garages and they stay around 40 - 50 degrees in the winter. Quite surprising actually.

When my house is 70 degrees, my tank is nearing 80 and I"m only running PC lighting.

If my house is around 65 (as in right now) the tank is down to 76 even with the heater set to 80. (I have it in a small area of water volume, so it doesn't heat the tank much, but it keeps the temp stable.)

Plus, wouldn't it be so much nicer to view in the house?

 

[sedor]

I do have to admit, the idea of a little cave in the garage with frag tanks and maybe an extra setup would be really cool...i've spent two days trying to figure out the temp thing and let me say (even though others just like me will be reading this and not believing it) there is no cheap way of cooling your garage unless your willing to cut a hole in the side of the wall. In my case, I rent and I have no exterior walls on my garage so I was simply out of luck.

 

[redfishsc]

The DIY'er in me is frothing at the mouth trying to come up with something (I live in Wake Forest, and grew up in Rock Hill--- I feel every degree Fahrenheit of your pain).

But I can't come up with anything, I would NOT trust any evaporative cooler (except for a monstrous one) to keep a few thou worth of animals alive.


I have a good friend just set up a 55g tank out in his shed (covered, but otherwise open on both ends for a tractor) so he can keep his crappie minnows in it. He fishes constantly in the summer. I tried to explain to him how this isn't likely to work. He'll find out. Unfortunately.