How hot is TOO hot?

[TikiDan]

I just hooked up 2 lumenarc Minis with 250 watt bulbs!

But......now I am having heat issues. My Girlfriend called me when she got home for lunch and said my tank looked cloudy I asked her what the temp reading was on my controller and it read 86!

At what temp will I start to lose livestock? Or start having adverse affects?

 

[jedininja]

For an extended amount of time, certain livestock can be stressed to the point of death. Unfortunatly though, if a few things go and you get a spike, it could mean bad things for the tank. Have your GF throw in some ziplock backs of ice.

 

[sbeason]

What lights did you have before? If it was lesser power lights then you need to move those lights higher away from your tank and slowly drop them down over time. Also, shorten your lighting period and increase half an hour to an hour each week. If it was 6 hours with MH, then go down to 3 or 4 hours and slowly increase over time.

You can use a fan to blow across your water to get that temp down pretty quickly but be ready to add fresh water because of evaporation. Do not keep it at 86 for long or it will begin to cook all your corals.

Running carbon will get the cloudy water out and do a water change.

I am not an expert just my $.02 worth.

Maybe others will chime in.

-Steve

 

[TikiDan]

I had her turn the lights off. They were only on for 3 and half hours. Can anybody suggest a decent but not too expensive chiller?

 

[DeepBlue28]

I recently switch to two 250W metal halides, much like your but mine are in a canopy. I am running two fans inside the canopy to circulate air and keep the heat down. My tank stays at around 80 to 81 at most. And i leave in florida where its like 90 degrees outside everyday. Try the some fans. Evaporation isnt to bad. Gallon or two a week maybe. Ive got a 110 gallon tank.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I suggest a good sized fan in the sump over a chiller any day, it's cheaper, more efficient, and works the part just as well. Only issues is the room should have some cross ventiliation so all that evaporated water doesn't end up in the walls

 

[sbeason]

I use JBJ chillers. They are super quiet and work fine. I have also used fans to cool down my tank. I went with the chiller because I couldn't pass up the great deal opportunity on it. -Steve

 

[dswong01]

Try changing your lighting schedule to later in evening when its cooler. and use a over the tank fan it can pull down 2-5 degrees.

 

[fishnfst]

Wow deep blue you only get an extra 1-2gallons a week.. I top off approx 1.25 gallons a day on my 58 with 2x250... A fan does work wonders though.. If I run a fan on the sump and on the lights/tank it will drop the temp by about 4-5degrees easy... My heater will start kicking on after that....

 

[TikiDan]

Ok, My GF came home and I had her put a fan over the tank, and now my temp is down to 81. No losses as of yet, but most of my coral is all closed up. I guess time will tell.

 

[Keith Le]

Change your photo period. Turn your halides on in the late evening when it starts to cool down.

 

[TikiDan]

The only problem with running a late photo period is that I work nights, from 3:30 to 11:30.
Which means I am at work when it is cooling down.