How long can I go without halides?!?

[talon4x4]

With this heat and no a/c in my house my tank temp sits at 80.2 with no halides. As soon as I turn on just 1 halide my tank temp reaches 82.5 and both halides take me to 84. So for the last couple weeks I haven't turned them on. Everything appears to be doing ok except for the nems, they aren't getting as big as they usually do and my RBTA took a walk, looking for more light I would assume. Also, my plate coral isn't opening up like it usually does and I haven't seen the feeder tentacles in a while.

So how long before things really turn bad?!? On a positive note, my cyano is all but completely gone!!

 

[Capt_Cully]

What lights are you running besides the halides? I have an SPS dominated system and I employ the lights out method myself. I wouldn't think twice about going a week or two with just my T5s. Just be careful to go slow with the halides when you do turn them back on. Corals and nem might not be too happy.

 

[Reefman29]

Perhaps a less conventional concept. I have heard of people putting some ice cubes in the tank. Evaporative cooling. Running one halide. Just some suggestions

 

[aquaph8]

In AZ the temps in the summer are 110 and higher. Most of us run clip on fans on our sumps. You get a little more evaporation but enough cooling to off set the halides heat. Put them on the same timer as your lights and your good to go. The only other way is to use a chiller but if its not vented outside they produce as much heat as they cool. Hope this helps. Happy reefing.

 

[EllieSuz]

Turning off the lights completely is not the answer, as you are discovering. A fan pointing at the sump and another blowing between the top of the tank and the lights are sure to keep temperatures in check. Cheap little four or six inch fans from Walmart will do the trick. Really, you will just be amazed at how effective fans can be. Just be aware that the evaporation rate is greater and you need to top off more often or employ an automatic top off.

 

[S Helinski]

IMO 84 degrees isn't a major concern.

I've had my tank much higher for weeks at a time during previous summers.

What you don't want is the tank to go from, for example, 75 to 85 in a day. But 80 to 84 should be just fine...

Steve

 

[aquaph8]

IMO 84 degrees isn't a major concern.

I've had my tank much higher for weeks at a time during previous summers.

What you don't want is the tank to go from, for example, 75 to 85 in a day. But 80 to 84 should be just fine...

Steve

I agree. Just keep it somewhat stable and not in excess.

 

[camelo]

+1 on getting some fans

 

[talon4x4]

The only lights running on the tank are 2x 90W dual-actinic power compacts. I do have fans, two in the canopy and two over the sump in the basement. I have also tried just 1 halide and the tank hits a bit over 82.

Steve, thanks for the advice. Its good to know the temps won't be too bad as long as I don't have major swings in temp.

I have tried frozen 2 liters bottle and it really didn't do anything to cool the tank.

 

[museumguy]

What about raising the lights so they are further from the tank? Not a perfect solution but might help some.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Intensity of both light and radiant heat (which is just light we can't see) drops at the same rate, so moving it away would give you a corresponding reduction in both (i.e. less heat, but also less light). Though on second thought, it would probably be a "diminishing return" since radiant heat incident on objects other than the tank water, and heat transferred away from the light via conduction or convection, would still be contributing to the thermal load on the tank. I guess the only time when it might make sense to raise the light fixture when solving a heat problem would be if having the fixture higher gave you more room for fans or some other cooling tool.

 

[IronMan72]

+1 on adding fans. A single 92mm, 43cfm computer style fan blowing on the water as it goes through the bubble trap of the sump has dropped my water temp from 81 to 78.5 where my controller is set to turn it on.

This is what I am using but anything similar would work.
http://www.dynatron-corp.com/en/product_detail_1.aspx?cv=20-72-117&id=58&in=0#

 

[talon4x4]

I can't raise the light, they are already mounted to the top of the canopy ~12" from the water surface.

 

[wah-zoh]

i have been between 80 and 84 for a few weeks now, and nothing seems to be bothered.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Just be careful to go slow with the halides when you do turn them back on. Corals and nem might not be too happy.

x2

get one of those big box fans and direct it at the display tank while halides are on

above 84F stresses my Acros. Other corals are less affected.

 

[talon4x4]

At this point I think I'll have to play around with some alternate lighting schedules. I was able to turn the halides on for a few hours today and the nems were very happy!!

 

[iamwrasseman]

the stability of the temp is more of a concern ,as long as its stable then the 82 degrees isnt a problem but you can also run a fan over the top of the tank to "blow" the heat away and also get some evaporative cooling in the process .