Lightless tanks

[Randrew215]

This morning I unplugged the halides and actinics in my tanks and have kept them off all day so that the heat doesn't fry my tanks. With the lights off and fans running over the sump and top of tank, I'm maintaining 83 degrees. Turning the lights on the temp would be about 92 degrees. I don't have A/C, and I've maximized my ability to keep the house cool with blinds during the day and opening the house up at night to cool everything down. I tried bags of ice in the sump last summer and it was almost totally ineffective. How many consecutive days can I go without lights before it becomes a problem for my lps corals and my clams? No SPS. July and August really f with my system. Thanks.

 

[dreaminmel]

Do you have the ability to put a window a/c in the room the tank is in and hang a blanket or shut a door to keep the a/c from trying to cool the whole house? I know the tank can go a few days without lighting no problem. There are cloudy/stormy days over the ocean. Just trying to think of a longer term option for you in case there are many hot days in a row...

 

[wetbehindears]

Yeah best bet is go to sears or wallmart for 100$ get a window unit .like she said u can go a day er two here or their but long term not going to happen

 

[Randrew215]

My tank room connects through to the kitchen on one side via a standard door frame but also connects to the living room and front of the house without much of a separation between rooms. I suppose I could hang something heavy like those ugly u-hual blankets and throw in a window units for the days that get really hot. Definitely not pretty, but that's a feasible solution I hadn't considered. Thanks.

 

[Jedistphn]

or.... get a tension rod that can span the opening and go to the dollar store and buy a couple shower curtains. That will keep the air in the rooms you want.
There are " stormy/ cloudy weeks in the wild. But even on those days the ocean still gets some sun rays. kinda think of it as a hazy day . although we don't "feel " the beating of the sun on our skin, there is enough UV that gets through to still tan our skins.

You can go a few days(3) IMHO with "NO" lighting. or try cutting back to at least an hour a day.

Just throwing out some experiences and opinions

-Jedi

 

[mr86mister]

I like what Jedi said. Also if you are concerned about looks of what you are hanging. Get nice sheets to hang. They come in many colors and you can wash, fold, and put away when you are done. They are also light so there won't be much weight on the rods.

 

[EllieSuz]

Why not buy a chiller?

 

[tmz]

Blow a fan over open water. Evaporative cooling is pretty evective.

 

[Randrew215]

A tension rod is a totally good idea. I will try to implement this by the end of the week and will post pictures. In response to the chiller, the issue is cost. I worked nights while in school the last few years, but this year I had to give that up keep pace in school, so I'm operating on a budget of student loans. I'm not totally strapped, but I have a freshwater and two saltwater tanks so chillers just wouldn't make sense where I could do a single A/C unit for a fraction of the cost. Thanks everyone for the excellent feedback. I really appreciate it!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

single window AC unit might be your best choice.

if you can place the sump directly on the basement slab it will definitely cool the aquarium system.

 

[Randrew215]

Solution

Solution

Picked up a 12000 btu A/C off craigslist today and set up a room divider. The A/C unit is taking care of my kitchen, tank room, and a bedroom. All lights back on, and 90 gallon temp dropped from 84 to 81 degrees in the last couple of hours. I'm working overnight tonight, so I'm going to back off the fans blowing over the tanks so that the temp doesn't drop too much tonight. The pictures here are crappy, but illustrative. Tension mounted rod w/ hanging curtains and A/C unit. Thanks again for the advice. Also, there's a Current 1/10 chiller up on craigslist for $150 in buffalo (I am in no way associated w/ the listing) if anybody is still struggling with tank temp.
-Andy

 

[Johnny C]

Glad to hear you've got it under control... I too had to buy a window AC for my bedroom, and I have central air... figure that out! :spin2:

The best advice I can give you is to cool the tank SLOWLY (~24 hours)... a quick change will cause issues. Good luck!

 

[chrisguy]

Sorry for the late response on this. I don't have central air and do not have a chiller. Do not underestimate the power of fans. I found that most people underestimate the size of the fan needed and don't do enough to move the air in the room. I've had success in using a controller to turn on extra fans as the tank temp increases while also shutting down lights. I have about 260 gallons in my system. I am able to run fans over the tank (180) the sump (40) and the refugium (30). The sump and fug are in the basement, which has a dehumidifyer and an exhaust fan on a humidity controller.

In the summer I've had my tank without MH lights for several days. With some indirect natural light and VHO's I've never had an issue.