My "HEAT" Solution...

seth16

New member
OK, so i got these new lights, AND my tank temperature SOARED from a mere 78 to a HOT 84!!! So, i have been adding ice cubes of RO water to cool it down, it has worked, but i now rigged something together that works even better. I baught a $4 portable fan from walmart, and i attachd zipties and chain to it to keep it to the already hot light, it blows a steady stream of nice cool air down the top of the water and the air between the water and the light. It works great and it makes almost NO noise, WAY cheaper than computer fans that you buy for your lights and yet it works just as good, and doenst look TOO tacky, well, i wouldnt care eitherway, but still, not too tacky...I will be buying a second for the other side of the light probably tomorrow, as most things go for me, i buy two, they both suck, i lose the reciept, sio i thought i would only buy one and if it works, the i can buy another, and not waste double the money :bum: ....lol

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:strooper:
 
That is how i keep my 20L cool, but i have the fan connected to a ranco temp controller. now the only issue you might have is evaporation..
 
i already deal with enough of that.... wouldt it be LESS evap? evaporatio is triggered by heat causing the water to turn to vapor, but if the heat is channeled from off the waters surface, wouldnt it keep evap. lower? probably not, but i am an amatuer and just need to be taught these things...lol
 
dude those strip temp. testers are soooo inacurate. you should buy a digital one. Also why not put the fan in the sump?

My sister driving you crazy?
 
ur sis is fine, and like i expained to you, the fan is not for cooling the water, but for moving the hot air away from the waters surface...so sump wouldnt work, and also, yes, i need a digital temp, but i will get one eventually, i used my moms $100 temperature gauge thing she uses for her craft crap, it was just as the strip said, so i trust the stip, but not COMPLETELy...lol
 
the air moving across the water will cause more water to evaporate. the act of evaporation cools the water. You will indeed evaporate more water with the fan blowing down the length of the tank, but you will also have cooler water, all be it, less water. Top off daily if you are not automating it.

...long story short...more air volume across the tank surface means you will evaporate more water, regardless of the tank temp... that holds true until you have 100% relative humidity and the air and water temp are the same.
 
are you running a sump? if so ryan is right. if you already have to manually top off why not put it above the sump and get the honker fan out of the view. the way the fan is mounted with only half of the fan blades able to get air you will burn the fan up. it has alot of resistance trying to suck air right off the canopy. and if you don't run auto top off then i can come over and for 20.00 bucks run it off that rodi unit that you got. for the 20 you can get a float switch, and 1/4 tubing and presto problem solved with heat and having to top off. by the way you can get the coralife digi temp guages for 5.99 at most lfs. 1.99 more than that second fan
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9829812#post9829812 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seth16
ur sis is fine, and like i expained to you, the fan is not for cooling the water, but for moving the hot air away from the waters surface...so sump wouldnt work, and also, yes, i need a digital temp, but i will get one eventually, i used my moms $100 temperature gauge thing she uses for her craft crap, it was just as the strip said, so i trust the stip, but not COMPLETELy...lol

I only use a fan over the sump thats in my basment. It is the best place for cooling. It works by increasing the evaporation rate which lowers the temp.
 
Have a question about evaporation.

On my wifes 40g, with closed top canopy her evaporation isnt that bad maybe 2 gallons a week. With my 55g, open top, my evaporation is horrible. I'm talking 4-5 gallons per day sometimes. Would building a canopy help?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9831068#post9831068 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cowboyswife
Argh posting as her again. lol

Dude, you know this is considered "cross-posting", right?
Just don't put her clothes on for the meeting, and everything will be cool. J/K.:lol:
 
That's funny, I have a 48 inch Tek T5 lighting system too and it raises my temperature about a degree or two and once the lights go off, the temperature drops slightly. I wonder why your lightings system is putting out so much heat?
 
You want more evaporation not less. It helps with gas exchange, cooling and allows you to top-off with more Kalkwasser which helps with cal. and alk. I'm always looking for ways to increase my evaporation.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9836911#post9836911 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy1
You want more evaporation not less. It helps with gas exchange, cooling and allows you to top-off with more Kalkwasser which helps with cal. and alk. I'm always looking for ways to increase my evaporation.

Yes it HELPs with gas exchange but too much evaporation can rise the salinity at a undesirable rate which can cause stress on certain corals and anemones. So yes evaporation has its benefits but it also has a negative side. I would say evaporation is really good on fish only tanks where stability doesn't play as big of a role as it does in the reef tank.
 
Oh I guess I forgot to metion I use a Tunze auto-top off devise. Yes, you must hold salinty tight. Some sort of auto top-off devise is not really an option IMO.
 
I have a float switch in the sump already, but no RODI to attach it too. My parents will not let me hook the RO up inside, as the water is more expensive than it is outside (idk why)....so when i want water, i have to hook it up in the garage with a a big bucket. i also have NO ROOm under my tank for anything else, my Pantail filter takes up too much space, along with my sump.
 
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