Nano Cube Overheating! :(

[icepick5587]

Does anybody else have this problem? I have a 24 gal nano cube, no modifications, and it runs at about 82-84 degrees without a heater. The room temperature is generally 75 degrees. Also, I run the lights 12 hours daily.

What are some steps I can take to help lower the temp a little bit?

-With the placement of the tank I can't really fit a fan any where near it for heat removal.

 

[My Evil Z]

I'am sure this is a stanard reply,but what I did on my 12 dx was
installed higher cfm fans and reversed them blowing inwards.
My tank has the 4 x 24 light upgrade and the 13 watt fudge light.
it was running at 86 to 88 degs. buy the evening,so i decided
to try the ICA from NanoCustoms and it works great
Now it runs between 79.2 to 80.0 all the time,my tank also
has 2 eheim 1002 return pumps and a small Azoo pump to run
the ICA,if you don't want to use the ICA you can try one of the
small chillers.

_____________

Dave

 

[Illuminati]

All good ideas by My Evil Z.

You could swap out the stock pump for either a Maxi-Jet 900 or 1200.

What time do your lights come on and off? Maybe have the lights kick on a little later in the day. I am working towards 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

I have a 24 gallon DX and I installed the chiller and found it to be about worthless. The tubing kinks like crazy, overall a poor design. They do have a new one out, looks a lot better design wise.

If you want a quick and dirty way to chill freeze a plastic bottle of water and drop it in a back chamber, let it thaw, re-freeze and redo. That would be a pain but it's already July and you've gone this far without one, odds are by September you'll be kicking on the heater. I'd hold off on a chiller until later.


My tank has the maxijet 1200 in the 3rd chamber and no other mods (or mods that I use) and mine doesn't get above 82 during the day. Usually it's in the 80 range.

 

[kellyandcarrie]

Or you could point a fan at the top of your tank so it blows across the top of the water, or would that be way too easy? it dropped my temp from 82 to 76....

 

[Illuminati]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7677771#post7677771 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kellyandcarrie
Or you could point a fan at the top of your tank so it blows across the top of the water, or would that be way too easy? it dropped my temp from 82 to 76....

"-With the placement of the tank I can't really fit a fan any where near it for heat removal."

 

[icepick5587]

I like a lot of those NanoCustoms mods, but I don't have the cash right now. I'll see if running it earlier in the day and a lower room temp helps any.

 

[Hunter_Cal]

i have the standard 24 gallon nano, no addons, i took the canopy off and am using a coralife light...i have a normal house fan facing it all day long, keeps it around 78, but my evap rate is off the roof...i replace 3/4 gallon a water a day

 

[savager]

Open the feeding lid. and use your household fan directed at your tank. That will keep the temp down for your summer or until you can save enough money to get a chiller or mod your hood.

When I had my 12DX, I turned the fan on all the time. Yeah, it looks stupid but it works.

 

[Spiffyguy]

I have a quite a few mods on my 24dx. I had a heat issue and what I did to solve it was upgrade the fans. I purchased the dual ballast mod from Nano Customs. This puts each light on its own own plug but it also puts the fans on their own plug too. And the fans, while a bit louder, are 100x better at moving the air. So my temp dropped about 2 degrees.

I also swapped the return pump for a Maxi Jet 900. I run the fans from 7am to 8pm when the lights go off. My temp is steady between 79-81. And I am running a Maxi Jet 1200 in the tank and a Maxi jet 400 on my DIY skimmer. I do have a heater in there just in case but it has to get at least 78 or so for the heater to kick in.

 

[xylem]

I added a larger return pump, and now pump the water out of the tank, through a Turbo-twist UV Sterilizer and 1/6 HP Aqia-Chill chiller.

I added a second pump that pumps water into an old calcium reactor housing that I modified to be a refugium.

No more worries. Unless the pump quits.

 

[toomanyhobbies]

I had the same problem and bought two small $7 fans from walmart and have them facing the glass. This cooled the tank down about 2-3 degrees. Cheap and easy, but you have a couple of fans sitting outside of your aquarium. I also leave the feeding hood detatched and sometimes slightly prop the hood open. My evaporation rates are about 500-1000ml/day. This isn't the most elegant solution, but if you're not tech savvy....

 

[july865]

you maybe worried for nothing. what are the tank ihabitants? are they from a region where the norms are 80-85?? if so, than no biggie. this is about as budget conscience as i can get. research your animals. people stuff all sorts of animals in their tank and not give a hoot where they come from. most people put figi rock in, then stuff the tank with animals that arent native. or on the same continent....
.
you maybe worried about nothing.....research is cheap.

 

[noschmo]

I think that there is an inherent problem keeping stable temperatures in small tanks and the daily variations can not be good for the livestock. I have the icu small chiller moded on a 24 gallon nano and I have not been impressed. That said, I am of the opinion that the best way to resolve the issue is spend the money and get a separate chiller unit!

 

[july865]

noschmo is right. at least about the temp variations. put he is still on a budget which a good chiller will be $$$. cut back on the lights if you are afraid of the animals dying.
.
its rather simple. water temp will never be more than abient temp(in a fish tank). its all the electrical stuff you have in, on, around, or near.
cut the lighting time, or start them when the room temps are cooler(at night) to off set the added heat.

 

[Spiffyguy]

another option is cheap. Open the feeding lid. Gets some more air in there. May do the trick.