Outside propagation tank

[ninjamini]

Anyone ever thought about putting a propagation tank outside? I was trying to think the best way to maintain water temperature? I figure there has to be no better lighting.

 

[instrance]

I heard Jess has one outside. He said temp only get to 79. Which is great. About the lighting I think he has it under shade. I am putting my prop tank outside. Going to use a 150. I dont remember where i saw a clam prop tank somewhere that sat outside. When i rained they covered it up. I will try to find the link. IT was Freak 'n sweet!

 

[jessp]

i do have a frag tank outside i keep it w/ a 175 w MH and right now the temps don't get out of control. we will see what happens in summer. i have the light pretty high up about 12" from the water surface. I only keep zoas and a few sps frags there right now and things are going well.

I am upgrading to a larger tub that i got from tyreef the dimensions are a volume of about 80 gallons. it will probably hold an entire sheet of eggcrate and that will be my fragging space. I have an additional 175w MH that i will use this this setup again i will have to keep a close eye on the temps. As well as use a little net to scoop up bugs that hit the water surface, however the damsel i have in there does enjoy a juicy bug every now and then.

This is not the ideal setup by anymeans but it is working for now, my fiancee will not let me keep more than one tank in the house. So i'm upgrading to a 120, if i can only have one might as well go for the biggest i can afford and manage. if you can only have one beer make it a 40.

 

[Flamehawk]

My friend in the Keys has a tank outdoors under translucent poly panels full of ricordias. The tank, however, gets fed from the canal he is on. Lucky dog ::

 

[jessp]

thats cool, when i lived on the water in broward that is what i used to do, keep canal water in the tank and keep little fish i caught in the canal. I pretty cool native specie tank.

 

[ninjamini]

Jess I was more thinking of what you do when it hits 90 out. How will you keep the tank cool?

Also why are you using money on lights. What about the sun? You don't have to change the sun every 6 months.

Can you post a pic or two of the system for me?

 

[instrance]

..Balcony or something..

 

[jessp]

yeah on my patio

 

[ninjamini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9356148#post9356148 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
yeah on my patio

So its not a east or west exposure? Its in the shadow of the building?

 

[jessp]

it is a north facing covered patio that gets zero direct sunlight, just indirect.

I don't think most people use unfiltered sunlight on there outdoor prop systems. I think many use screening and vented poly panels.

 

[ninjamini]

What will you do in the summer when the temps get to 90-95?

 

[instrance]

Thats a good point. I guess I will need to get a chiller for that one out side :-( Or a ica chiller cheap.

 

[nyvp]

talk to matt (treeman) his prop system is mostly feed by sunlight

 

[Palmettopark]

I saw a thing on TV about outdoor prop tanks in direct light in Hawaii. On PBS or something very interesting they were showing aquariums all over the USA. That is something to think about. There tanks were full of fat SPS.

 

[reefsahoy]

how do you control salinity when it rains?

 

[ninjamini]

you would have to keep it covered so that does not happen. Think greenhouse.

 

[reefsahoy]

so then you must cool the tank via chiller or some other way?

 

[ninjamini]

How you cool it in the summer is the question. And does running a chiller on a outside tank cost more than running lights inside?

 

[reefsahoy]

the only other way is to make the pool deep with less surface area so the sun don't have enough time to heat it up and add fans to the surface.