Submerged Pump and Temp. Difference

wardworld

wardworld

Gonna Need A Bigger Tank
Trying to get an idea about what to do next...I've finally got the 120 up and running and after a bout with the psycho-foaming ER skimmer, I'm moving on to the next issue: tank temp. It's been consistent from 82 (at night w/ no lights) to 84 w/ lights on - I'm using a 6-lamp T-5 Solar Flare about 1 - 2 " off of the water surface.

I've got a submerged skimmer AND a submerged return pump: an Eheim 1260. Looking for feedback:
1. How many degrees might removing the return pump lower the tank temp. ?
2. What's the correct way to plumb and prime the return pump once it's external?
Thanks, I feel like I'm almost there.
 
I just changed to external, and saw almost no difference in temp. The pump still cools it's self with the tank water. It does open some space in the sump though. I would raise the lights a few inches, and place a few fans blowing across them. I just broke down and bought a chiller myself, but i have a metal halide over a 30 gallon tank.
 
Other people have indicated the possibility of very little temp. diff. as well...hardly worth drilling the sump and putting in a bulkhead I guess. I might be headed the chiller route myself.
 
No need to drill the sump, just run a pipe up and over the side. I built a screen filter for the pipe out of needlepoint backing. Not worth spending a bunch of money on for sure. Maybe when the current pump goes out, then buy an external pump to replace it. The Gen-x pumps are great pumps for the money.
 
dugg, how do you prime it when it's set up that way? I'd be willing to try it w/out having to drill it.
Did you put the filter over the PVC pipe in your return area?
 
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Quick and dirty way is to make a pipe go up and over into the sump, instead oif a 90 on one side use a Tee and put a valve on top. Open valve, pour in water, close valve while its full and you should have a prime. I doubt you will drop that much heat though, I think dugg nailed it raise the lights a bit and add a fan to under the lights, also try a fan in the sump area. My 125 has 440w VHO and 300W of MH about 6 inches form the water with a fan in the canopy and the full back of the canopy is open, internal skimmer, external mag return pump and I run 80 with the lights on, 78 with them off at the highest. Dont rush for a chiller yet, theres still hope.
FYI I notice no drop in temp when I went external with my mag
 
Thanks, Brian...right now I've got a fan clipped to the canopy blowing on the water surface. If that makes any difference in temp. then I might look to a more permanent solution - maybe mounting some fans in the top of the canopy blowing onto the water or something.
I wanted to try out some things before investing time and money in something that doesn't work.
 
I really think raising the lamps will do the most good, try putting a 1x2 or something under your canopy just to get the height. If that fixes it it would be well worth it to rebuild or modify the canopy than to runa chiller, spend the power bill money on more coral!
 
Wardworld, Yes i have the screen around the intake for the return pump. For priming the pump, i have a quick connect between the tank and return pump. I disconnect it and blow through to clear the pump, then syphon the water back when ready to restart. I have a turkey baster that fits the line good with a hose glued on it.

You can cool your tank by several degrees using fans and lifting the lights up some. They should be around 4 to 5 inches above the water.

As far as the chiller goes, you are looking at $500 investment for the chiller. I run a Pacific coast 1/4 hp chiller, and it makes almost no difference on my electric bill. Maybe $15 a month at most. The 1/4 hp is way overkill for my 30gallon, but i intend to upsize my tank this year and didn't want to have to upsize the chiller too. There isn't that much difference in price from one size to the next on the small end, and the manufacturer reccomends using one size up from what is called for to work the chiller less. I got lucky and premium aquatics was out of the 1/6hp model and upsized me to the 1/4 hp for the same price. Keep in mind though, a chiller is loud, and needs to be well ventilated, so it's not something you are going to want running in your livingroom except as a last resort. I had to because my tank sits in an un airconditioned room under a flat roof. It can get pretty warm in the summer months.
 
80 to 84 is pretty high with the T5's for sure. I run MH's, which run quite a bit more heat then the T5's and my temp never breaks 80.5 with the lights on and about 79~ with them off.

I run an external dart as you know and I run a ER Skimmer with a sedra 9000 in sump. Saw no heat difference before and after adding the skimmer.

I did have some heat issue in the summer and I added a single fan to the sump area and it cooled it off quite a bit... a measurable difference.

I would do what is suggested above, raise the lights, and/or add a fan to the sump area. (maybe try this first) The idea here is to add air circulation to the most active water surface, allowing for the most heat transfer. I put my fan directly over my overflow/baffle section where there is more water/air contact area. It dropped my tank by atleast 2 degrees... I hooked it to the same timer that runs my lights so it only runs while my lights are on.. Keeps things well in check.

You should certainly be able to get your temp down without a chiller...

Jack
 
I agree about the fan over the sump. We dropped 3 degrees on our tanks by doing that. Just aim the fan down to blow across the water's surface. We don't use any chillers on our 225 gallon coral systems and we keep the temps at about 79 even with 3 250 MH's. We also drilled a hole in the side of the cabinet and placed a fan there blowing out. That dropped the temps another 4 degrees. HTH, Marcye
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8934727#post8934727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Me No Nemo
I agree about the fan over the sump. We dropped 3 degrees on our tanks by doing that. Just aim the fan down to blow across the water's surface. We don't use any chillers on our 225 gallon coral systems and we keep the temps at about 79 even with 3 250 MH's. We also drilled a hole in the side of the cabinet and placed a fan there blowing out. That dropped the temps another 4 degrees. HTH, Marcye
Click to expand...

did the same to mine with a walmart $7 fan that even oscelates. ....hey..even if it only last a year your only out $7. chunk it and buy a new one.

of course with winter being here we keep our house around 70 so i havent even needed the fan. but my halides are like 10 inches off the water as well

i run the eheim 1262 on mine and love it ... i wouldnt give up on that eheim just yet
 
Great advice...I'll move the lights (actually the entire canopy) up an inch or two then put a fan blowing on the sump area. If that still doesn't do it, I'll add some fans to the tank surface water.
Appreciate the help.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8934727#post8934727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Me No Nemo
I agree about the fan over the sump. We dropped 3 degrees on our tanks by doing that. Just aim the fan down to blow across the water's surface. We don't use any chillers on our 225 gallon coral systems and we keep the temps at about 79 even with 3 250 MH's. We also drilled a hole in the side of the cabinet and placed a fan there blowing out. That dropped the temps another 4 degrees. HTH, Marcye
Click to expand...

How high are your lights?
 
plumb, if you're asking me (and not Marcye), mine are 2.5" above the water's surface (again that's a 6-lamp T-5 Solar Flare)....anyone think it should be higher?
 
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