Temp Control... MH v Skimmer

[meschaefer]

In order to control my temp, I have started using an aquacontroller to turn fans on, and lights and pumps off, as the tank temp increases.

In an SPS dominated tank, which do you think I should turn off first, my MHs or the in-sump pump to my skimmer? Both add heat to the system, I am just not sure of the order in which things shoud be turned off.

 

[brentp]

The lights. As your tank gets warmer oxygen levels get lower.

 

[meschaefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7565418#post7565418 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by brentp
The lights. As your tank gets warmer oxygen levels get lower.

I don't know if I am worried about oxygen levels. My return pump is still going, so there is still water going over the overflow. I beleive that this would be enough in terms of oxygen (I could very well be wrong).

I currently have it set to turn off the skimmer first, then the MHs, but was thinnking of changing the order

 

[RichConley]

I run a 58g tank, for about 75-80 gallons total water.

My MH (250) adds negligible heat to the tank. My sedra9000 on the other hand raises the temp 8 degrees....

 

[brentp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7565809#post7565809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
I run a 58g tank, for about 75-80 gallons total water.

My MH (250) adds negligible heat to the tank. My sedra9000 on the other hand raises the temp 8 degrees....

I have 2 sedra 5000's that don't raise the temp noticeably. If anything in my tank raised the temp 8 degrees besides my heater, it would be in the trash.

 

[RichConley]

I sold it the other day, works fine. That being said, 90w in the tank is way more heat than 250w hanging above it. (I have an open top though)

 

[wentreefgirl]

Ok, well I have a chiller but just in noticing heat changes in my tank with everything running the same, I would say that could be both. The first thing I do is cut back on the halide time. Do you have just halides or suppl also. I have my lights on is early am but when its hotter outside, I shut them down till late afternoon when it starts to cool outside. As far as skimmer, you need it if you have fish in there. Then if not, cut back on that also. But do you have fans cooling across the space between lights and tank or in sump?

 

[meschaefer]

There are two fans in my system. One fan blows through the hood, the other blows across the sump.

As far as fish are concerned, the only fish in the system are a small pair of percs in approximately 60 gallons (total system).

When it is hot outside, the system will basicly only run the skimmer at night.

IF as one poster said above, that the MH do not add as much heat as the skimmer, and I have the lights turn off first, then it seems to me that turning the lights off first will not do much and will only result in the skimmer and MH tunring off, rather than just the skimmer. (If I remeber correctly skimmer turns off at 80 and MH at 81)

 

[nemo g]

heres a somewhat obvious point, but seemingly often overlooked.

keep ambient temperature down. with a cool room, the lights will have little to no effect as the heat will dissipate into the cooler air, and whatever heat is in the water will work to maintain the desired temp instead of over heating it.

hints

1. ive tossed a fan in my hallway pointed into my room from a cooler area of the house and it keeps my room 5 degrees cooler.

2. check the room lighting. you may not have noticed how much heat they put into the room. and with the addition of halides, may be giving that heat source all the blame. ive got flood lights, that even if dimmed to 70% can add a good amount of heat into the room, actually getting near 80.

with the fan and watching light usage, the room remains far cooler. and consequently, the tank is far more stable.

good luck