Do algae scrubbers introduce heat?

[kasso187]

Do algae scrubbers introduce heat into the aquarium?

I currently have an h380 in the sump of my reefer 170. I love it, but it warms the tank by about 4 degrees F. I'm wondering if something like a Santa Monica rain 2 or cw-50 or the smallest icecap algae scrubber will heat up the tank as much. If they don't, I would make the switch to an ATS.

 

[Journeyman]

I think it would depend which type. I've read that a waterfall would tend to cool the tank due to expose to air and evaporative cooling. I would think an upflow wouldn't have that same effect. The heat would come from the lights then.

I haven't found any significant heat issues from the LEDs on my ats.

 

[Hersheyb]

4 degrees is a lot of heat from an LED... Unless you have a big refugium I dont think you need a h380 for a tank that size. You can switch to a A80 or something OR u can just add a small fan to turn on when the LED comes on.

 

[BayouReefer]

I have the cw-100 and I haven’t noticed any increase in heat.

 

[ca1ore]

The H380 produces a lot of heat from the body, but essentially none as radiated heat (like MH). So as long as it’s well ventilated, heat addition is minimal. If it’s inside a small cabinet then, yes, it will add heat to the water.

 

[kasso187]

The H380 produces a lot of heat from the body, but essentially none as radiated heat (like MH). So as long as it’s well ventilated, heat addition is minimal. If it’s inside a small cabinet then, yes, it will add heat to the water.

ya that's exactly what happens. I've experimented leaving the door open at night and it was much improved. And although not like an MH, there is some radiated heat. I can feel it if I put my hand under the light

 

[kasso187]

4 degrees is a lot of heat from an LED... Unless you have a big refugium I dont think you need a h380 for a tank that size. You can switch to a A80 or something OR u can just add a small fan to turn on when the LED comes on.

I got a good deal on it. I remember watching a BRS video where they conclude the H80 is on the same level as a cheap cfl bulb or par bulb, but more tuned toward grow spectrums.

Maybe the H160 is better suited, however I'm not sure of the heat from that.

 

[Iván Olalla]

I use the Santa Monica Hog 1.5 no heat issues, but it´s and upflow design

 

[kasso187]

I use the Santa Monica Hog 1.5 no heat issues, but it´s and upflow design

nice I was looking into that style too

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

Do algae scrubbers introduce heat into the aquarium?

I currently have an h380 in the sump of my reefer 170. I love it, but it warms the tank by about 4 degrees F. I'm wondering if something like a Santa Monica rain 2 or cw-50 or the smallest icecap algae scrubber will heat up the tank as much. If they don't, I would make the switch to an ATS.

Our lights operate at around 100 degrees on the larger sizes and less on the smaller. If you go with the CW-50, there should be no issue with heat transfer. Most customers see a drop in temp due to the waterfall of the scrubber cooling the water.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Do algae scrubbers introduce heat into the aquarium?

I currently have an h380 in the sump of my reefer 170. I love it, but it warms the tank by about 4 degrees F.

The answer to this is really dependent on your setup. Any LED light will introduce heat into the surrounding environment. If you don't provide a pathway for that heat to escape, it has to go somewhere. If you put a heat source in a closed box (like a tank stand that is pretty much closed off on all 4 sides) the heat dissipating from the fixture will rise and heat the tank from the underside, and the radiant heat from the LEDs will induce heat on to whatever it's pointed at. The radiant heat from the LEDs is usually pretty small compared to the dissipated heat from the heat sink.

A relatively small amount of convection can eliminate the majority of the heating effect. What this means is that if you have a exhaust hole in your tank stand (for instance, up high, on the back) and an intake hole (low and in front, underneath, etc) then natural convection will take care of a lot of heat issue. Adding a very small fan to move air actively would pretty much eliminate issues - and the fan would not have to blow on the light, but rather just exhaust the air out. You could also force convection with a cheap clip-on fan on a timer (properly secured of course)

 

[SantaMonica]

Usually more of a concern than heating the water, is heating the cabinet space. If the power supply is built into the light, all the heat goes into the cabinet space. If the power supply is a separate box that you place outside of the cabinet, then the power supply heat will not heat the cabinet space.

Power supply heat can be 50% of the total, and it provides no light at all.