How I keep my fish tank cool!
- Thread starter slugwall
- Start date
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Frozen water bottles are not a good choice. The amount of BTU's contained in a frozen bottle is miniscule compared to the BTU's required to lower one gallon of water even 1 degree.
You would be amazed at what fans and evaporation can do for you, so much so that they can easily replace a chiller in most cases. Watch out for evaporation though as that is the result.
I am in Phoenix where it was 113 degrees today. My 100G tank is now about 9 years old and started out with a 1/4HP chiller for my 2x250w Metal Halide and 2x140w VHO fluorescent lights to keep it at 79 degrees. Over time I added two little 4" computer fans to the canopy and I noticed my chiller rarely ran even in the peak of summer andwith my house AC on a digital setback thermostat set at 79 degrees when we were away at work. I played with the fan configuration and added a $10 Wal Mart clip on fan over the sump and the chiller did not run once in 2 years unless I manually started it just to check to see if it still worked. I sold the chiller and bought an auto topoff system with the money plus pocketed some.
My power bills went down significantly without the chiller and the tank stays at 78-79 degrees no problem. I later switched to LED lights and now the fans don't even run anymore, they are strictly back up on my Reefkeeper if needed.
You would be amazed at what fans and evaporation can do for you, so much so that they can easily replace a chiller in most cases. Watch out for evaporation though as that is the result.
I am in Phoenix where it was 113 degrees today. My 100G tank is now about 9 years old and started out with a 1/4HP chiller for my 2x250w Metal Halide and 2x140w VHO fluorescent lights to keep it at 79 degrees. Over time I added two little 4" computer fans to the canopy and I noticed my chiller rarely ran even in the peak of summer andwith my house AC on a digital setback thermostat set at 79 degrees when we were away at work. I played with the fan configuration and added a $10 Wal Mart clip on fan over the sump and the chiller did not run once in 2 years unless I manually started it just to check to see if it still worked. I sold the chiller and bought an auto topoff system with the money plus pocketed some.
My power bills went down significantly without the chiller and the tank stays at 78-79 degrees no problem. I later switched to LED lights and now the fans don't even run anymore, they are strictly back up on my Reefkeeper if needed.
Young Frankenstein
I sniff ozone and relax.
+1 I was drulling over the HD 5000btu ac for $99, but my temp stays at 76-80 so..........for now no ac
slugwall
Active Member
All the tubing/conduit and your RODI systems plastics all leach BTU's and petroleum based plastics... I don't think plastic bottles in the tank are going to do any
damage unless it's left in there over time to degrade the plastics in the bottles to any degree. The RODI's/Tubing and Conduit to and from the tank
should be a bigger concern especially from a petroleum based plastic, leaking into the water over time. I am not sure from this matter about the contents of
all the plastics that we put our faith into but this seems like a reasonable assessment...
In the mean time my tank inhabitants are enjoying me not bleaching my corals...
???
BTU's are British Thermal Units, a measurement of energy required to heat and cool things.
British thermal unit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not sure what you are thinking of?
BTU's are British Thermal Units, a measurement of energy required to heat and cool things.
British thermal unit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not sure what you are thinking of?
You are a bit off here... BTU = british thermal unit. You might be thinking of BPA or something like that.
Ha! Looks like I was too slow
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slugwall
Active Member
This is what I get for trying to handle projects concening petroluem based products for 125 site locations at work and not reading your post correctly.
My bad... please accept my apology.
Thanks
My bad... please accept my apology.
Thanks
Connie
Valuable Member
I have a canopy with glass covers for the tank to keep the jumpers in; however, I pull the glass covers away from the back of the tank about 2" and leave the canopy open. I run the ceiling fan on medium during the day. My tank stays between 77.2 and 77.8 degrees 24/7. I use no chiller or heater. In the winter, I just close up the canopy and glass covers and the lights keep the tank between 77 and 78.
