Keeping your aquarium cool WITHOUT a chiller?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Well we're already in the 90's here in the northern part of Georgia and the reef tank is warming up! I'm thankful that mine is currently in the basement where it is naturally cooler but it's still getting warm enough to warrant something to help keep it cooled. But I have no chiller and have no plans to add a chiller! So what do I do? Well for me and my situation a fan directed on the top of the sump water keeps me 3 degrees or so cooler so it works just fine. But what about you? Today let's talk about!

1. How do you keep your tank cool WITHOUT a chiller?

2. Do struggle to keep the tank temps down during the warmer months?

This is the baby that helps keep my thousands of dollars worth of livestock alive during the hottest months! PS. Plus it's great for spills! HA!

 

[exalectric]

We turn the heater down (40gal breeder tank) during the day in the summer months if the window is open to help keep everything cool. Also probably helps that our house is kept at 75 degrees in all seasons, and the tank is in a room with a 16ft vaulted ceiling so the extra warmth is usually much higher than the tank level.

My pico fishbowl is in the basement office, so the temp doesn't fluctuate very much.

 

[TheHarold]

Ive made a surprisingly effective system for my tanks. A SINGLE fan, powered by the apex 24v accessory port, gets me well over 4 degrees of cooling on a Reefer 350 (~75g). My tank used to spike to 82+ but now it stays within .2 degrees of 78. Waterproof 140mm Noctua fan. You can also daisy chain a bunch for larger tanks, because these fans draw so little power.

 

[nukemdanno]

My current tank does not need chiller. However when I lived in CA that tank had a chiller plus a fan that I placed over the sump for evaporative cooling

 

[cwerner]

I'm not in a climate where a chiller is needed (WI, USA). Less room and expense for me, which is nice.

 

[ca1ore]

Combination of fans and house AC kept tank below 84 ..... but then I got sick of futzing around with all that crap and just got a chiller. Now tank tops out at 80 and I don't have to crank the AC when I am away.

 

[sergifed91]

The tank is in my basement naturally child. Now keeping it warm is a whole different thing. A pain.

 

[Toadpapa]

Ive made a surprisingly effective system for my tanks. A SINGLE fan, powered by the apex 24v accessory port, gets me well over 4 degrees of cooling on a Reefer 350 (~75g). My tank used to spike to 82+ but now it stays within .2 degrees of 78. Waterproof 140mm Noctua fan. You can also daisy chain a bunch for larger tanks, because these fans draw so little power.

Where do you get the fan case. Those are great.

 

[Dania]

I don't know if I'll need to yet. Even then it would have to stay about 78.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Southern California and it gets warm here. Especially on the second level landing where the tanks reside.

I have a two prong approach. 6" fan over the 40b sump for evap cooling and I also keep long 2L bottles of water frozen in the deep freeze. If temps trigger my inkbird alarm, I drop an ice bottle in the fuge and will switch it out every 3 hours or so if needed.

 

[BZOFIQ]

The tank is in my basement naturally child. Now keeping it warm is a whole different thing. A pain.

I have a similar problem for 10 out of 12 months and then it slowly creeps up. The new tank is larger with mo' lights and mo' everything so we'll see how bad it gets. I ran a chiller loop to outside already just in case.

 

[reefpizza]

Ive made a surprisingly effective system for my tanks. A SINGLE fan, powered by the apex 24v accessory port, gets me well over 4 degrees of cooling on a Reefer 350 (~75g). My tank used to spike to 82+ but now it stays within .2 degrees of 78. Waterproof 140mm Noctua fan. You can also daisy chain a bunch for larger tanks, because these fans draw so little power.

Did u have stl? i have a 90ish gallon tank (eurobraced)

 

[MaxTremors]

It gets hot here in the summer (like a couple months at 100°), but my house is well-insulated, and I’ve got central air (I think I’m probably in the minority, but I keep my house at 72° year round), I still have to use a heater for my tanks in the summer.

 

[SuncrestReef]

I just use a portable fan controlled by my Apex. It always amazes me how quickly a basic fan can lower the tank temperature, assuming the house temperature is below 78F:

[Fan]
Fallback OFF
If Tmp > 78.5 Then ON
If Tmp < 78.1 Then OFF
Defer 000:30 Then ON
Defer 000:30 Then OFF

 

[BiggestE222]

Well we're already in the 90's here in the northern part of Georgia and the reef tank is warming up! I'm thankful that mine is currently in the basement where it is naturally cooler but it's still getting warm enough to warrant something to help keep it cooled. But I have no chiller and have no plans to add a chiller! So what do I do? Well for me and my situation a fan directed on the top of the sump water keeps me 3 degrees or so cooler so it works just fine. But what about you? Today let's talk about!

1. How do you keep your tank cool WITHOUT a chiller?

2. Do struggle to keep the tank temps down during the warmer months?

This is the baby that helps keep my thousands of dollars worth of livestock alive during the hottest months! PS. Plus it's great for spills! HA!

We keep the thermostat on 72 during the day and 69 at night. Tank temp never gets above 79.1

 

[TheHarold]

Where do you get the fan case. Those are great.

I designed it and 3D printed it myself- it fits standard 140mm computer fans and can hold onto a variety of rim types (Eurobraced, rimless, rimmed) via adapters.

 

[Cool tangs]

It can get hot in australia. i have aircon though, so dont feel the need for a chiller, also i find water is pretty effective at keeping cool when its inside and away from any windows. The most ive seen a spike is a slow creep up from 24 degrees upto 25 degrees by the end of the day if the aircon doesnt run.

I think it really depends on geo location, size of your system, system location within your house, and also your home design can play a big role in keeping heat out naturally.

 

[TheHarold]

Did u have stl? i have a 90ish gallon tank (eurobraced)

I try to be pretty open source with my designs. You can download it here under "Free STLS". Though I haven't uploaded the universal adapter block yet, need to do that.

 

[Garf]

I live in the UK.

 

[Toadpapa]

I designed it and 3D printed it myself- it fits standard 140mm computer fans and can hold onto a variety of rim types (Eurobraced, rimless, rimmed) via adapters.

Awesome job, guess that means I have to move a 3d printer up on the wanted list.