keeping your SH tank cool.

Devaji · Jun 1, 2018

so as I continue the process of thinking about a shif over to SH tank. I am wondering about "best" way to keep the tank 70-74F
this is only a concern for me 3 months out of the year. I dont have central AC not really needed here in wyoming...

I dont worry about my reef I can try to pull up the apex data from last summer to see where it was at. but I am guessing the room temp can get up to 85 guessing tank temp in the high 70 to low 80F
so for 3 months out of the year I will need to lower if 5 to 10 degrees.

not sure if fan can do the trick or not?
thinking about a DIY min fridge "chiller"
or just pony up ( haha pun intended) and speed the $500 on a 1/4H power chiller.

although I really dont have that in my budget and would rather buy LR, corals, feeders ect.

just thought I would ask you fine folks!

vlangel · Jun 1, 2018

Devaji said:
so as I continue the process of thinking about a shif over to SH tank. I am wondering about "best" way to keep the tank 70-74F
this is only a concern for me 3 months out of the year. I dont have central AC not really needed here in wyoming...

I dont worry about my reef I can try to pull up the apex data from last summer to see where it was at. but I am guessing the room temp can get up to 85 guessing tank temp in the high 70 to low 80F
so for 3 months out of the year I will need to lower if 5 to 10 degrees.

not sure if fan can do the trick or not?
thinking about a DIY min fridge "chiller"
or just pony up ( haha pun intended) and speed the $500 on a 1/4H power chiller. although I really dont have that in my budget and would rather buy LR, corals, feeders ect.

just thought I would ask you fine folks!

I did 'pony up' and bought a chiller but blowing a fan over my sump does the trick. Before I would invest in a chiller I would set the tank up and try using fans and moniter the temperature, without ponies of course.

Using a DC return pump gives off less heat as does using LED lighting.

Devaji · Jun 1, 2018

yeah I was thinking the same....by the time I get it set up cycled ect summer might be over anyway...lol
I have LEDs a & thinking about a DC Rt pump.

the problem with evap. cooling is that I go through 1.5-2 gal of water a day if I add 1-2 fans I might bump that up to 3 gal a day.
that's alot of hauling buckets up a flight of stairs and DI...but hey if it saves me $500+ then I can do it.

I'm a natural blue · Jun 2, 2018

I had to pony up and buy a chiller. I live in the south so fans didn't get the tank as low as I needed it to stay. I found a used one at my LFS for $125. Maybe you could find a used one much cheaper too.

As far as evaporation. I was topping off almost 2 gallons a day running fans on my 36g. It was a pain. Not to mention if I didn't top off at the same time every day I ran the risk of running my sump too low.