Temp out of Control!!!

[blueyesea]

So my apartment building is steam heated and the heat is going out of control, i've opened every window and nothing is working, so i turned the AC on (yes in winter!!!). I wouldn't have known until i purchased an APEX Jr today, setup the system and the probe climbed the mountain to 85!

85 degrees is HIGH from what I'm reading. the heater is off, the lights are off.
BioCube 29 gallon. has 2 powerheads and the front and rear lid are open.

I'm afraid that my tank is going to seriously crash and then if it does, what liability will I have vs my landlord.

I've tried ice packs also. the highest it got was 86.5, but it's steady at 85. now.

please help.

 

[Wolff92]

Take frozen water bottles and place them in the tank

 

[Wolff92]

Or freeze rodi water and add those, fans across the top of the tank

 

[blueyesea]

All I gotta say is THANK YOU APEX!!! and there may be a middle finger pointed at my landlord that controls the heat (it either works TOO well, which is why we are here now, or doesn't work at all).

Frozen bottles of water going in now. the idea of RODI ice cubes and losing my salinity is slightly scary.

 

[Dtackett]

you may need to invest in a chiller.
http://www.marineandreef.com/Aqua_E...nehLXZ-dsBYX8KyEN9sT1QC0CfKT1DSLOcaAiBg8P8HAQ
399

you could build a radiator and hang some fans on it but thatll look like trash or be a pain to build. best bet is a chiller.

 

[KPhilly]

Have some quick questions for you, what's the temperature of your apartment? How long have you had the tank? Did you calibrate the temp probe on the apex? If I remember correctly when I had one, it has to be calibrated or it can read off by 2+ degrees or much higher than that.

 

[mattcoug]

Just stick a fan to push water over the surface of your water. A good fan will drop temp 2-4 degrees per hour so you need to watch temp to not overdo it. Any cheap box fan from wal mart will do in a pinch.

 

[Wolff92]

Best of luck man it's tough keeping a tank in an apartment I did it before and these techniques helped..

 

[Dtackett]

a fan can worked really well. and if I remember right there is a way to hook a PC fan up to your apex so it will turn it on and off as your temp goes up and down. but even then youre relying on the temp of the air flowing across it. a chiller would be best but when you look at the cost I agree a fan is worth trying first.

 

[blueyesea]

the apex did the trick by itself over night after i inserted a few ice packs during the thread. essentially, it kept the heater from turning on, kept turning the lights off the next day (today) if it got too hot, and I was able to keep the windows open to offset the heat from the uncontrollable. thanks for all the help, i'm thinking that if i can't control the heat in my apartment, that a chiller is the safest bet. This motivates me to buy a house so I don't have to rely on anyone else.

 

[blueyesea]

we are stable at 80, which isn't great, but i still need to do a true calibration on the apex. then we can see where we truly are at. thanks all!

 

[twilliard]

80 isnt bad its the rapid swing that is bad.
I got my chiller for 80$ online shipped.
Just keep your eyes open

 

[blueyesea]

80 isnt bad its the rapid swing that is bad.
I got my chiller for 80$ online shipped.
Just keep your eyes open

Is that new/refurb/used price? I was slightly sticker shocked by the chiller used for a nano. Granted, the only reason I have a nano is b/c i don't own my house after a 75 gallon tank 7 years ago...

 

[twilliard]

Here is what i have found over the years (I am also a retired HVAC tec electrician)
Units built in the late 90's are like sherman tanks. Nothing much to fail.
I have a 1996 built Aquanetics chiller with remote temp control.
Bullet proof.
Yes used
Here is todays chillers..
To much electronics to do one simple task. Chill water to a desired setpoint.
And see the cost? Outrageous!

 

[blueyesea]

Here is what i have found over the years (I am also a retired HVAC tec electrician)
Units built in the late 90's are like sherman tanks. Nothing much to fail.
I have a 1996 built Aquanetics chiller with remote temp control.
Bullet proof.
Yes used
Here is todays chillers..
To much electronics to do one simple task. Chill water to a desired setpoint.
And see the cost? Outrageous!

Fair enough! Hobbies include: salt water tank, mid century modern furniture, and MTG. So I can do vintage all day long. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[blueyesea]

btw: whats this?!

I thought it was a flower cup or something, but it looks like a zoa with a giraffe neck, lol

Appreciate the help. if i need to move the post, let me know where.

 

[RMS18]

Wow what's the temp in your apartment? I live in a condo and we have base board but I can shut it off..

 

[blueyesea]

Wow what's the temp in your apartment? I live in a condo and we have base board but I can shut it off..

I have steam heat that I dont have control over. If all of my windows are closed, it can get very hot, but I have no temp gauge to test it. so now i have to keep a few windows cracked to make an air tunnel and the lids on the back and front of the biocube open to keep safe temps.

In other words: I will be getting a chiller, I just need to find a good one.

 

[cmcoker]

Have seen where someone cut eggcrate to set on the top of the chamber dividers, and attached a couple computer fans to the eggcrate. So it was removable and not an eyesore, maybe something to try while you look for a chiller, since you should be able to source locally. You could surely plug the fans into your apex, and have it turn them off/on based on tank temperature

 

[blueyesea]

You could surely plug the fans into your apex, and have it turn them off/on based on tank temperature

NOW That is a great idea!!! Thank YOU! APEX controlled fans, probably a LOT less money than a chiller for my little biocube. THANK YOU!