Cooling my reef tank

[Anonymous]

i have a 46 bow with NO sump. On days were it is only 80 degrees out my tank temp will rise to 88 degrees (Not Good). I have only 110 watts of PC lighting now and I am planning on changing them to 4 96 Watt PC's in about a month. This heat problem will get alot worse. I dont have a canopy yet so I really have no where to mount fans.

Is there a way to get a chiller without a sump?

I was thinking about this.

Make a overflow box( just the part hat goes into the tank). Attach a hose to the siphon tube, run the hose to a pump then to a chiller than connect a hose to return to the tank.

Any other ideas would be great.
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resession

 

[Jeff Hood]

Why not try a floor fan to blow across the top of the tank. there are two advantages to this. one is it is no uglier than a chiller sitting on the floor and the other is it won't heat your room.

I would give that a try first before I spent 600 on a chiller.

Jeff

 

[MiNdErAsR]

Four 96w PC's going to generate THAT much heat? What will you do when you finally decide to upgrade (and everyone does sooner or later) to halides?

 

[Keith A]

how about getting the lights off the top of the tank somehow, either hanging them from the ceiling or what I did was use pieces of egg-crate to keep them a few inches away..

then you can blow a fan across the top..

in the winter, i leave them right on the top of my tank..

(heat is not an issue for me in nj between october and april..)

my own little version of the seasons, like you learned in grade school, the sun is actually closer to the earth in the winter...

 

[Anonymous]

a small room a/c will do wonders-both for you, and the tank!

 

[Anonymous]

If the fan doesn't work, I think there is a product called IceProbe that is designed for small chiller applications. It looks similar to a computer heat sink with a fan attached. They are primarily designed for nano's, but maybe a couple of them together may work.

 

[Anonymous]

check this guys chiller out.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showt ... genumber=2

 

[Anonymous]

guess not. it's at The Reef Tank in the DIY forum.

 

[Anonymous]

The lights right now are only 2 55 watt PC's. Even when they are off, if the temp is 80 degrees in the room the tank goes to 88.

Maybe the Powerheads are causing alot of heat. There is 5 of them, 1 for the skimmer, 2 that go back and forth, one that comes on once in a while accross the back of the tank and one in the ecosystem HOB refrugium.

The heater is set for 78 degrees and is not on.
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Sex Rehab Forum

 

[Anonymous]

Convert powerheads to closed loops with external pumps; lift lights up off tank somehow; get a fan on the water- you won't need a chiller.

 

[Anonymous]

Dan,

I would love to get rid of the powerheads and go with a closed loop but the tank cannot be drilled and it doesn't have a sump. On the returns I could use a sea swirl or something but how would I get the water to the pumps?
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Nutrition Forum

 

[Anonymous]

You should be able to do a closed loop that uses 2 90 degree elbows to go over the lip of the tank instead of being drilled into the tank. You can replace the elbow directly above the pump with a tee and a screw on endcap incase you have to prime the pump. Does that make sense?

RR

 

[Anonymous]

This makes a little sense. How far into the tank would I have to go with the pipes? What size pump and pipe to use?

If I do this the water movement will be in one direction?

These questions may sound dumb, but all of the LFS's near me don't have alot of knowledge on reefs and think a reefs is the same as a FO tank.

Any one have a picture of this setup without a drilled tank?
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Automotive Financing Forum

 

[Anonymous]

Just make sure that both the inlet and outlet stay permenantly below the water surface. That way you never loose a prime regardless of power outages etc. You can have as many inlets/outlets as you want. For variety in water movement, you can attach a sea swirl, or have more than one closed loop and use timers.

 

[Entacmaea]

Blatant self promotion: If the closed loop, or lighting doesn't work, I am selling a chiller I had on my 37gallon, drop in coil 1/6 CSL Cyclone for $250 ; ) Did wonders for my tank which had 10 watts/gallon over it.

 

[Anonymous]

I think I got it for the closed loop.

Now for the pipe size and pump.

The tank again is a 46 bow. 36 inches X 12 in the corners to 18 in the middle.

Dont want the water blasting over the front of the tank, either 2 1/2 or 3/4 sea swirls.

What size pump and make? Iwaki? Silent one?

SIze of plumbing? Source 1 inch then to pump then 1 inch to a 1x3/4x3/4 Tee then 3/4 to sea swirls?
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Armenian Forum