[Frodo]

Ok guys and girls i figured i would introduce myself before i explian my problem. Well the namse Victor and i have a love for the ocean. I fish every chance i get and love to go to the islands. And i have my sure of aquariums. Seven that has been reduced to four for now.

Ok the problem started when it started to warm up here in the south. My 30 gallon reef tank (well it will be once i get this fixed) started to run really hot i am talking 84 degrees sometimes. So i took the canopy off and up the glass tops back on and just set the lights on it. That helped to bring it down to about 80 but mostly stays around 82-83.

A little back ground on the tank. It has been up for almost a year now with 30ish pounds of "live" sand and about 45 pounds of Fuji live rock. I run 2 400's pushing 150ish GPH and a crappy CoralLife Protien skimmer and lastly a AC70 that i am debating to remove or not. Since i have plenty of live rock and do 5 gallon water changes every other tuesday, i really dont think it is needed. I use RO water so i know there are no phoshates, metals, or anything else in the water. I test the water religiously and do what is needed to keep it stable.

Ok now back to the problem, this heat. I run a singe 96watt compact...so i dont think that thing should be producing that much heat. Now nodought they canopy was helping to hold what it did produce in but that has been removed. I have also took out the heater. Would the AC70 produce heat at all? And would it be worth removing after reading the above paragraph. And also i am looking about get a set of cooling fans, one to push air across the tank and one to suck the air out. While also adding some legs to the light to get it off the tank to let it vent. I really dont see why i should need a chiller on such a small setup but i could be wrong. If this is the case i will just hold off and just wait till i finish my 75 reef with dual over flows and a 30 gallon refugium. But any suggestions you guys/girls have let me hear it.


P.S. sorrry its so long i didnt want to leave anything out

[weez1959]

Hi Victor! Welcome!!
You should put the heater back in and set it to 77-78 incase the temp does drop too low, sounds weird but it could happen.
Instead of a chiller you could run a fan over the tank, it helps alot!! I have one set up on the wall and it blows between the top of the tank and the lights and it keeps my temp 2-3 degrees cooler. I have it set up to run at the same time as my actinics so it turns on at 9am and off at 9pm.

[wozza]

Also i wouldnt worry about your tank running at 84 thats were my tank has allways ran.>

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by weez1959

Hi Victor! Welcome!!
You should put the heater back in and set it to 77-78 incase the temp does drop too low, sounds weird but it could happen.
Instead of a chiller you could run a fan over he tank, it helps alot!! I have one set up on the wall and it blows between the top of the tank and the lights and it keeps my temp 2-3 degrees cooler. I have it set up to run at the same time as my actinics so it turns on at 9am and off at 9pm.

Ok i will do that. But over night the lowest i have seen it was 77 but better safe then sorry.

[bongobrian]

Get central air conditioning man!! I'm more curious as to how YOU are surviving in that kind of heat! haha

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by bongobrian

Get central air conditioning man!! I'm more curious as to how YOU are surviving in that kind of heat! haha

Thats the thing it only 74-77 inside the house. Plus i go to class during the day and work at night...So i turn it down during the day.

And it stays about 80-81 all night in the tank....

[rjs5134]

Louise is right, you need the heater to stabilize the low end of the temperature range and I've been told by other that 84 is not too hot. I had a similar problem, my MH's would rais the temp by 4-6 degrees each day in a 6 hour period. The problem was the corals didn't appreciate this. Nearly everything slowly withered away. 3 weeks ago I hooked up a chiller and the few inhabitants that are left are doing much better. I now have a temp range of 78-81 degrees each day.

BTW, what are you going to do in the hot part of the summer? Your 75 gallon is going to need more lighting than the PC's, unless you limit to soft corals. My 65gallon hit 95+ last August during a heat wave when I was on vacation.

Good luck,

Rob

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by rjs5134

Louise is right, you need the heater to stabilize the low end of the temperature range and I've been told by other that 84 is not too hot. I had a similar problem, my MH's would rais the temp by 4-6 degrees each day in a 6 hour period. The problem was the corals didn't appreciate this. Nearly everything slowly withered away. 3 weeks ago I hooked up a chiller and the few inhabitants that are left are doing much better. I now have a temp range of 78-81 degrees each day.

BTW, what are you going to do in the hot part of the summer? Your 75 gallon is going to need more lighting than the PC's, unless you limit to soft corals. My 65gallon hit 95+ last August during a heat wave when I was on vacation.

Good luck,

Rob

Thanks for the help Rob. The 75 will have a chiller. One for the fact that it gets hot as hell do here and because i am going to run 2x150w MH, but i dont mind buying one for it just dont see spending 300+ on a 30 gallon reef when i can have my 75 almost done. So its like a game of tagga war.