Temp seems high . . do I need a chiller?

[CHILL]

Do I need a chiller?
Greetings,

I have a 180 reef tank. Specs are:

180 gal Clarity Plus acrylic
32 gal sump
210 lbs LR
3 x 175 10K MH
2 x 160 Actinic VHO
GenX PCX 100 return pump (1550 gph)
Reef Concepts Aerofoamer 620 skimmer (Becket type)
GenX PCX 40 skimmer pump (1150 gph)

Been up for 3 months.

I have had a nightmare of a time keeping temperature down. I was able to keep the temp around 80 by leaving the access doors off the top and running two 4" fans wind-tunnel style through the hood.

We have since purchased livestock, a mystery wrasse and some soft corals. I had to cover the access ports in the top (tank is 85% sealed wth the top - stability of construction I was told) with lighting eggcrate to prevent jumping. The day after adding the eggcrate temp went to 83.5.

I have added a 6" fan into the stand blowing into the sump, but only when the lights are on. This seemed to bring the temp down to 82.5. I checked again this morning and the temp is 80.5 with no lights on since 11:00 last night.

My questions are:

Is it safe to run a reef at this 82 - 83.5 temperature?

Can I do anything else as far as adjusting light times to help (currently the VHOs are on for 12 hrs, MH for 10)?

Should I get a chiller? I heard they will heat up the room the chiller is in and become a cycle (tank hot because of lights/room, chiller cools water/heats room, thus raising tank temp) and are very noisy. Is this true?

I'll ask in the equipment forum as well, any recomendations on a chiller (size and manufacturer)?

Thanks
Chris

 

[Fatal Morgana]

Is it safe to run a reef at this 82 - 83.5 temperature?

It should be fine between 82-84F.

Can I do anything else as far as adjusting light times to help (currently the VHOs are on for 12 hrs, MH for 10)?

I ran my light on during the night, since the temperature is cooler with window opened (outside temp ~60 at night, 90+ during the day).

Should I get a chiller?

Only if you are concern about Indian Summer... You were able to pull off the whole summer, but you may not want to rish it next year...

I heard they will heat up the room the chiller is in and become a cycle (tank hot because of lights/room, chiller cools water/heats room, thus raising tank temp) and are very noisy. Is this true?

Some mount the chiller on a separate room. The hot air temperature does affect the tank temperature, but it is not like a dog chasing its tail. Just make sure the hot air can get out of the room, or there is some way of removing the heat from the air. The compressor is noisy, but they are only slightly worse than your refrigator.

I'll ask in the equipment forum as well, any recomendations on a chiller (size and manufacturer)?

Try not to cross posting, just ask the moderator to move your thread to other forum(s) with shadow on this forum.

Sounds like you need something in the 1/3 to 1/2 HP range....

 

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the 82F-84F range, I feel that's really pushing the limits of tolerance. I have always kept my own (and customers') tanks in the 74F-78F range and much prefer the results. If evaporative cooling isn't solving the problem, then I would indeed suggest a chiller, which would help alleviate the need for a great deal of top-off to make up for the evaporation rate you must be experiencing.

As Fatal Morgana says, removing the hot air that is the natural result of any refrigeration ought to prevent the "heat loop". If it's possible, try to create an exhaust for this air, assuming you can't remotely locate the chiller.

Above anything else, observe your specimens for signs of stress, though. This is your best indicator of trouble or the lack thereof, more so because of the differing opinions, which are based, of course, upon experience.

 

[KoCook]

Why don't you just do what someone else has already mentioned on this forum?
Fill 2 liter bottles with water then freeze them and put them in your sump. Lot cheaper then a chiller....

 

[holry7778]

Yu can always DIY a chiller out of an old cllege size fridge and some looped plastic tubing. It gets great double use as fridge for fish food and a cold "drink"

 

[Fatal Morgana]

DIY chiller from fridge usually will not work well due to the mismatched compressor for the application. It will do well, however, for a cold drink or fish food, but just not tens of gallon of water.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that, while an enticing thought, it may not be such a good idea to leave the investment of a nice reef system in the 'hands' of a cheap fridge. Also, I believe that the plastic tubing isn't such a great conductor of heat, which means that the little fridge would have to be set rather low in order to get the same cooling as a 'proper' (built for said application) chiller.

 

[Anonymous]

My tank runs just fine at 82 - 83 degrees.

I wouldn't cool the tank with ice. That would cause a sudden change in temperature. That is more detrimental than the higher heat to start with. any temperature change should be done gradually, even if you are trying to recover from losing your house's AC. The temps raise slowly in such cases, and they should be lowered equally slow.

Louey

 

[Juck]

My SPS tank runs 85 all summer long without a single problem. I've never had a soft coral tank but my Zoo's don't seem to mind the temperature at all. Yes, cooler is better as it gives you a time buffer if anything goes pear-shaped with your air conditioning etc., but there's nothing wrong with the temperature of your tank WHATSOEVER.

Adding a big block of ice or a frozen 2 litre bottle to any glass tank is asking for trouble. A 30f block of ice touching a 80-odd farenheit glass panel can end your participation in this hobby real quickly.

Reducing your MH photoperiod for a few hours might help a lot,, if you've no SPS then your corals won't suffer with just the VHO lamps lit. Also,,, a fan blowing across the surface of the water in the display tank can make a remarkable difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I believe he's tried evaporative cooling, and it only helps a small bit.

 

[t gallo]

get a chiller, for a 180, a 1/3hp will do the trick.i also like to keep my tank at 79f for sps.