Hot weather

[lemmy_k]

I have a 180gal. that for 11 months out of the year stays the same temp. When summer rolls around my water temps go up around 4 to 6 degrees. I am just not willing to spend the $700 for a chiller for one month out of the year. Does anyone here have any ideas on how I can keep the temps down? The fish all seem ok with the exception of my longhorn cow.

 

[melosu58]

Have a fan blowing across the surface of the water. You might experience a little more evaporation but just top off more often. A fan across the surface is a very effective way to bring temps back to normal.

 

[austinsdad]

How's the a/c set. Ya let it get REAL warm when not home?

 

[tamra&steven]

fans blowing over the tanks water will work it will only cool it down a few degrees though, but it works. what you keep your temp at?

 

[lemmy_k]

We live at the beach. No a/c. We don't need it here except about two weeks a year. I normally run the tank around 82 degrees, it's at almost 88 now.

 

[tamra&steven]

are you in cali and is it a reef tank 82 is hot too. i run mine at 77-78 and i live by the beach too.

 

[lemmy_k]

Well, I have run my tanks at 82 for over ten years. Everyone does really well until it gets this hot outside.

 

[tamra&steven]

ok but if you are in california on the coast i know for a fact it got hotter then 88 last year and this year will be no different. if it is a reef tank running at 88 bad things will start to happen, im sure you know thats why your wrting. the only way to cool a tank down as much as you need is to run a chiller on it, it is worth the 700 that you will spend and it wont run very often once you get it to the temp you want. you can try fans on the tank but that only helps for a couple degrees. if you have had tanks for over ten years a 700 investment is worth it if you ask me, cheap insurance.

 

[ezy33]

Before I got AC, I used plastic bottles of frozen RO water (in case they leak) in my sump to cool the system. Along with shorter lighting periods (or no lights) and fans on top of the tank, this will work.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...the only way to cool a tank down as much as you need is to run a chiller on it, it is worth the 700 that you will spend and it wont run very often once you get it to the temp you want. you can try fans on the tank but that only helps for a couple degrees....

Try a couple fans blowing across the open top, or across your sump, before you plunk down the money for a chiller. I think you'll be surprised. I don't think 82 is too hot. Warmer than most run their tanks I think, but definitely not too hot.

 

[cmor1701d]

Yea, 82 is ok, but 88 is too much. Have you tried running a fan or two? One 7" fan set on low blowing across the top of my 125 keeps the temp at 78-79 with my lights on. The house is air conditioned though so I'm not sure if it would remain that low with just the windows open.

 

[lemmy_k]

I ran a fan last night and got the temps back down to 82. I am going to put in a 1gal. bottle of frozen r/o in around noon and see if that keeps it within reason.
My cow fish and my starfish are the only ones that seem to be affected. The starfish is eating, the cow is not.
I know it sounds bad, but my cow fish is not worth buying a $700 chiller. If all goes well with fans and ice, this should no longer be a problem. And I can try again with another cow after our weather cools if he doesn't make it.
Thanks for the tips.

 

[melosu58]

Nothing wrong with 82. The key to temp. is stability. Whether your tank is 77 or 83 if it stays the same all day long than it`s a good thing. You should not have your temp moving more than 1 or 2 degrees.

 

[lemmy_k]

Yeah, it's stable at 82. Like I said in the original post, it's only a problem about two weeks a year. That was the deciding factor to keeping it that warm. It keeps the change far less severe when it gets this hot. The fan did get the temp back down to 82 overnight, and I am gonna drop the frozen bottle in there now (it's noon) and I think I should be good. The heat has started to break today, so I think I am through the worst for a few days.