Heater and chiller?

[Jeraljay]

When do you determine if you need either? should I wait until everything is up and running to see how my [acronym:03a81742f4="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:03a81742f4] lights and pumps effect the water temp before I assume I will need a heater or a chiller. Or should I assume I need both?

Jeff

[jaiden]

You absolutely need a heater. you need to keep the temp from chaning too much. the aboslute temp isn't that important. some people run 76deg, some run 84. I shoot for 79.

You want to set the heater so that it keeps the temp about the same as the [acronym:2d946f5e13="Metal halide light"]MH[/acronym:2d946f5e13]'s keep it in the day. so let's say you get to 82 in the day, you should set it for 81.5 or so.

Fans work wonders and are a lot cheaper than chillers, if you find that the upper temp is too hot. See what happens first. An open top tank/sump helps a lot too.

[Jeraljay]

what tyoe of heater do you recommend I have a 80g yank 40 g sump. Setting up for a reef

[jaiden]

depends a bit on your ambient (house) temperature. Typically you want more than you need, and should have two smaller heaters rather than one huge one. that way if one breaks you still have some heat (or if it sticks "on" it won't boil your fish)

maybe two 200watt ebo jagers. you can put one in the main and one in the sump, so if your return pump fails your fish won't get cold. there is a chart here:
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=EJ1119

[Jeraljay]

I like that idea.