cannot get my water temp down...how bad is this?

[808]

Right now my tank is cycling, with only LR. The water in my tank is staying at a high temp and i can't seem to get it down. It stays between 84-86 degrees all the time, including nighttime. During the day i don't even leave the lights on and it stays that high. I tried blowing a fan across the surface for nearly all day and could only get it down to around 80. I think a safe range is between 72-78. So how bad is it that i'm consistently roughly 10 degrees higher than that? BTW, i'm in Hawaii and august is pretty much peak of summer. Seeing that my temp is constant, should that be alright for the creatures i got living in there now that came with the LR?

 

[Brodie]

Do you have AC on in your house? Is there a heater? 80 degrees is a fine temp to keep your tank at, your LR should be fine if it's kept at 80. Just keep your fan on your tank...

 

[Phyl]

80-83 is pretty good. Any higher than that and you're going to have some cranky critters. Snails in particular don't like the higher temps... What pumps are you running? Submersed or external? An external pump is going to produce less heat than a submersed one. My pumps keep my water 8-10* warmer than the house without the chiller. Good Luck!

 

[X the Outsider]

I would take a look at your heater in your tank. As well as if you have air conditioning in your place. If you have a heater; I would take it out, and buy another one.

 

[808]

No heater in this tank. Anytime of the year, water temps never drop below mid 70's. Only running Millenium 3000 and Maxi Jet 600. There is a/c, but it's not run during the day because people are never home...would just be a waste of electricity. I guess i gotta run it open top with the fan and try keep it around the 80's then. Good to know that at least 80 or low 80's should be sufficient. Thanks!

 

[seafan]

In Hawaii you'll probably need a chiller, and your right you probably won't need a heater. If it is a problem to buy a chiller, then you will probably need to set the temperature to 72-74 but the price of the chiller will more than compensate for the electrical cost.

 

[808]

Yeah, i'm thinking i might as well look in to a chiller. Better than running a/c all the time, and i'd rather use a chiller than always having a fan on it. Since i have no clue on chillers, anybody got any recommendations for a good brand to look at?

 

[natman2]

Take some ice cube trays and freeze some RO water that has been salt mixed. After frozen drop a few cubes in the sump of your hang on filter or your regular sump if you have one or even directly into the tank since your still cycling. This way you can slowly bring the temperature down. May take some time, but you want it to slowly change anyways.