New t5 lighting and water temp question

[wolfmanbean]

I recently purchased a t5 54w x 2 light. The heat from this light has raised my water temp to about 83f-84f. Is there a way to lower my temp to 78f and keep it there without having to buy an expensive chiller?

 

[kdogg85]

Does the light have actinics too? I had one on my 75 and it never heated the tank up. Also, is the light setting on the tank or on legs that put it above the tank?

 

[melosu58]

Run a fan across the top. This will lower the temp.

 

[cmor1701d]

A twin bubl T5 should not be putting out that much heat. Look for other causes, but as Mike said, running a fan across the top should help. I used to have mine on a timer that came on 30 minutes after my MH lights came on.

 

[wolfmanbean]

Im positive that its the lights raising the temp. A day after I installed them the temp had risen. I do have them sitting on top of the glass canvas. Will the high temp hurt my fish? All I have in the tank is live rock, 2 clown fish, 1 koren angel, 1 yellow tang, 1 royal gramma, 6 mexican turbos, and 1 cleaner shrimp. No corals.

 

[mrg02d]

If you have a piece of glass covering your tank then you just figured out your problem.

Remove the glass and replace with some eggcrate (if you are worried about jumping fish). Your pH likely will thank you as well! (Better 02 exchange)

Your fish likely would rather the tank be cooler, but shouldnt start dropping dead yet either although corals might start if it gets any warmer. Id suspect a negative impact on the fish soon if it gets any warmer.

Sounds like you have a greenhouse effect going on...
Matt

 

[cmor1701d]

Agreed. Get rid of the glass top.

 

[wolfmanbean]

Can't really remove glass top. Have cats that like to get on top of the tank so egg crates won't work because their hair will fall right in. Would hanging the light about 6 inches above the tank with cooling fans help? With the glass top still in place.

 

[mrg02d]

Dont worry about cat hair, it doesnt hurt anything. I believe there is a thread that recently addressed cat/dog hair and it was determined to be fine as long as they dont have some kind of chemical residue on them.

A power filter ought take care of any hair that makes its way in anyways...

Id be more concerned about that heat and a potential pH problem.
Matt

 

[kdogg85]

I have eggcrate on my 180 as well as it's sump and 2 fuges. I have a 6 bulb t5 vho fixture and the temp stays at 78 deg. I have it on the stands so that may help, but I had more trouble out of salt creep when it was on my 75 just sitting on the tank than temp problems.

I know it wouldn't be perfect, but what about making a stilts for the glass top and raising it a couple inches above the tank. As the others have said, getting oxygen exchange is important.

 

[wolfmanbean]

I'm only concerned with the heat right now. before I upgraded to the t5 lights I had the standard flouresant hoods so I always had low ph. I was always told better to have consistent ph than constantly changing ph. Also the cats have had frontline plus put on them (don't know if this matters). For now I think I'm just going to leave the lights off and let the natural sun in during the day until I can get the lights raised off the tank with some coolng fans. Let me know what you guys think about this. Thanks for all the help as well.

 

[mrg02d]

Heat doesnt just come from the wasted energy of the fixture but also the light given off by the t5 lamps due to abosrbtion from the water and the rocks and whatnot in the tank. The glass lid is going to act, along with the tank itself, as a thermos and resist the transfer of energy via heat. You may decrease the temperature due to the decrease in radiated heat from the fixture, but you will still find it is high.

I have a dog that has Advanix (or whatever it is) on them and have no issues with the hair making it into the tank.

What is your pH at anyways? If it truly is stable and within range, you may just be fine the way you are. But if its low, and the temperature still needs to come down, id trade pet hair for temperature and pH problems. Might as well try your idea out and see if it solves your problem. Wont hurt anything.

Matt

 

[milhous3er]

I'm only concerned with the heat right now. before I upgraded to the t5 lights I had the standard flouresant hoods so I always had low ph. I was always told better to have consistent ph than constantly changing ph. Also the cats have had frontline plus put on them (don't know if this matters). For now I think I'm just going to leave the lights off and let the natural sun in during the day until I can get the lights raised off the tank with some coolng fans. Let me know what you guys think about this. Thanks for all the help as well.

I wouldn't do that. Your tank would soon be overtaken by some nasty algea. Like someone said before, but some small wooden spaces and raise your glass hood by about 2 inches or so.

 

[wolfmanbean]

So a few days ago I removed the glass top and blocked the t5 fixture up off the tank about 4". The temps have lowered to about 79f-80f which I think is alot better but it's still no 78f. I lookng into buying a cooling fan to move some air under the fixture and I'm having my LFS trying to find me a hanging kit for my light because I can't seem to find one on the net. Hopefully the fans will lower the temp to were I want it. As for the PH I'm still yet to test it. I have always had Hoods on top off my tank so I'm hoping by runnning a open top my PH will rise to where it should be.

 

[thominil]

78 is pretty low IMO, I set my tank at 82, unless you have fish that need colder water, keep it around 80-82. Your pH is not stable with the glass cover as you might think. Your salt buffers your water's pH to around 8.2-8.3, and with the poor oxygen exchange, your pH will drop considerably, thus, NOT a stable pH. You are better leaving it off. HTH.

 

[wolfmanbean]

Does anyone know were I can get egg crate at? Looked on eBay but found nothing.

 

[mrg02d]

Home Depot and Lowes have it. Dont look in the lighting section, look in the ceiling panels section.

$11.00 gets you a 4ft by 2ft section.

Matt

 

[Jimbo7]

You will probably have an algae bloom when you first put it in. Most eggcrate leaks phosphates for a week or two after you put it in. I hear black does it less, but i have no grounds to stand on as for proof of that.

 

[mrg02d]

You will probably have an algae bloom when you first put it in. Most eggcrate leaks phosphates for a week or two after you put it in. I hear black does it less, but i have no grounds to stand on as for proof of that.

Got that right! I removed all mine from the tank and just use it for covering the top to keep jumpers from going carpet surfing.

Matt

 

[Jimbo7]

Haha i offered to buy someones used eggcrate once, and they looked at me like i was crazy because it was all nasty. I would pay double for it once its leaked all its crap out, it just fed my HA problem the first time i put it in my frag tank. Such a horrible battle.