Summer cooling

[lucubrator]

I'm moving my tank to poway, and I was thinking about how it gets really warm there during the summer.
SO.. for people who don't have a/c in their houses, how do you keep the tank cool.
Has anyone experimented with a cooling tower?

[suver569]

Big fan over the sump or over water somehow. I've never gone above 81 since I put in a fan in my canopy. Even during the hot days.

Water evaporation = cooling. Cheapest way to keep your tank cool.

[sdwrx]

I second a large fan over the sump. If it wasn't for my fan, my tank would get too hot. I live up in Ramona where it gets even warmer than Poway. On hot days (90+) with no AC on, I can keep my tank around 82.

[lucubrator]

Thanks for the reassurance.

[SDA619]

went out and got a small box fan from walmart. when u blow it over the sump do u make it blow over the water or just blow air into the sump area?

[FishProf]

best is blowing directly on the water.

[SDA619]

ahhhh checked temp creeping over 85!!! got the fan today, tomorrow is day one. Ive tried floating ice but that just isnt reasonable i cant consistantly do it...

i might have to start thinking the C word... no dont say it, my pockets just arent that deep and teh electric bill is madness.

[obarrera]

Originally posted by SDA619
ahhhh checked temp creeping over 85!!! got the fan today, tomorrow is day one. Ive tried floating ice but that just isnt reasonable i cant consistantly do it...

i might have to start thinking the C word... no dont say it, my pockets just arent that deep and teh electric bill is madness.

I still don't understand why your electric bill is that high. How many hours a day are your lights on?

Makes me worry cause I don't want to pay that much when I set up the 43g(I would have to stay with my 10g cause I have no job haha).

[SDA619]

lets see:
2x250 magnetic ballast 8hrs
300W heater
3 powerheads
1 Mag 9
1mag 2
1 co2 solenoid
1 sedra 900
1 30 watt NO bulb

bill is ~$100 over normal usage.

[obarrera]

Do you really need a heater?

I've had my tank running for almost a year with no heater and everything is doing very good.
Maybe my tank doesn't need a heater cause is small and the pumps heat up my water.

But I didn't know you had a mag 9 and some of the other equipment.

[sdwrx]

For emergencies (e.g. the fan broke, 110*+ in Ramona), I always keep a couple of frozen 2 liter bottles in my freezer. They are giant ice cubes and when they melt, they will not leak water in your tank. When it gets too hot, and I know I won't be able to sustain good temps, I just thow them in my sump... luckily I only had to do this twice last year.

[SDA619]

the 10" box fan is doing the trick thanks guys just hope it doesnt melt!

80.1 today.

[suver569]

Oh, just FYI, I have a tank in my garage seeding some aragocrete rocks, but I needed to keep the temp down. I threw on a big fan right over the top, and it hasnt reached over 80 in the tank yet.

It was in the 90's in my garage this weekend. Actually, my heater was on most of the time because it was teetering on 77. Only bad thing, is it evaps like 2 gallons a day. But still cheaper than a chiller.

[suver569]

Originally posted by SDA619
ahhhh checked temp creeping over 85!!! got the fan today, tomorrow is day one. Ive tried floating ice but that just isnt reasonable i cant consistantly do it...

i might have to start thinking the C word... no dont say it, my pockets just arent that deep and teh electric bill is madness.

Oh, change your lighting cycle. Have the lights turn on at 1pm, and turn off at like midnight. That's what I do, and that dropped my tank's temp from 83+ to under 80. Tank never cracks 80 now, and I have 2-96 pc's and a 250 halide.

[BrookR1]

Another idea is to put the fan on a timer and synchronize it with your lights so your fan runs only when your lights are on. I'm doing that with my nano cube and it seems to work well.

[SDA619]

thats what i did. its working great!!!

[pk-sd]

me too....!!

[farrington300]

Run your lights at night with a window open. This will help too. Turn your lights on at about 8-9 at night when your house is cooling off and turn them off at 9-10 in the morning. This is a sure fire way to help with the cooling. Make sure to keep a window open at night (i do anyway when i sleep) also I have a room fan run at night as well and that helps too. This also works well for me cause i like to look at the tank in the eves and when i get up in the morning and the lights are off when i am at work. also makes for a hell of a night light when i get up to get some water in the middle of the night. This might not work for someone who has there tank in there bedroom hehe. just one more idea, works for me.

[Dakota]

OH, just buy a chiller :p

[lucubrator]

no room in the stand ;)