95 in Seattle mid week....

[LarryB]

So, even with my chiller and fans blowing my apartment still gets very hot. Do you think my tank could go a couple days with no lights? All I have are Zoo's, a couple fish and a clean up crew.

 

[james734]

You mentioned chiller is this connected to the tank? If so it should be able to keep at the required temp. It would probably be fine for a day or so. Does it get any natural sun light?

 

[mmkeeper]

Do you have a sump? Freeze some bottles of water and put the frozen bottles closed into the sump to help cool the water if your chiller can't keep up.

 

[theJ]

or, go buy an AC unit for the house, and keep the ambient room temp at 75, thats what we had to do :/

 

[LarryB]

I have a bunch of ro/di ice cubes made up, the problem is I am not home during the day.

 

[mmkeeper]

if you do a half gallon milk carton with water and freeze it, it will melt slowly.

 

[LarryB]

great idea, the problems again are I leave the house at 7, and this is only a 36 gallon tank with a 7 gallon sump. If its really scorching I may have to come home at lunch and do that milk carton thing.

 

[acrodesiac]

I know this doesn't help you now but if your chiller can't do the job in peak summer heat then bottom line it's too small. I played the "undersized chiller" game for a while and IMO it would be a good idea for you to sell that chiller this winter and get a bigger one for next summer. To help with your immediate problem, I would change over to a swing or a graveyard shift for the week. No light for two days can be a potential hazard.

Just my 2 cents

 

[LarryB]

I really don't know if the chiller can keep up or not, this is the first big test and I am very nervous. I am liking the frozen milk carton idea, I can swing home at lunch and drop it in the sump. what a pain though, having to do that every times its hot

 

[scytale]

If you don't have ANY LPS/SPS corals, then I don't think a couple days w/o lights will matter, right? (Alot of us went w/o lights+power this winter, and the lack of lighting was the least of our concerns....)

Obviously a new chiller would be best--but try finding one between now and...tomorrow.

If you do use ice--use a frozen bottle, not ice cubes.
(Even a large ice cube will melt in >60 seconds in +78 degree water + if you add too many cubes you'll be lowering your salinity).
Whereas a frozen, capped bottle can transmit a larger cooling quantity and won't affect your salinity....

 

[Herefishyfishy]

For those without access to chillers, get big fans going and have your auto top-off ready and waiting. Evaporation can perform a lot of cooling.

 

[james734]

What size tank and what kind and size is the chiller? This might help determine if it can keep up or not.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Do you think my tank could go a couple days with no lights? All I have are Zoo's, a couple fish and a clean up crew.

The tank you describe can handle a lack of lights just fine. Keep windows venting and a fan on the tank.

 

[LarryB]

its a 36 gallon corner tank, with a 1/10 hp chiller. Sizewise its fine, I am just conerned if the room gets over 90.

I am going to go: No lights Big Fans maybe a frozen bottle in the sump.

 

[james734]

You should be fine. I have a 1/10 hooked up to my 75. I now have AC in my house, but prior to that it would keep the tank right around 80. It might be running a lot but it should be just fine.

Is it a PC CL280?

 

[acrodesiac]

I have had heat spikes in the past around 85 degrees with no problems and that was in a heavily (expensive) populated tank. If your chiller keeps you at 77 degrees on a 85 degree day then I would say opening all possible windows with a fan or two in the room on a 95 degree day should keep you in check. Waiting till you get home to turn on the lights might be "peace of mind" as well

 

[LarryB]

yes, its a PC CL280. new this year.

 

[james734]

You'll be fine..

The stats from PC website for the CL280. Of course this doesn't list at what temps this will cool from, but I think you'll be just fine. Like one already stated keep you lights off during the day and turn them on when you get home. This will allow you to monitor it closely.

Stats:
10 degree cooling up to 80 gallons
30 degree cooling up to 45 gallons

 

[Katchupoy]

yes they can survive without lights.... there are a group of people on the other forum that does this intentionally for 3 days to get rid of unwanted algae... It work ok with them... as long as that you do actinic only on the first day you open your lights again. then next day will be with your normal lights.

 

[Katchupoy]

another alternative is to change your schedule for lighting. do the lights at night.... when everything is a lot cooler than daytime...