Ha...90 degrees

[Krish]

I decided to look at my thermomter before heading out to work and realized my temperature was 90 degrees :shock: . I knew it felt warm when I was playing with it . I think I know who the culprits are though, my 6 submersible pumps I have running 24/7 along with my mag 350...and just to add, I haven't been running any lights at all yet while the tank cycles (only will be 80watt 50/50 bulbs total anyway) and the central air is on 24/7. I don't have any fish yet or corals so thank goodness.

Here are a list of pumps:
(2) Seio M820's for circulation
(1) Mag5 for skimmer
(1) Maxi jet to run Phosban reactor
(1) Rio (can't remember model #) 750gph return from sump
(1) JBJ to suck siphon from CPR and help distribute water over filter pad in sump
(1) Magnum 350 cannister
Here are a few of my suggestons. I was wondering what you'll thought about it and if you had any suggestions of your own.

(1) Change out the JBJ for an aqualifter (which I have been trying to order for ever).
(2) External pump for sump return. I can get my hands on a brand new little giant (quite one) pump, but I'm not sure how good they are. Anyone ever used one?
(3) If using a external pump for return, "T" off of it with a ball valve to run my phosban seeing it doesn't really need much flow at all and wouldn't loose much gph to the tank.(ie if the little maxi jet contributes to any heat at all)
(4) If need be alternate the 2 Seio's on timers either 1/2 a day each or just shut them down at night.

I can't go with many external pumps as space is an issue. Sorry for the long post, but any suggestions? And no, a chiller is not an option LOL. My wife will kill me plus I don't have the space anyway. Thanks.

 

[jlehigh]

Before making significant changes to your equipment/set-up: Do you have any fans in the canopy or over the sump?

If not start with those to increase your evaporation rate. I get a 6 degree temp drop just by using two fans on my tank.

You could probably also get by not running the cannister filter nor phosban reactor full time. Try scalling back to using those for 24-48hrs every other week or so. You can lookup articles in advanced aquarist and reek keeping mag providing reccomendation on the efficient use of Carbon and PO4 type media filters.

 

[NaH2O]

I agree - toss some fans on (if you haven't already), and see what that does - one fan on your sump might be enough to knock the temp down. With my tank, I could't afford the size chiller I needed, so I went with a smaller chiller and continue to use both fans I had before the chiller. If you have a glass top or anything covering the top of the tank, then that will help to heat things up, too. Something else you might want to try....turn off each pump individually, and see if there is one pump inparticular that is causing excessive heat.

 

[Krish]

Thanks guys...I'll give the fans a try. I have a glass top on my tank and that's something I need to keep there. If I remove it my lights will get soaked and plus I've already experienced loosing one of my favorite fishes in the past (my arowana) and I don't want that happening again. My temp stayed around 82 on its own running the lights, my return pump, phosban pump, and magnum 350. I know that when I touch the JBJ powerhead it's extremely hot and I think I'm going to have to remove it when I get home and deal with the CPR overflow another way. The only other additions are the mag5 for the skimmer and the seio's. I may even try running the mag5 inline because I've seen it done before.

Is it really worth it to use pumps externally? I mean, is it that much of a difference with heat?

 

[jlehigh]

Is it really worth it to use pumps externally? I mean, is it that much of a difference with heat?

This is a subjective question and the answer is it depends.. Replacing 5 powerheads with one closed loop could potentially save allot. Replacing 1 mag5 with an external... maybe not as much. It depends on the pumps. I think this is an option you dont need to visit yet.

As much as you dont like the idea.. the glass shield does several negative things and one possitive (Fish barrier from the floor). It will block significant amounts of light if not completely clean COMPLETELY. It great inihibits the exchange of air and water decreasing evaporation and increasing tank temp.

The addition of the fans will reduce the humidity in your canopy and help prevent water accumiliation on the lights/canopy.

 

[plack]

If this just now happened did you check the heater to see if it want's to stay on !
I had that happen to me the heater acted screwey both ways stuck on and stuck off really messing with my temperature

 

[Scooterman]

Thanks guys...I'll give the fans a try. I have a glass top on my tank and that's something I need to keep there. If I remove it my lights will get soaked and plus I've already experienced loosing one of my favorite fishes in the past (my arowana) and I don't want that happening again.

There are ways around this but with the tops on you will always have heat fluxing too much from my experience, remember if your going to keep corals the demands change, air flowing over the top cools a tank very well, you can make egg crate strips to keep fishes in & leave the center open, works well & cheap fix. You could get a nice chiller & temp. controller which will allow your top to stay on but it will also come at a cost also. Just some ideas to help with your heat issues, hope it helps.

 

[wrightme43]

Hey Krish, I got a aqualifter in the box 12.99 plus you pay shipping. New item just sitting as a spare. Take the dang glass off the top of your tank and put some fans on it. I like quiet one pumps. They work fine for me. Since you were talking about a tunze, get rid of the other flow devices and just get a tunze, they run cool. the transformer is under the tank seperate. Not alot of heat transfer and they boil the surface real good so that it will evap and cool quicker. Fish that jump out are stupid, I think all the glass does it brain them and then they die in the tank instead. LOL

 

[Krish]

Thanks guys again for your responses.

Previously posted by Plack

If this just now happened did you check the heater to see if it want's to stay on

I don't use a heater. My temp always stays around 82-83 degrees.

Previously posted by Scooter

remember if your going to keep corals the demands change, air flowing over the top cools a tank very well, you can make egg crate strips to keep fishes in & leave the center open, works well & cheap fix.

No corals for me Scooter...Just a Fo setup. If I want to see corals I'll go to the beach (LOL) As for the egg crate, thats a good idea. Where I'm going FO, I'm just using 2 48inch all-glass strip lights with 50/50 bulbs in there. Not really trying to grow anything although I've heard coralline likes these conditions. My only problem here is the bulb will sort of be exposed to water spray as it sits on the top of the tank. Maybe I could just suspend to my canopy.

Previously posted by Steve

Hey Krish, I got a aqualifter in the box 12.99 plus you pay shipping. New item just sitting as a spare.

I just bought some airline adapters to try something out. I'm going to attach it along with an airline to my Magnum 350's intake tube and see if that works pulling out the siphon seeing it worked with a smaller pump. I have a shut off valve on the CPR now so if ever I take down the 350 for maintenance, I could just close it for then. If that doesn't work, and you want to sell it then I'll buy it off of you. Thanks for the offer.

I think my JBJ is my main problem now. The powerhead gets alot hotter than any heater I've ever used. I could touch my old heaters when they were on, but the JBJ is twice as hot. I'm going to shut it off and take it out tonight and see what happens. Afterwards I'll remove the glass off of the tank and see how much the numbers drop and then I'll know which direction to go from there. Thanks again guys for your ideas and suggestons.

 

[plack]

"I haven't been running any lights at all yet"
"I don't use a heater. My temp always stays around 82-83 degrees."
If I understand this I wonder how warm is your house does the room have an air conditioner is the tank near a window does it get some sunlight ?
yes i agree get the eggcrateplastic for atop the tank ang ditch the glass top and get a fan blowing air atop the water . the tank should be able to come down to very close to room temperature with lights on and powerheads if the fans are placed correctly and the glass top is replaced good luck

 

[Krish]

LOL @ Plack. Yes our aircondition works. We have 2 central air condition units (1 for upstairs and 1 for down) My wife just informed me tonight that when we are out in the day to work, she turns the AC up to 80! Have you ever heard anymore foolishness in you life (LOL) I mean the tank is more important than an electricity bill don't you think!

Well, here is the update. I took out the JBJ and removed the front portion of my glass hood. My canopy is blocked in all around except for the back so if fish decide to jump, they'll fall back in. The only part of my tank covered now is where the light strips sit. I got off work a little early today (seeing I run the show and all LOL) and did all of this. As it sits believe it or not, my temperature right now from just removing part of the glass hood, taking out the JBJ and turning the AC down to 75 (which I don't know made any difference) is 5 degrees lower. Yahoo..Getting there.

Below is a shot of the top of my tank without the canopy, since I've removed part of the glass so you could see what I mean about my light strips (oh and by the way I finally got my bulbs...A world of differencet...Another time and another place though)
If you look really good you might be able to see the temp on the thermometer LOL.
Thanks again for all of your help. You guys have got me going in the right direction.

 

[Kensn]

Krish, keep an eye on it, it may drop even more. It will take a while to adjust itself, think of it as a giant heatsink.

 

[Krish]

Then let it drop...I'm ready to get some penguins! LOL. No fish or marine life in there yet so not to worry.

 

[Wayupnorth]

Hey Krish is that a tunze I see in your tank??????? Another option that might work for you is to go to a glass shop and see if they can cut you a thin 1/4" or so piece of plexiglass (acrylic) that you could use on the bottom of your light fixture to protect it from water spray. I can't really see your light fixture but it might just slide right in along the bottom edge. Heat shouldn't really be an issue with the bulbs you are using. That way you can open up the whole top of your tank.

Ruth

 

[Krish]

No Ruth, that's not a tunze...Just an immitation (Seio M820's) They work real good though for half the price.

piece of plexiglass (acrylic) that you could use on the bottom of your light fixture to protect it from water spray

You know that actually is not a bad idea. The only problem I will have is the back of the tank being exposed and the fish jumping out. I can maybe figure out a way to work it, but as it stands, there is actually not really any extra glass not being covered by the 2 light strips...Probably just about 1-1.5 inches at the back. Thank you for replying and offering really good advice

 

[Wayupnorth]

Krish if you protected the bottom of your light fixture with plexi then you could just go with eggcrate over the whole top of the tank to keep the fishies in.

 

[Krish]

Very true...One problem though, I haven't found anywhere here in the Bahamas with any good eggcrate I may have to use something like acrylic thick enough where it won't bend, and have holes cut in it every few inches...Sort of like a drip tray, but bigger holes. Thanks again Ruth

 

[Wayupnorth]

I just had to buy some because I bought (rescued) a new fish that when i added it to the tank was going to get killed. I had to build an egg crate cage so he could still go in the tank and not be attached. I live way......out in the boonies but I did find some at a building supply store although I had to explain to them that it was the stuff they use for ceilings when they install flourescent lights. They don't call it egg crate and until I described it to them they didn't know what I meant. They even cut it for me to the sizes I wanted so I could just zip tie them all together.

Ruth

 

[Krish]

I'll have to try that one out here with the a building supply store...You're just full of good ideas Thanks again, I will have to check it out tomorrow and see what I can find.

 

[Wayupnorth]

Believe me when you live where I do and the closest LFS is like 850kms away you have to get inventive. I order online quite a bit but like you I have to pay taxes when it gets here if I order from outside of Canada. I also order lots of stuff to have for backup. I have an extra skimmer and backup pumps for all my pumps (return, closed loop, skimmer, even back up smaller tunzes) because it's not like I can make do for a day or so - I will probably be without whatever breaks down for a couple of weeks min.