hello evey one. i just bought a 300 gallon fish tank with a ton of stuff. quetion will i need a chiller. it doesnt get very hot where i live plus i live in a basment if any one know how cooler they are. but i didnt know if the lights would make it to hot.
Question
- Thread starter sniper1
- Start date
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mattleycrue76
Aquajunkie
what kind of lightd/pumps are you running? and where are you at (state)? If this is your first saltwater tank I wish you the best of luck. read ALOT and post some pics asap.
I hope to have a tank that big someday
I hope to have a tank that big someday
IMO
a chiller adds heat to the room as well. so a external location for the chiller would be a must for a tank that size. if you have ac dont worry about it. make sure you use fans and watch the temp closely before you add anything to it. make sure that it is going to stay cool enough. then if you have to add a chiller make sure its vented outside. cause the heat exhaust will raise the temp in the room have the chiller working twice as hard making it hotter and hotter in the room. (experianced in this
)
you need to think about the hottest day of the summer. that is where in one day you could lose everything. this is where a stable temp in the household is recommended. (a/c)
IMO
larry
a chiller adds heat to the room as well. so a external location for the chiller would be a must for a tank that size. if you have ac dont worry about it. make sure you use fans and watch the temp closely before you add anything to it. make sure that it is going to stay cool enough. then if you have to add a chiller make sure its vented outside. cause the heat exhaust will raise the temp in the room have the chiller working twice as hard making it hotter and hotter in the room. (experianced in this
)you need to think about the hottest day of the summer. that is where in one day you could lose everything. this is where a stable temp in the household is recommended. (a/c)
IMO
larry
mattleycrue76
Aquajunkie
Considering the time of year we are in I would guess that it will take you until mid summer to get all the sand, rock, equipment, cycling and what not else done and you won't be adding anything really sensitive until at least then. Therefore if I were you i would just wait and see what happens and if all is well you can save some money. If not you can get one then. I believe that it's gonna have alot to do with your lighting. Obviously there will be a "slight" difference betwee a PC lit FOWLR and a full blown SPS reef with 2K watts of metal halides
burning2nd
Well-known member
more info please...
Im in the bassment with mH lighting... I do have to cool the room in the summer... but i also have a fridge, and a computer + tv and other things... a fan blowing on the tank will cool it as well.
Im in the bassment with mH lighting... I do have to cool the room in the summer... but i also have a fridge, and a computer + tv and other things... a fan blowing on the tank will cool it as well.
twilliard
What next?
All you can really do is run the tank.
See what temp it hits and stays at and then you will know if you need one or not.
See what temp it hits and stays at and then you will know if you need one or not.
NC2WA
Well-known member
sniper,
It really would be nice to know what state you are from. This could help us give you a better answer to your question.
In my situation, I have a 375 gallon tank that is in the wall (one side is where the basement is and the other side is the garage where the majority of the tank, stand and all equipment resides).
I have an attic fan rated for 2500 sq ft one the opposite wall to the crawl space. I also have a vent on the crawl space. When the internal temp to the garage reaches 75 degrees, the attic fan automatically turns on blowing all the hot air out of the garage and sucks in all the cool air from the crawl space. My garage is the coolest place in the house. Last year here in WA, we had 97 degree weather for several days, my tank temp only rose 1-2 degrees to 80.6. My house does not have A/C.
To date <knock on the proverbial wood>, I do not use a chiller.
I kept an Excel spreadsheet and would log my temperature daily. I would take it the same time every day. Once when I woke up and another right before I went to bed. I did this for one month before any fish entered the tank. The only source of cooling was a clip on fan that blew across the entire tank.
So placement of the tank as well as local climate play major roles on whether you need a chiller or not.
HTH,
Kirk
It really would be nice to know what state you are from. This could help us give you a better answer to your question.
In my situation, I have a 375 gallon tank that is in the wall (one side is where the basement is and the other side is the garage where the majority of the tank, stand and all equipment resides).
I have an attic fan rated for 2500 sq ft one the opposite wall to the crawl space. I also have a vent on the crawl space. When the internal temp to the garage reaches 75 degrees, the attic fan automatically turns on blowing all the hot air out of the garage and sucks in all the cool air from the crawl space. My garage is the coolest place in the house. Last year here in WA, we had 97 degree weather for several days, my tank temp only rose 1-2 degrees to 80.6. My house does not have A/C.
To date <knock on the proverbial wood>, I do not use a chiller.
I kept an Excel spreadsheet and would log my temperature daily. I would take it the same time every day. Once when I woke up and another right before I went to bed. I did this for one month before any fish entered the tank. The only source of cooling was a clip on fan that blew across the entire tank.
So placement of the tank as well as local climate play major roles on whether you need a chiller or not.
HTH,
Kirk
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