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View Full Version : Small temp swings or set heater higher?


lastlight
05-02-2010, 01:47 AM
Been getting up to 25 degrees in my livingroom and today the tank (which had been going no higher than 80) is sitting at 82.

I'm hoping it won't get any warmer than 82 but here's my question:

What's better for the tank inhabitants:

- let the tank swing between 80 and 82?
- set the temp to 82 so there is no swings (ideally)

Please share your thoughts thx.

banditpowdercoat
05-02-2010, 02:00 AM
A 2 deg swing is not bad. It swings much more than that in the real ocean. My tank swings up to 4-5 deg in summer. 78-83. In winter, its 2 deg swing

no_bs
05-02-2010, 02:17 AM
IMO i don't think 2 deg. makes a difference. I would think anything more than 90deg. then you would have problems. Probably makes the inhabitants more frisky.

Skimmerking
05-02-2010, 02:28 AM
Brett you know the answer that you are looking for. If you are thinking of a small chiller. Then go for it I prefer to have stability in the tank then anything and temp is one of the bigger ones

lastlight
05-02-2010, 02:36 AM
A chiller isn't within my budget right now but I do have my heater on a dual-stage Ranco controller. I am thinking of buying either the 2-fan or 4-fan clip on Azoo fan unit and having it kick on when temp reaches 80. I've heard evaporation can drop the temp a lot and with my osmolator I don't mind really.

You're right though I really am aiming for stability.

globaldesigns
05-02-2010, 02:38 AM
Stability is always the best practice, if you can't keep it stable without a chiller and can't afford the chiller purchase at this time, then I don't think 82 is that bad. I would set it higher, and once you can get a chiller, then you can regulate to 80

My concern will be that summer hasn't hit yet, so what will your temperatures be during the heat?

lastlight
05-02-2010, 02:40 AM
I think I can achieve the stability using the fans actually. I'll try that before I turn my heater up to 82 I think.

I have a portable AC unit in my livingroom so I don't think the room will get any warmer. It hit 25 without me running the unit. I can certainly maintain 25 or 24 through any heat this summer. The only thing keeping me from running the AC more and colder is my wife complaining of being cold =)

globaldesigns
05-02-2010, 02:41 AM
I think I can achieve the stability using the fans actually. I'll try that before I turn my heater up to 82 I think.

I you can great!!! Just be prepaired for more evaporation, and maybe your room will get a little muggy.

lastlight
05-02-2010, 02:47 AM
With an open top right now I think I likely evap about 1/2 a gallon per day. Wonder how much that will increase with fans? I'd at least test with a reg fan before buying these azoos but I don;t think the only fan we have (floor standing 16" would give a fair idea lol.

globaldesigns
05-02-2010, 02:48 AM
With an open top right now I think I likely evap about 1/2 a gallon per day. Wonder how much that will increase with fans? I'd at least test with a reg fan before buying these azoos but I don;t think the only fan we have (floor standing 16" would give a fair idea lol.

You probably don't need that much, maybe a small clip on. JL sells them for cheap.

banditpowdercoat
05-02-2010, 02:49 AM
I run a cheap 6" clip on desk fan on my 150g. One day I want a chiller, but pretty low on the finances list. I do 3/4-1g/day I think evap.

Skimmerking
05-02-2010, 02:57 AM
Brett if you have a controller then you are GTG , then use the fan and have it behind the tank facing the back to cool it , i use to do that and it worked really good.

PoonTang
05-02-2010, 03:08 AM
I dont think that a temp swing would cause too much problems when you think about a tide change over a reef crest. Imagine the swing when cold deep water gets exchanged for warm lagoon water thats been baking in the sun for 8 hours? Having said that tho I think we all still need to strive for stability AMAP. You should be able to get away with fans and open windows in all but the most extreme cases. I use my controller to turn my fans on with my MH and to shut the MH off if the temp exceeds 80. Today is the first day that the lights have turned off and that is because no one was here all day and the house was closed up tight.

untamed
05-02-2010, 05:04 AM
I expect that if you turned your temperature up to 82, you would then start to have a swing between 82 and 84. You would NOT stabilize at 82. IME, it doesn't work that way.

lastlight
05-02-2010, 05:43 AM
Well the light has been out for 30 min and I'm sitting at 83. Not good. Recently I started running the Tunze 9002. Perhaps the skimmer pump runs pretty warm hence the difference? It looks like I HAVE to get a fan of some sort as 83 is too high I think. And Brad I think you might be right about the shift in fluctuations...In the back of my head I had conisedered that as well.

Will higher humidity levels in the room make it harder to cool the water? Perhaps I need to leave the window cracked open during the day.

My backyard is west facing so it gets pretty hot back there. Right now we have very thin white drapes over the sliding doors and cheap venetian blinds over the kitchen sink. What can I do to combat the heat on that side of the house? I'm pretty sure almost all of my heat comes in that side. The front of the townhouse faces other houses closely so the sun never hits my livingroom window.

I was thinking heavier white drapes might keep it cooler inside?

globaldesigns
05-02-2010, 06:23 AM
One thing you can try if possible:

If you can turn on your furnace fan, and leave it running, it may recirc your house are enought to cool things down. I use to do this until I got my HRV system installed recently. Just an idea. But if you are in an apartment, this would be a no go.

Funky_Fish14
05-02-2010, 09:48 AM
What Global designs said is a great idea.

Brett, all good points have been mentioned already but just thought I might add; if you set you heater to 82 all the time (assuming it would eliminate the temp swing under 'ideal conditions') then you are promoting long term high temperatures. We all know this is not exactly good for 'reefs' (natural or aquarium). I think the minute swing in temperature is not much to worry about and would think it safer to simply stick to a lower temperature setting of 80 (or less).

Just a thought!

Cheers, and hope all is well.

Chris

kien
05-02-2010, 11:42 AM
I use a 4 fan unit that blows across my water surface when my temp hits 80. My temp goes from 77 (at night) to 80 during the day with the halides on. Works well, have never even considered a chiller.

lastlight
05-02-2010, 03:33 PM
Yeah it's funny because when it started getting hot here I looked all over on the thermostat for a fan switch. I did that when I had a house all the time to freshen things up. I can't see anything on there to do that but maybe I'm an idiot. I can only get the furnace to blow when it's heating?

I'm going to get fans today for a start but I'm still thinking thicker drapes in the kitchen would help out a lot. If someone with small fans can suggest either a 2 fan or 4 fan unit for a 34g I'd appreciate it.

no_bs
05-02-2010, 04:51 PM
Wish i could give some more insight, but my tank doesn't move off of 79. Fans are the way to go i guess if a chiller isn't in the bufget. Good luck with the summer.

Funky_Fish14
05-02-2010, 08:26 PM
Brett - If there is no switch on your thermostat, check around the actual furnace unit itself. It may or may not be labelled, but usually there should be a switch for the fan by the furnace unit.
HTH.

Chris

andestang
05-02-2010, 09:00 PM
Yes your furnace or thermostat should hace something that says "summer or fan only" . I've always installed one of those digital furnace control thermostats.They have the fan only feature control. Lots to choose from now and not to pricey (probably because of all the push for eco friendly and power saving).

lastlight
05-02-2010, 11:00 PM
I have good news...all good news =)

Today was not cheap but cheaper than a chiller and my whole house is cooler.

For starters I went to Rona and bought some of this energy saver window film for my kitchen and patio windows on the back of the house. You're supposed to follow their directions and use some special spray, their squeegee blah blah blah. I tossed it up and cursed the whole time and tried my best to squeeze bubbles out. It is pretty ugly but my blinds and drapes hide the marble-like texture my windows now have haha.

So I wasn't able to get it up before the sun hit and still my living room has got no hotter than 23 today. Now when i *do* turn my livingroom AC on for just a bit the hot kitchen does not counter-act the cooling effect either. I dropped it to 22.5 in a few minutes before wife said **** off.

I also installed the 4-fan Azoo unit.

http://www.fishbrains.net/images/solana/azoo.jpg

The nylon screws interfered with my skimmer cup and I was pretty ****ed it wouldn't fit. Then I realized the adjustable mounts and symetrical on both sides so I swapped them so the screws are outside the tank not inside. Fits great.

So the bottom line is I am a rock-star now and I've set my controller to 79 and it is staying there no problem. The fan has kicked on twice today and each time it does it's on maybe 2 or 3 minutes. I'm hoping with the window film up I can battle the even hotter days.

Yeehaw.

Funky_Fish14
05-04-2010, 11:52 PM
Awesome Brett, good to hear!

Cheers,

Chris

Canadian
05-05-2010, 07:04 PM
Hey Brett,

This is off topic, but did you make the stand you have for your light fixture or did it come with it? We just bought a new place and I'm not really keen to hang the light from the ceiling in this place where the tank is located so I'm looking to make a light hanging bracket out of electrical conduit and bend it with a pipe bender.

lastlight
05-05-2010, 08:29 PM
Hey no worries. That is the stock pendant arm for the solana. It rotates nicely to either side, is height adjustable and has a twist lock to maintain height.