Controlling my temperature? 78.7 to 81 daily

[JeffyT]

Hello Reefers,

As summer is coming along, my room temperature in combination with the 4 Bulb t5 fixture i run on a 8-5 schedule make my temperature swings consistent... but they swing.

On a normal basis my 100w heater only has one setting... on or off and it heats the tank to a steady 78.7.

When I have my t5 on the temperature goes up to about 81.1 and stays there.

I was going to purchase a clip on fan for the tank to cool the water, As i've read on the item description, the fans tend to be able to cool a range of 4-8 degrees.

Will my heater offset the fans capability to cool the water? As in cool the water while the heater is running to keep the temp consistent at 78.7?

[Sapelo]

I think I would try turning the heater off and seeing what kind of temp you run. Honestly 81 isn't that bad but this is really only the beginning of summer so we know it's going to get worse. I run 77-79 on a daily basis but may tank is larger so swings less. Still, I'd take the heater off line and see if you can drop the swing to maybe 76-79?

[GilliganReef]

I had the same issue with my tank. I notice during the hot months my tank would get up to 82. I did an experiment with turning off my heaters for a full day. With them off I noticed tank would drop down to 72-73. Temp in my sump room ranges 2-3 degrees warmer then the basement. I am in the process of buying a APEX this fall so until then I hooked up a timer. I have my heater running 4 hours in the morning 3 hours while the lights are running from 1-8pm and at night running for 6 hours. This way I have notice my tank staying 77.8 at night and 80.8 during the day.

[thegrun]

This is one of the many reasons to purchase a controller, to control when your heaters, fans and chillers come on line.

[JeffyT]

This is one of the many reasons to purchase a controller, to control when your heaters, fans and chillers come on line.

thank you everyone for the input, it's greatly appreciated.

The problem I am having is buying a ReefKeeper or an Apex for 3 degrees of heat. 300-400 dollars or $17.99 on Amazon to keep it at the right temp.

Normally with the heater running my water stays at 78.7, but with the t5s and summer it has gone up to 80. With a fan I was hoping it would just drop it down to 78 while the heater does its job.

[homer1475]

This is one of the many reasons to purchase a controller, to control when your heaters, fans and chillers come on line.


With my apex, heaters, and fans, my temps stay a very consistent 78.5 to 79.0.

[alton]

thank you everyone for the input, it's greatly appreciated.

The problem I am having is buying a ReefKeeper or an Apex for 3 degrees of heat. 300-400 dollars or $17.99 on Amazon to keep it at the right temp.

Normally with the heater running my water stays at 78.7, but with the t5s and summer it has gone up to 80. With a fan I was hoping it would just drop it down to 78 while the heater does its job.

For $120 RKL you can turn your heaters and fans on and off at a certain temp, turn your lights off if your ac stops working. I bought my first one like seven years ago and still works like a charm, and now have one on each of my three tanks.

[Bruce51]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrdOpk10MkE

I built mine for about 40 bucks

[JeffyT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrdOpk10MkE

I built mine for about 40 bucks

wow! i think i might look into this for a small DYI project. If it isn't too advanced I might consider it. Thanks for the link!

[JeffyT]

For $120 RKL you can turn your heaters and fans on and off at a certain temp, turn your lights off if your ac stops working. I bought my first one like seven years ago and still works like a charm, and now have one on each of my three tanks.

I really wanted to save some money, and we all know very well this hobby is basically the opposite of that. But I will consider the RKL considering how you've had it for quite a while. Definitely bang for your buck since yours lasted 7 years.

[scooter31707]

What I do during the summer is take 2-3 2liter soda bottles and fill them up with ro/di water and freeze them. once the temp starts rising I put 1 in and when it is about done, I add the other, and so on. Once it's done, just take it out and wipe it off and place back into the freezer.

[scooter31707]

of course I place the bottle into the sump, not the tank.

[skeeter_ca]

I bought one of these two channel temp controllers on ebay. $40. Been working for about 6 months now flawlessly. Has high and low temp alarms and keeps to temp +/- 1 degree. I am very happy with it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Inkbird-ITC-308-Pre-Wired-Digital-110V-Temperature-Controller-Measure-thermostat-/322059258645?hash=item4afc3a4b15:g:OU0AAOSwAvJW~jBV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Q2t0iI7fo

I was thinking about doing my own youtube review on it geared to the aquarium hobby.

skeeter

[dustinkimpel]

I live in Oklahoma so I'm right with you on the heat outside. Switching to a solid LED would eliminate this temp problem your having. Reef tanks should be kept anywhere from 75-82 degrees anyway so you are still fine at the 81 degrees as long as it doesn't instantly happen, which it isn't if it's just warming up with the day. I keep my house at 75 during the day and my apex is showing a swing from 78 at night (set the air to 72 at night) to 80.5 during the day with no negative effects shown. If you are really worried about it getting too hot I would set your heater for around 77 instead of 78.6 if you have the option. That way the lights could only heat up the tank to around 81 all summer.

[JeffyT]

I live in Oklahoma so I'm right with you on the heat outside. Switching to a solid LED would eliminate this temp problem your having. Reef tanks should be kept anywhere from 75-82 degrees anyway so you are still fine at the 81 degrees as long as it doesn't instantly happen, which it isn't if it's just warming up with the day. I keep my house at 75 during the day and my apex is showing a swing from 78 at night (set the air to 72 at night) to 80.5 during the day with no negative effects shown. If you are really worried about it getting too hot I would set your heater for around 77 instead of 78.6 if you have the option. That way the lights could only heat up the tank to around 81 all summer.

thanks a lot dustin! i guess i just need some affirmation that a slow rise in temperature on a daily basis won't harm the inhabitants of my reef. the most sensitive being the BTA at the moment which has shown no signs of unhappiness since the heat issue has been noticed.

im currently fluctuating at around 78-80.5 ive seen it hit 81 but never 82. When the AC unit is on the house is cooled to 76 and the tank will stay at the rated 78.7. My heater is a 100w one setting probe. So i dont have any options on setting the temperature.

[JeffyT]

I bought one of these two channel temp controllers on ebay. $40. Been working for about 6 months now flawlessly. Has high and low temp alarms and keeps to temp +/- 1 degree. I am very happy with it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Inkbird-ITC-308-Pre-Wired-Digital-110V-Temperature-Controller-Measure-thermostat-/322059258645?hash=item4afc3a4b15:g:OU0AAOSwAvJW~jBV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Q2t0iI7fo

I was thinking about doing my own youtube review on it geared to the aquarium hobby.

skeeter

thanks for the input skeeter, I will definitely take a look at the product. I personally hate buying things off ebay but if it comes highly recommended i might consider it. currently the RKL might be an option for me. might as well invest a little more for more controllability.

[JeffyT]

What I do during the summer is take 2-3 2liter soda bottles and fill them up with ro/di water and freeze them. once the temp starts rising I put 1 in and when it is about done, I add the other, and so on. Once it's done, just take it out and wipe it off and place back into the freezer.

thanks for the idea scooter, but the AIO unit for my tank doesn't have that big of a sump area and i've already run out of space.

[madweazl]

Is the temperature of the room creating the temperature difference or is it purely the lights? If it is more a product of the room temp, set the heater higher (I'd prefer a warmer more stable temp over the fluctuation). 81° isnt bad at all. As for the fans, they will drop the temp substantially (3-4° is all but guaranteed) but your evaporation will go up substantially as well which may bring other issues for you if you dont have an ATO.

And controllers work wonders :) The sharp drop was from the last water change.

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy72/madweazl/temp_zpsh8tdboop.jpg (http://s779.photobucket.com/user/madweazl/media/temp_zpsh8tdboop.jpg.html)

[DivingTheWorld]

I agree, 81 degrees is not bad. I keep my tank at 78.7-79.7. I do that for two reasons:

1. There is a lot of debate of the best temperature for coral tanks. Mine is primarily an SPS tank and the consensus seems to be in the range I set to.
2. If your tank generally averages a higher temp, in the summer when temps go up the fluctuation will not be as much. In other words, if my tank creeps up to 81 degrees from 79.5 degrees, it's better than going from 77 degrees to 81 degrees.

You definitely need a controller! I use an Apex but that's because I planned and saved for this tank for years and wanted the best. An Apex is not necessary and you can definitely find an inexpensive heater controller. Using a heater controller is not just about maintaining a certain temp. It's not uncommon for heaters to break and either stop working or go crazy and super heat the tank. If you don't have a controller, this can easily cause a tank crash. I find it also helps to run two heaters in case one fails.

As far as maintaining temperatures, we're pretty lucky as our house never goes above 80 degrees without aircon even when it's 105 degrees out. I have gone as low heat as possible in my tank with LED lights, DC pumps and running a manifold vs additional pumps.

One thing you mentioned early in your post is a clip on fan. You would really be amazed at what a $10 Walmart clip on fan can do. I put one on in the summer and if my temp hits 80 degrees it kicks on. Our house regularly hits 80 degrees inside during the summer when we're at work and with the clip on fan, my tank hasn't exceeded 80.2 degrees in 2 years.

[cougareyes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrdOpk10MkE

I built mine for about 40 bucks

That's what I did for my 4 tanks, I've had some in service for over 5 years. I bought the stc-1000 on ebay, and project box on ebay, the rest of the stuff at lowe's. You can search for a wiring diagram. Living in vegas, twice a year our temps swing where you are using the heater and the ac in the same day. This unit is perfect, I think I spent about $30.

[JeffyT]

Is the temperature of the room creating the temperature difference or is it purely the lights? If it is more a product of the room temp, set the heater higher (I'd prefer a warmer more stable temp over the fluctuation). 81° isnt bad at all. As for the fans, they will drop the temp substantially (3-4° is all but guaranteed) but your evaporation will go up substantially as well which may bring other issues for you if you dont have an ATO.

And controllers work wonders :) The sharp drop was from the last water change.

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy72/madweazl/temp_zpsh8tdboop.jpg (http://s779.photobucket.com/user/madweazl/media/temp_zpsh8tdboop.jpg.html)

no worries about the ATO situation, got a tunze nano for that.

the temperature difference would likely be 1 degree from the lights, 1 degree from the weather, which takes me from 78 to 80

i guess i have nothing to worry about for now, maybe ill see a differnce in health of my coral when i start adding some LPS.

my Bubble Tip Anemone is doing fine, nice bubble tips and spread wide open, mouth is closed and its not necessarily REACHING.

[JeffyT]

I agree, 81 degrees is not bad. I keep my tank at 78.7-79.7. I do that for two reasons:

1. There is a lot of debate of the best temperature for coral tanks. Mine is primarily an SPS tank and the consensus seems to be in the range I set to.
2. If your tank generally averages a higher temp, in the summer when temps go up the fluctuation will not be as much. In other words, if my tank creeps up to 81 degrees from 79.5 degrees, it's better than going from 77 degrees to 81 degrees.

You definitely need a controller! I use an Apex but that's because I planned and saved for this tank for years and wanted the best. An Apex is not necessary and you can definitely find an inexpensive heater controller. Using a heater controller is not just about maintaining a certain temp. It's not uncommon for heaters to break and either stop working or go crazy and super heat the tank. If you don't have a controller, this can easily cause a tank crash. I find it also helps to run two heaters in case one fails.

As far as maintaining temperatures, we're pretty lucky as our house never goes above 80 degrees without aircon even when it's 105 degrees out. I have gone as low heat as possible in my tank with LED lights, DC pumps and running a manifold vs additional pumps.

One thing you mentioned early in your post is a clip on fan. You would really be amazed at what a $10 Walmart clip on fan can do. I put one on in the summer and if my temp hits 80 degrees it kicks on. Our house regularly hits 80 degrees inside during the summer when we're at work and with the clip on fan, my tank hasn't exceeded 80.2 degrees in 2 years.

thanks for the words of wisdom, i have a backup heater just in case this one fails, I think I was just being too worried about the temperature swing, but 80 is also an optimal condition i've read for Bubble TIp ANemones as they prefer a more tropical temp.

I will probably end up getting an RKL during a sale, but i feel like if the heaters gonna break, the controller wont be able to do much to save the tank from crashing while i'm not present.

[ViPeR_930]

I would suggest simply adding a fan to the same timer as your lights in order to offset the increase in temperature during the day.

[SaltLifeFan]

I would aquire a chiller and not use those t5 lights (at least this time of year). I don't have a chiller or control and my tank has remained fine just by using reef quality LED bar and having my room temp consistently cool. I personally ditched my t5's because for me they just get too darn hot and add heat to the tank. A good reef quality LED will cost you. But they burn much cooler. Mine don't ever feel hot at all and LED lasts longer.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Tspors58]

Nothing wrong/bad with a 3-4 degree swing in temps. They a gradual had them all the time on my 150. My 210 due to size has about a 2 degree swing. LEDs help with stability also. I would turn my heater off in summer.

[madweazl]

I would aquire a chiller and not use those t5 lights (at least this time of year). I don't have a chiller or control and my tank has remained fine just by using reef quality LED bar and having my room temp consistently cool. I personally ditched my t5's because for me they just get too darn hot and add heat to the tank. A good reef quality LED will cost you. But they burn much cooler. Mine don't ever feel hot at all and LED lasts longer.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

A fan is more than capable of dissipating the low level of heat the T5s generate to the water. The benefits T5s can provide are worth the low level of heat.

[THE ROOK]

thanks for the words of wisdom, i have a backup heater just in case this one fails, I think I was just being too worried about the temperature swing, but 80 is also an optimal condition i've read for Bubble TIp ANemones as they prefer a more tropical temp.

I will probably end up getting an RKL during a sale, but i feel like if the heaters gonna break, the controller wont be able to do much to save the tank from crashing while i'm not present.
Actually many times heaters fail in the "on" position and cook the tank. Many tanks have been lost this way. A controller all but eliminates this possibility. Tanks survive going cool much better than over heating.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Timfish]

Reading through research papers reefs may see 5° fluctuation on a daily basis. Depending on humidity a fan can prvide a good bit of cooling but it won't drop it below your heaters setting. Having seen controllers themselves fail and their power outlets and separate thermostats fail I wouldn't necessarily consider them fool proof solutions. Always plan for equipment failure.