Tank Temperature

[tangman99]

My 90 Gallon Reef tanks seems to stay between 82 and 83 degrees. This seem too high for me. I only have mushrooms and a devils hand and they seem to do ok, but I want to go to SPS and clams when I get my MH installed which is not going to help. I don't think my lights are really affecting it that much now though as the temp is still 82 when the lights are off. I think the biggest problem is the 2 Mag 7 pumps I have submerged in my sump. One is the return and one is for my AquaC Skimmer. Does anyone run these pumps external? If so, does it keep it from heating up the water. I have heard they are loud running external though.

I may change out my return pump. What is a good pump to use that is quiet and will not heat up my water. Do I need to go external for this?

Thanks

[Adrian]

You can run the mags external, I have an 18 running external and dont notice it, although im used to hearing my tank run. Do you have fans on your tank? What temp is the room in which the tank is kept?

[tangman99]

My room temp is about 78 degrees. I have had my lights off now for 21 hours to see if the lights are contributing. My temp right now is 82.3 degrees.

Is there a better pump to run if I do go external?

If I mount my Mags external, what's the easiest way to mount them?

[Adrian]

82 isnt that bad, and if you dont have fans, adding a couple can get your temp down at least a couple of degrees. There are pumps that made especially for external use, but Im not familar with them and cant offer any info.

[Ti]

mags are kinda loud and they definately heat up a tank.
The manufacturer doesn't recommend them for external saltwater use, people say they can leak and after taking them mapart, I can see why.
Some people have had luck using them externally though.

[tangman99]

So can someone recommend a very quiet and reliable external pump? I read where someone recommended a Velocity. I have a 90 gallon allglass with the corner overflow which is rated at 600 GPH (I think). It will be pumping up about 5 ft.

[janakaybravo]

If you're getting metal halides, you need to have a fan blowing on the water. I have a mag 12 in the sump and a small fan blowing directly on the water mounted on the wall. It cost $10 at Target. I'd try that first if you don't have one. Do you have a top on the tank? Taking off the top, hanging the halides and blowing the fan should get your temp down. I live in Texas and it gets hot here. In the summer I get 82 max in the tank.

[TrojanScott]

Velocities are VERY quiet, but they're cooled by your water, thus, heat the tank. If you're trying to cut your temp back, a Velocity isn't the way to go.

[tangman99]

Darn. I was starting to like the looks of these pumps. Looks like Velocity went out of business though and the pump in now called a Poseidon PS3 External Pump.

Any other suggestions?

[keeperofthefish]

I have an Eheim 1262. This is a bit much in terms of flow for a return. That said, I'd recommend you get the Eheim 1260, which is very low wattage, rock-solid reliable, and shouldn't add much heat. If you're really concerned about heat, get an Iwaki. They're fairly noisy compared to non-fan cooled externals, but they are the gold standard and truly add almost nothing in terms of heat. Or just bite the bullet and get a chiller and never have to worry about this again.