PDA

View Full Version : Help- Why is my water Hot?


casshoward
04/18/2006, 10:16 AM
Please don't laugh at this question but WHY IS MY TANK'S WATER TEMPERATURE UP? Some are thinking "you silly Newbie, turn off the heater"! I have not only turned it off but completely removed it from the sump. I also turned off ALL lights for over a week now and my temp is still reading 81.1 degrees. And yes the warm feels warm. I also did a 30 gallon water change last week with NO DROP in the temp. (I have interogated my wireless, Pinpoint digital thermometer and it appears to be working correctly. The temp drops immediately when I remove the probe from the tank...dropped to 74 degrees in a few seconds!)

Before this problem began, my tank would stay around 64-70 degrees before I installed the heater. My home's thermostat reads 67-68 degrees! There are is adequate ventilation and air circulation around the tank. There is not enough indirect sunlight to cause this amount of temperature rise (the same amount of light when the tank was in the 60's degrees).

How is the water temperature higher than the surrounding air temperature without any additional heat being supplied? Could my Seio M820 Power heads (x2), or Iwaki retun pumps (x2) be generating heat ALL OF SUDDEN? (I have lots of life on my LR and will be getting a few clownfish soon so I want to resolve this issue. I have also ordered a start-up cleaner crew that will be arriving this week. Would hate to have a unwanted seafood boil!)

Please help! :(

Cass

lagatbezan
04/18/2006, 10:19 AM
It might be one of the pumps. you can turn them off one by one, then check to see if there is a change in temp.

Sk8r
04/18/2006, 10:34 AM
Many people run fans in the sump. You're in a zone where summer is arriving early. If the cumulative heat-production of your lights and pumps is too much, you have 2 alternatives: a potent fan in the sump (I use a stubby tower fan from the local Walmart-type store) or a chiller...or crank up the room a/c.

IslandCrow
04/18/2006, 10:44 AM
I read a post a couple months ago about someone who had a similar problem, and there was a problem with one of his pumps that was generating the extra heat. I believe it was the impeller that was getting clogged. I'd do what lagatbezan suggested as well as doing a good inspection of all of your pumps, powerheads, skimmer, and anything else that could possibly be generating excessive heat. If something with a motor is getting gunked up, it could definitely start getting a lot hotter than it's supposed to.

WaterKeeper
04/18/2006, 10:50 AM
A submersible pump, on its last legs, would be the most likely cause. Another possibility is as summer approaches a window near the tank is getting more sun. Pulling the shade cures that. A 170, especially acrylic will hold a great deal of heat for some time. The temp you are seeing is not harmful however and near where I keep a tank.

simonf
04/18/2006, 10:59 AM
Also do you have your tank/sump covered with a piece of glass/acrylic? This will slow water evaporation witch is one of the big ways to keep temp down.

I second the use of small fans in the canopy and in the sump. I use a couple computer case fans wired to an old cell phone charger.

Kinetic
04/18/2006, 11:00 AM
heat is generated from all sorts of equipment, the most being your pumps.

casshoward
04/18/2006, 11:01 AM
Thanks for such a quick response ALL.

I will turn off my powerheads, break-em down and do a good cleaning. (How often do you do this? I have only done this once since December because I had no fish...I was busy fighting the Mantis shrimps!).

I was worried about the current temperature because I wanted to run my lights, as advised, prior to the arrival of my cleaner crew but the temp was already where it was supposed to be! I guess I can feed the crew if my algea volume is suboptimal.

With my shallow canopy, I have seen the temp go up several degrees with my lights on. I tried to configure a small 4" fan (WalMart) near the back opening of the canopy but this has been very diffucult (canopy is only 7.5" high-- offering about 3" clearance of lights from top of acrylic lids---bites!....the one variable I did not know enough about when I ordered my tank!)

Cass

casshoward
04/18/2006, 11:05 AM
Also, if I end up needing a chiller, where do I start? I know nothing about chillers....other than they lower the water temp and are expensive. (Drop-in versus in-line, best makers, best place to order if needed.......etc)

I keep my home's thermostat aroung 68 degrees but my lights may still heat things up.

Cass

Kinetic
04/18/2006, 11:10 AM
cass: it's smart to get a chiller JUST to be safe and to keep your temperature very constant. The more constant the temperature, the better your tank will do.

Make sure you address the overheating problem first, since you don't want your chiller to be on 24/7.

get a temperature controller, it will basically be a thermostat that controls power to heaters and the chiller, turning them on and off accordingly.

the inline chillers are cheaper, and in most cases more efficient. You run a pump and put water through the chiller, and when the water needs to be chilled, the chiller will turn on and start cooling the water flowing through it.

The temp controller should be a dual, which can turn off heaters when the temp rises to a desired temp, then if goes beyond that a degree or two the chiller kicks in to help bring it down. This way you'll save the most electricity by keeping your chiller from battling with your heater.

goodluck.

casshoward
04/19/2006, 08:56 PM
Koden,

Thanks for the info. I have my work cut out for me!

Cass

Kinetic
04/19/2006, 09:45 PM
haha sorry, I might have made it sound too complicated. To run a chiller you'll basically need three things:

1. Pump
2. Chiller
3. Dual stage controller

chiller usually comes with a dual stage controller. find chiller/controller packages used for pretty cheap, and as long as the refrigerent is good or has been recharged then you should be good to go. Inline only works if you have a lot of flow going through the area that it's in, and is a good solution if you have no more room for more piping etc. as for a pump, just look at what GPH the chiller recommends for a pump and buy a reliable pump for it.

goodluck =)

KEITHMC
04/19/2006, 10:54 PM
with nothing changeing and the heater removed it sounds like a pump to me just reach in and and find the one that is warm/hot to the touch and unplug it!

ChunksInClemson
04/20/2006, 12:18 AM
Try a clip-on fan first! Nothing wrong with trying the cheaper route first to see if it works. I know many reefers who use fans either in their sump or up top under canopies. Keep us updated!

jeffb3t
04/20/2006, 04:58 AM
My tank has hit 87 in the summer and usually hangs at 84 - 85 during the summer months with a chiller. Many corals out there can take extreme temp fluctuations. Living on a tropical island, I took a thermometer and tested some of the tidepools that had some amazing looking coral in them. The temps were in the 90's. Even hitting 87, I have had no ill effects.

casshoward
04/20/2006, 07:59 PM
I turned off my two Seio M820s and the pump for the ASM G2 Protien skimmer and today my temp is 77.6! That "WaterKeeper Dude" knows a thing-or-two 'bout plastic and the time needed for the temp to fall (HA HA :cool: )!

I also placed a 4" WalMart fan closer to the two Iwaki return pumps that hang out in my stand. I will now fire up my protein skimmer next and watch the temp. I will them fire up each powerhead (separately) and watch for any temp fluctuations.

In the interim, I received my first aquatic children....snails, emerald crabs, peppermint shrimps, and a orange linkia star! I guess there will not be a seafood boil after all! To make things even more exciting, a fellow reefer just fragged me this week! I now have about 15 various frags in my tank including a cool devil's finger/hand (or something like that). It's nice to know I won't boil them either....but I guess I better get the heat up a tad bit.

Thanks ALL for the advice! If in the next day or two you smell something resembling "Seafood Newburg", my tank may be heating up!:smokin: Cross every thing that you have two of!

Cass

Scuba_Dave
04/20/2006, 08:23 PM
What size lights will you be running? How many?

You have 2 Iwaki's - what size?
And a skimmer pump?
I hope you like electric bills :)
I'm switching over to Tunze for major movement in my tank
Switching from a Iwaking pump to a slightly smaller pump that uses less then 1/2 the electricity

drunktank
04/20/2006, 08:29 PM
whats the problem?

keeping ur tank at 70degrees? IMO thats 2 cold

it should be in the 78degree range.

Scuba_Dave
04/20/2006, 08:37 PM
uh...if you actually read the thread...you will see that his tank is staying at 81