Temperature problems....

[joe_shmo]

Hello, I have a 15 gallon nano that i can't seem to maintain at a normal temperature and i desperately don't want to employ the use of a chiller. I have fans on the tank and it has an open top but i live in an apartment building that doesn't have air conditioning so it gets fairly warm during the day as it's now summer and i also have a 150 Watt metal halide pendant which tends to heat up the tank even more.

Does anyone have any ideas or experience with how to cool the water without having to use a chiller? Or am i going to have to use ice cubes. :)

[reefnetworth]

ice cubes in a zip-lock. temporary but it works. ive seen a DIY chiller where a line was pumped through a fridge to chill a dorm room tank. REEF-ON!!!

[reefnetworth]

how close is the MH? i would sugest at least 10-12" min. i have mine 10" on a 70g it gives more spectrum in the bottom. REEF-ON!!!

[joe_shmo]

ok, I'm thinking my metal halide is my problem in that case. I have it like 4" off the top of the water. oops! Thanks

[joe_shmo]

My only concern is that i have SPS in the tank. If i have the metal halide that far above the water, am i going to see changes in color and/or the health of my SPS corals?

[kabal2]

if your light is that close for the water line, you can lift it up a little bit, something like 2" or 3", that can give you some tempeture drop, and like nano4brain said, is a thread about some1 running water from the tank into a dorm fridge to cool off his tank

[mr pink floyd]

my 150 on my 29 is about 6 inches up, doenst heat up the water as much as the 2x65 actinics!

i have fans blowing dull blast on it to kep it under 81