Time To Plug In The Cooling Fans..

Yesterday was pretty hot and I just found out my entire heating and AC system needs to be replaced, but I don't wanna talk about that. I removed all tank tops, set up airstones and small individual fans as well as the big overhead one. The warmest tank only got to 83*F, so I'm not too worried, but wanted to hear what others do.

Freezing and floating bottles is a lot work for maybe one degree decrease. Fans seem to work best for me, and it's a good time for water changes, but most of my RO is outside in tubs. I need to bring it in.

 

10 years ago when I had a nano reef the tank would get upwards of 86 degrees mid summer if I didn't do anything about so starting in May I'd slowly raise the temperature from 78 to 82 and run a fan over the top. Going from 82 to 84 is a lot better than from 78 to 84 in a few hours. Of course this is not ideal but it was the best I could do at the time. Also grabbing some tank water, freezing it and letting it slowly drip back into the tank as it melted worked pretty good.

I also heard of folks using dry ice in a zip lock but I never tried it.

I recently got back in the hobby and have been wondering how I'm going to tackle that issue this time around. Been looking online and have seen many aquarium specific fans to blow across the surface and I am left to wonder if they will actually do the trick.

 

10 years ago when I had a nano reef the tank would get upwards of 86 degrees mid summer if I didn't do anything about so starting in May I'd slowly raise the temperature from 78 to 82 and run a fan over the top. Going from 82 to 84 is a lot better than from 78 to 84 in a few hours. Of course this is not ideal but it was the best I could do at the time. Also grabbing some tank water, freezing it and letting it slowly drip back into the tank as it melted worked pretty good.

I also heard of folks using dry ice in a zip lock but I never tried it.

I recently got back in the hobby and have been wondering how I'm going to tackle that issue this time around. Been looking online and have seen many aquarium specific fans to blow across the surface and I am left to wonder if they will actually do the trick.

Over here in eastern PA we got those annoying temperature swings. I feel the pain of cooling tanks. I personally found that fans are only able to cool maybe a degree or 2. I've read people have had massive success using cpu coolers (computer cpu). I'm having trouble finding the links to show you. People have also used a minI fridge that they drilled to coil hose through the fridge and cool it. If I had to do it over again instead of just getting an air conditioner for the room my tanks are in I would get a cheap radiator (you can buy a 2000 honda 1.6L radiator for 30 bucks new) run a pump to it. hook up, a plug in 250mm pc fan to it. You could plug the pump/fan into one of those temperature controllers and make everything automated.

 

Hey that radiator idea is great lol not worried about the radiator leaching heavy metals in the tank? Also came to mind a transmission cooler, smaller and probably easier to hide.

Here in LA it's been unseasonably reasonable this year, cold one might even say. My tank has been holding steady at 80 (my preset) so I think so far, a couple of fans will do the trick but I know that 110 degree weather is coming.

I thought of the ac route but my so and I are gone from 8 am to 8 pm and running an ac all day just for one tank is extremely costly. I'd be better off coughing up the dough for a chiller.

 

Hey that radiator idea is great lol not worried about the radiator leaching heavy metals in the tank? Also came to mind a transmission cooler, smaller and probably easier to hide.

Here in LA it's been unseasonably reasonable this year, cold one might even say. My tank has been holding steady at 80 (my preset) so I think so far, a couple of fans will do the trick but I know that 110 degree weather is coming.

I thought of the ac route but my so and I are gone from 8 am to 8 pm and running an ac all day just for one tank is extremely costly. I'd be better off coughing up the dough for a chiller.

Meh most radiators are made from steel, cast iron (slight concern), and aluminum. Most of the metals used are designed to be rust inhibitive. I'd give it a whirl for the cost effectiveness. I figure they are designed to run in the car for years and years with coolant...that's a much harsher mixture than water. It doesn't disintegrate.
Nahhhh chillers are what 300 bucks? At least you can be comfy when u come home and play on fishlore. Look into the makeshift minI fridge method. You can find em for under a hundred dollars.
Any type of radiator would work, hence why I mentioned the pc cooler. Liquid coolers are very effective at lowering cpus 30-40 degrees. I can't see why it wouldn't work with a modified fish tank method. They normally use an oil...but water is less viscous, should be easier for the pumps.