how hot is too hot?

[salty420]

so as the temp outside climbs so does the temp in my tank. the last few days it's been lingering around 83 degrees and sometimes even above. nothing seems at all bothered by the temp, all the corals my fish, inverts and nems have been acting totally normal (except the midas blenny going carpet surfing). i fear that the corals might not want to open up in the heat but they are opening fully. i try adding ice in bags to the sump but it melts so fast and hardly makes a dent on the temperature. i cannot afford a chiller. i guess that i'll have to raise my lights, they are very close to the top of the tank, only about 6 or so inches off the top (2x250w HQI with 4x54w T5's). i have no idea how i'll do this tho as i can't hang them... i already have a fan running across the top of the tank so i can't really think of any other options - anyone have any ideas?

[AnnetteG]

OMG Jupiter jumped? Did you catch him in time or no? I am SO sorry to hear that!

My tank temp stays up pretty high too, around 83. I'm going to get a fan and clip into the sump, but everyone I've asked and everything I've read has said that it's not going to cause a problem, unless you have any species that really need cooler water, like deep water species, I guess. Anyway, I've heard that putting a fan on the sump will help cool down the tank.

[lferg]

You didn't put let the ice melt into the tank water did you? I only ask because a few years ago, when I very first go into the hobby, I did this with out thinking and let all that chlorine into the water and killed a few fish. :( thats what I get for not thinking...

[salty420]

yes jupiter jumped :cry: and no i don't add the ice directly to the sump i put it in a big zip lock bag - tho i admit my first thought was just to chuck it in :) fortunately i realized that mistake before it happened! hmm maybe a fan on the sump could help a bit...

[TropicalNorth]

I believe 86f (30c) is pretty much the limit of most marine animals. Anything over that for any period of time can do damage. My tanks go to around 85f in summer, but only on really hot days. I also think that SPS (acropora, etc) are the most affected by temp.

[lanimret]

I was a little worried when I built my new hood that it would keep too much heat in (I have an 8 bulb t5 system) so I built in two 120mm cooling fans which blow across the lights and water surface. They kick in whenever the full lighting is on. Never goes above 81f now.

[AnnetteG]

oh Salty, I'm SO sorry to hear that about Jupiter. Did you have eggcrate or anything up there? Just wondering if he got through a small hole or what. I am getting my Midas in a few weeks and I don't want to take any chances.

Really sorry for your loss.

[schigara]

What temps does everybody keep their houses at? I always see these posts about summer temps and tank temps and just don't understand.

I like to stay cool just as much as my fish do and I keep my thermostat set at 70 deg all during the summer. With one fan over display, it's easy to keep my tank at 77 with halides and T5 actinics running.

[mcsassy]

The hottest I have seen my tank hit is 85.6 and no ill effects...I think if it starts climbing towards 89 you are in for a not so pleasant surprise. The AVERAGE around the world for reefs is 82 so hope for the best I guess huh?

[Catpicklesdog]

I don't have AC here in the UK but occassionally (very rarely) we do get some hot days! I have a double fan over my sump which is on a timer daily and for when it gets really hot I have a fan (set of 4) on the main tank.

[FeatherDuster]

Freezing water in a water bottle works for me. On hot days I will place one in the tank during the afternoon. It lasts a good 3 hours. Which is usually enough for the very hot hours. I am sure the larger the container the longer it will last after the water is frozen inside. And its reusable!

I also change my lighting hours. I will block out the sunlight during the morning (to increase dark hours so the fish don't get stressed out by the constant light) and turn the lights on when it has cooled off during the evening.

As for too hot. I have had my fish survive 90 degree temps (only for 8 hours though). Fish are usually very hardy against temp changes, its most likely the corals will go first. I also have had a constant 83 for a week in a row one time with no horrible effects.

Luckily, its way easier to deal with too hot rather than a broken heater when its too cold. As I found out the hard way.

[AnnetteG]

What temps does everybody keep their houses at? I always see these posts about summer temps and tank temps and just don't understand.

I like to stay cool just as much as my fish do and I keep my thermostat set at 70 deg all during the summer. With one fan over display, it's easy to keep my tank at 77 with halides and T5 actinics running.

WOW, I only wish I could afford to keep my a/c set on 70! Are you in an apartment or house? How much is your electric bill? I keep my a/c set on 76 during the day and 74 at night and my electric bill still pushes $300 every month of the summer. Which in Houston is from April to October. :silly:

[Sploke]

Agreed Annette. Last summer during a heat wave my tank got up to about 92 degrees one day, I lost quite a bit. I bought an AC unit but I keep the house cooled to only 80 degrees to save power, since thats where the tank temp is anyway.

Salty, putting a fan blowing directly across or on the water in the sump will help keep the tank temp down. It will also cause a lot more evaporation (this is the mechanism that regulates the temperature) so if you don't have an auto-topoff system, keep an eye on the water level and top off accordlingy.

[schigara]

A 1200sq ft house with a 5 ton system. It's quite efficient. Bill is about like yours. In the 300 range during the summer.


WOW, I only wish I could afford to keep my a/c set on 70! Are you in an apartment or house? How much is your electric bill? I keep my a/c set on 76 during the day and 74 at night and my electric bill still pushes $300 every month of the summer. Which in Houston is from April to October. :silly:

[AnnetteG]

oh the size of the a/c is probably the thing. We had our unit serviced and were told that it's really too small for our house. Builder was saving money, I guess. I don't remember the tons, but our house is 2400 sq feet, so keeping the bill under 300 is our goal. Let's just say, I'm home with the kids all day and we don't wear many clothes or turn on lights during the day. :silly: And at night, the fish tanks serve as lamps. :grinyes:

[strangerdejavu]

If your tank is close to an AC unit, you could wrap some tubing around the cooling coils and pump water through it when you have the AC on... Practically like a free chiller since you'd probably have AC running on hot days anyway, though not quite as efficient for cooling the tank.

[BadDogsPa]

I have been hanging around 80 -82 degrees in the summer. Dropps to 78 in the winter.

[mwb1978]

How much heat are you putting INTO the tank? I know you said the lights were kinda close but is your return pump submerged in your sump or is it external? If submerged, that would add a fair amount of heat to the water.

Also, are you sure that you don't have a heater stuck in the on mode?

Aside from all that I would just keep rotating a few frozen 3-liter bottles in and out of the freezer and keep a few fans on the water surface.

Good luck

[salty420]

yes the return pump is in the sump. no the heaters are not on. im thinking the 2L's and fan's on the sump may be the way to go. evaporation is a concern but i can set up an auto top-off. the temp was just above 85 in the tank today and that is not good. i really don't want to start running the AC as i have 2 separate units, one for upstairs and one downstairs and i don't need it running downstairs yet. if i run it upstairs and have the windows open downstairs that's kinda dumb...

[pokoloco]

Try keeping the surface of the water in motion, not turbulent but a good bit of ripples and use a fan on the display and sump. The waves get you more surface area for the fan to cool. Also getting the ambient temp. in the room down is the easiest way to get the tank down. If you don't want to run the A/C try the fans, but when you really think about it a chiller might save you more money in the long run.