Help Please!! My temp is staying too high!!!

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Bobindy1

AC Members
Jun 9, 2005
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I am in process of setting up my first marine aquarium. I have only 18 lbs of live rock and substrate in the tank. No fish yet because I can't get my water temperature under control!!!

The details (long):

My heater is unplugged, so I know it's not due to malfunction. My tank is a 46 gal. bow front (glass). I am running an Aqua Clear power filter (sized for up to 100 gals - hangs on back of tank), a PowerSweep 228 power head, and an Aqua-C Remora protein filter (hangs on back of tank and uses a Maxi-Jet 1200 pump). For lighting am using a Coral Life 36" Lunar Aqualight - This has one 96watt 10,000K (which is on for 12 hours dawn to dusk - 2 internal fans run anytime this light is on) one 96watt Actinic Blue (which is on for 14 hours morning till night - all day plus dawn and dusk) and two 3/4watt lunar blue-moon LED's (which are on for 14 hours overlapping with the dawn and dusk portion of the Blue light). I have the light up on legs, which hold it approximately 3" up from the tank cover. The cover is glass, and I have propped the lid open about an inch to increase air flow, as well as removing the back plastic strip that was cut to fit around the filters and such.

I live in Michigan, have central air and keep the ambient temperature in the house between 68 and 70 degrees F. I have removed the cover from the power filter so the water running through it gets some air flow before going back into the tank.

What else???? The tank is backed up to a 6 inch depression in the wall which allows room and access for the back of tank equipment. (probably not a lot of airflow there)

I cannont get the water temperature below 81 degrees!!! I live in Michigan, as I said, so I refuse to believe that I should need an expensive chiller in one of the coldest places in the country! There must be a way to get my water into a range that fish can live. I am very frustrated! Any ideas would be MOST appreciated!!! :help:

Thanks in advance!
 
Here in a stinky hot and humid place, I run a clip-on fan on the sump 24/7 and two 4" fans blowing across the surface when the lights are on. Keeps the tank at 81.5 to 83, which is a good range. As long as you don't go much above 85, you're OK.

I don't use a glass lid. Went bare for several years, but finally started using eggcrate when a prize fish went carpet surfing. The glass definitely helps retain heat.
 
One of the coldest places in the country? Where are you living? Under a rock? It has been about 90°F here for the past week if not hotter... Anyway a small deskfan should work to keep the temp down.
 
Eggcrate is a kick-*** Idea!!! I have to have a lid, both to keep fish (someday) in as well as keeping my curious (and stupid) cats from falling in! I will be stopping at Home Depot to get some, TODAY! I will also purchase a couple of clip on fans and see how it goes. Not sure where to aim them, other than the lights.. all the pumps and powerheads are inside the tank except the one in the power filter.

Just to clarify, everything but everything I've read in books and online recommends temps between like 74 to 79 degrees, but you're saying that up to 85 is ok??? Is this true for corals and inverts too, as I plan some day to go that route if I find that I can keep fish alive?

Thanks for your quick reply!!!

any additional ideas are DEFINITELY welcome too! BTW about how much could I expect to pay for a chiller anyhow?
 
Chillers will run from $100 to more than $500, depending on the brand and size. But, as mentioned, 81 is just fine for FO or reef tanks.

For fans--aim them to blow across the water. This will increase evaporation, so you'll want to monitor your SG and add FW to compensate. But, I'd wait to see how removing the glass top works out. I run MH on my reef, no glass top, with a canopy and a single fan, and the temp stays steady at 78 with no problems.
 
Be carefull with the fans though, saltwater and electricity do not mix. If you need to do some maintenece then unplug the fans first!! I learned this the hard way. some water splashed up on the cannopy fan while i was changing water. I poped the breaker on the outlet strip...
 
This is my new favorite place!!! :cool2: I've been reading other posts in addition to the quick, friendly, and helpful ones to my own. You people people rock! Someday I'll know enough to help a newb out too!

Very best regards to each and every one of you.

:cool2:
 
thanks Wasga! I'm glad I bought a GFCI strip for just that reason. I TRY to remember stuff like that but...

Anyhow, yeah, you caught me on the "coldest places in the country" thing.. I was meaning IN GENERAL, not specifically for our one week of summer weather each year :-) I live in SE Michigan (Redford) btw.

Didn't we have frost warnings like 2 weeks ago? LOL
 
Bobindy1 said:
Just to clarify, everything but everything I've read in books and online recommends temps between like 74 to 79 degrees, but you're saying that up to 85 is ok??? Is this true for corals and inverts too, as I plan some day to go that route if I find that I can keep fish alive?
Click to expand...
There is actually huge debate about this. Some people believe that reef tanks are too cool if they're below 80. Others think 76 is optimal. My corals don't notice if the temp is about 84, but the motnipora start to bleach above 85.

Given my choice, I would keep the tank at 78-80, but I have no interest in adding the extra expense, electrical demand and clutter of a chiller. The corals don't mind.
 
hmmm snow at the beginning of may and 90° temps at the end. Im in Saginaw btw. Are there any good shops down there? The choices here are limited.
 
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