WMAS Discussion Forum : help tank is at 83+ http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:02:41 +0000 Sat, 18 May 2013 18:35:49 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.03 360 www.utahreefs.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=64380 <![CDATA[WMAS Discussion Forum]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/1by1.gif http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/ <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : This morning... all was back to...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523580&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523580 Author: justchillinuno
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 18 2013 at 6:35pm

This morning... all was back to 76.1. And ac is keeping everything cool.]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 18:35:49 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523580&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523580 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : Aloha,Still at ~78? By morning...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523372&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523372 Author: Mark Peterson
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 17 2013 at 3:51am

Aloha,

Still at ~78? By morning the tank should have been much closer to room temperature. One night is all it takes for a tank to cool down to it's lowest temperature which will be room temperature or maybe 1 degree above due to heat from pumps. Something with this doesn't feel right to me. The tank should be cooler than that. The heater set point may have migrated up (it happens), or the warmth of summer will require that the heater be set lower. Yes, summer warmth tends to warm our tanks above where they were comfortably running through the winter.

Some hobbyists are a little hesitant to unplug the heater. They needn't be. It won't hurt anything. I don't worry about it getting too cold at this time of year. I've had many reef aquariums temporarily down to my personal minimum temp of 65 with absolutely no ill effects on coral or fish. (In fact, the cool temperature makes the water physically hold more dissolved Oxygen which actually prolongs the time that coral and fish can survive a power outage/cold temps.) I set up a tank once where the tank, livestock and all 150 gals of replacement/fill water had been moved from SLC to St. George during the winter. By the time it arrived, everything was just below 60 degrees. We heated it slowly and to our amazement the next day everything was happy. I maintained that tank for a year afterwards. There were no losses associated with the cool move.

Okay, with the heater unplugged, if the morning temperature is between 70-75, that's it. No other action is required. Yes, really. The risks associated with overheating are just too great and a base temperature at 75 or lower will help prevent overheating later in the day. In the fall when you plug the heater back in, adjust the set point back down to 75.

On the other hand... with the heater unplugged, if the morning temp is still over 75 that means a fan is needed to prevent overheating later in the day. The simplest way to begin is to place a small clip-on fan pointed at a 45 degree angle to the water. Plug the fan into the same timer as the lights(use a three-way outlet splitter or power strip plugged into the timer). Then check the temperature and adjust the angle of the fan to make sure the afternoon/evening temperature is around 78.
Of course you could use a temperature sensor and automatic switch as suggested above, but a fan that comes on with the lights, angled at the water is fail proof. Smile

Mahalo,
Mark Hug
]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 03:51:03 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523372&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523372 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : My house was 85 for the day as...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523323&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523323 Author: justchillinuno
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 3:34pm

My house was 85 for the day as in this awesome change from snow to warm we didnt flip the switch... my tanks usually are at 76.1 steady as thats where the heater heats too... today when i woke up it was 77.9 so i left the lights off to help keep it cool, house AC is set to 75 at the warmest throughout the day... The tank is in the livingroom which has a window that faces north... it is also about 3 feet away from my thermostat... 

Will keep updates coming... and thank you for the info!
]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 15:34:33 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523323&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523323 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : this is a good single controller...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523321&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523321 Author: ajsahm
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 2:59pm

this is a good single controller set the temp for it to come on and done. :)  Would be a good controller for a little fan. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 14:59:54 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523321&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523321 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : +1 to what Mark has said....]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523313&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523313 Author: Bryce
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 1:03pm

+1 to what Mark has said. Also how long is it/ was it at 83? if its just peaking at 83 at a point in the day it seems like fans could cool this down via evaporation as others have suggested. If you start at 78 with lights off I would try fans and see if it can keep it at least to 82-83 but if your house gets much hotter you might run into problems if your tank gets up to 85-86 from a morning start of 78 (high fluctuation). Can you set any pumps to only run at night on reactors, skimmers, etc assuming your house and tank are cooler at night?Also what are you using to get the reading? I have found that thermometers can give different readings even across the same brand, I dont have fancy probes but I have 3 floating ones and 2 stick on ones and they all give slighly different readings and I kinda figure the true temp is kinda in the middle.

Edited by Bryce - May 16 2013 at 1:12pm]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 13:03:12 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523313&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523313 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : Aloha Justin,Sounds like either...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523299&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523299 Author: Mark Peterson
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 10:39am

Aloha Justin,

Sounds like either the heater has too high of a set point or the pumps are heating up the water.
Question's
Have you unplugged the heater?
What is the temperature of the room?
Does this room receive any direct sunlight?
Is there room for a clip-on fan in the hood or the sump?

Mahalo for answering my questions.
Mark Hug

]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 10:39:58 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523299&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523299 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : temp in tank this morning is at...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523293&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523293 Author: justchillinuno
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 9:16am

temp in tank this morning is at 77.9. Decided to leave the lights off again today to let it get a lil lower! will return to normal lighting tomorrow as i can monitor over the weekend!]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 09:16:01 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523293&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523293 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : Aloha,Or more simply, just plug...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523279&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523279 Author: Mark Peterson
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 16 2013 at 7:38am

Aloha,

Or more simply, just plug the fan(s) in with the lights, then find what angle to position the fan(s) so the tank doesn't overcool.
Overcool? Yes, fans pointing straight down at the water with ample room for hot humid air to escape, can drop tank temperature more than 10 degrees. This can cause the heater to keep turning on. The angle of the fan on the water controls the degree of cooling.

That brings up another point. It works very well when heaters are set for 75 degrees. This gives room for a rise in temp without getting too hot. That said, I actually unplug heaters from now until October.

Mahalo,
Mark Hug


Edited by Mark Peterson - May 16 2013 at 7:39am]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 07:38:33 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523279&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523279 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : You can use a ranco controller...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523243&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523243 Author: laynframe
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 15 2013 at 6:10pm

You can use a ranco controller for fan control, they are all over eBay. A dual control from Ranco will control both heaters and fans/chillers]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 18:10:27 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523243&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523243 <![CDATA[help tank is at 83+ : Yeah I have mine all programmed...]]> http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523227&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523227 Author: fishyman19
Subject: 64380
Posted: May 15 2013 at 3:00pm

Yeah I have mine all programmed with the lights as well. I set their temps a little higher before they shut off though, because it stays off for about 30 minutes and most of my fish go to sleep when my blues go off so if it goes off before hand it screws with them lol. But yeah I have both my lights heater and fan programmed in. The next thing I want to get it my pumps, but I needed a few other things to get that going. It all programs into an app on my phone so when I'm on vacation I don't worry so much. So nice.]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:11 +0000 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64380&PID=523227&title=help-tank-is-at-83#523227