What temperature do you keep your tank at?

[Aynesa]

This comes from my 'are chillers really necessary' thread, but it's more of an extension... here's a recap, I'm posting this one because I found after I'd posted the other that a poll would really be helpful, and coudln't figure out how to add one.:

The subject line is mostly an attention grabber, I know chillers are necessary in most systems, but I'm wondering about *all*. I think they may be overused, or more specifically, I think *I* may be overusing mine.

I have a 1/4 hp inline chiller. Yes, I do run Halides. I live in Las Vegas, and because it gets so hot here, people in Vegas tend to keep their houses hotter than most other places in the country-- average is 80-85, we keep ours right at 82.

I had my chiller set to keep it at 78, which is the highest that most of the places online reccomend for most of the corals I have. I was recently told by someone locally that he keeps his tanks anywhere from 82-85 with no problems. If I kept my tank that warm, it would REALLY cut down on the amount of time this amazingly loud chiller is running in my living room. It sounds like a lawnmower sometimes, it's crazy :P I bumped it up to 80 a week ago, and my corals are showing no problems at all. I'm tempted to raise it another degree or two today.

So, my question is: How hot do you guys keep your tanks, and how do your corals react to it? Are there any reasons to keep the water so cold? I'm hearing alot of reasons to RAISE the temperature... I'm wondering if my chiller is even really necessary.

[gordon2726]

For Temp control, I used a fan and a 250w heater. I keep my temp at:

Summer 79 - 81
Winter 77 - 79

[GSMguy]

77-82 depending on the temp in the room.

Chillers are definitely overused, Additionally too many tanks are closed up and cant "breathe"


evaporative cooling can be so beneficial where as running a chiller is just an expense, it doesnt add anything, with increased evap you can supplement more CA and Alk thru top up an keep the PH up.

[Aynesa]

That's what I'm thinking... Right nopw my tank is at 80 and everything is fine so far. I've had it set at 78, but then that chiller comes on, and we start talking louder in the room, the TV is turned up, etc. If the tank can comfortably sit at 82 or even higher, that would REALLY cut down on the noise and make us all more comfortable! Thus the thread(s). I really waznna cut down on chiller use

[AZDesertRat]

Actually 79-81 but you don't have a button for that.

[Aynesa]

just put in spreads, sorry. Guess that goes to show you can't please everyone PIck whichever one suits you closest?

[dkh0331]

79-81 degrees

[dew2loud1]

We're just a couple hours north of you in utah, hot summers and very cold winters so our tanks will have more seasonal swing than you do.

Summer- 79-82 ( I've ran tanks consistently at 84 in the past with no problems) Fans kick on for evaporative cooling at 82 and kick off at 80, cools 600 gallon system with one box fan.

Winter- 77-81, heaters kick on at 77 ( I've ran systems in the past that have dropped to 74 at night with no problems as well.

I think we are too worried about temp swings, yeah a tank that routinely runs at 77 and hits 87 will most likely crash, but my systems have always had a lot of swing as I've never used chillers. My 180 in ohio would seasonally swing between 74 and 84 with no problems and would daily swing 6-7 degrees.

[acropora nut]

80-82 all year round.

[jlaurence32]

I think you would be safe running up to 83-84, as long as the chiller is still connected, as to not go over that. I run that temp in the summer all day.

[Aynesa]

That's what I was thinking, as long as I set the chiller so that the tank won't go over the maximum of something (and this is the maximum I'm trying to determine). Considering my house is normally at 78-80, if I could set the chiller as just an emergency backup so the tank never goes over 84, that would keep it quiet 90% of the time and I'd be okay with that. The constant rattling for 15-20 minutes at a time every couple of hours is annoying though.

[Runfrumu]

Originally posted by GSMguy
77-82 depending on the temp in the room.

Chillers are definitely overused, Additionally too many tanks are closed up and cant "breathe"


evaporative cooling can be so beneficial where as running a chiller is just an expense, it doesnt add anything, with increased evap you can supplement more CA and Alk thru top up an keep the PH up.

Wouldnt you still evaporate about the same water using a chiller to drop 2 degree's as opposed to a fan, just at a faster rate? I notice when my chiller comes the osmolator kicks on quite a bit as well.

[kiknchikn]

The only thing a chiller is useful for in my opinion is preventing a disaster, such as the AC going out during the summer or a heater going haywire (should have a temp controller for this though). Otherwise it's too expensive to run.

[GSMguy]

Originally posted by Runfrumu
Wouldnt you still evaporate about the same water using a chiller to drop 2 degree's as opposed to a fan, just at a faster rate? I notice when my chiller comes the osmolator kicks on quite a bit as well.

the only reason you would see the osmolator kick on is that your tank when it warms up it evaps more, so that the Top up needs to come on around the same time as the chiller. It is likely a coincidence.

[1628mna]

between 79.7- 80.07 believe it or not it doest swing very much except when i do water changes and even then it only dips 3-4 degrees at the most. i have an open hood to the water with fans that believe it or not helps with the temp.


mike

[ivan5105]

81-83 with no problem