Tank getting a bit warm

[bkhunt]

90g reef with sump --- total water approx 100g
reef octupus skimmer
mag drive 7 return
2 rio power heads in tank
T5 4x54 HO
Room tempature 70.1
Tank tempature 89.8

Heater unpluged - 4 days ago
Glass tops removed - 2 days ago - replaced with gutter guard leaning on light fixture
6" fan added to blow over sump - today


What else can I do to reduce the tempature of the water in the tank?
Can I add ice to sump to cool system?
Where can all the heat be coming from?

Thanks

[RA]

Are you sure your tank temperature gauge is reading correctly? At 89.8 things would be dying.

[sedor]

I agree...the equipment you listed would not the raise the temp that much. Something is off with the gauge.

[bellis31]

Definitely test your thermometer against another working thermometer, then go from there.

[bkhunt]

I will stop at petco when I go out later this afternoon, I am sure they have something. I sure hope it is just that, because the temp is coming off the controler for the heater.

[OwenReefin]

Ya that is off for sure, do you have a closed canopy? I have 4 T5's and I added a fan to the canopy for evaporation cooling, it really works well. I know that they are not that hot but it works well, try it.

[bkhunt]

I do not have a canopy, just the light above the tank. I did have glass tops but removed them. I have open the doors on the stand in hope of even more air flow.

[TruReef]

I prefer a digital thermometer that are used for food applications, I work in the restaurant business. You can get one at just about any grocery store in the grille section, with the charcoal and grille scrapers. It can be used on cold or hot applications and is very accurate. One way to test accuracy is to fill a cup 2/3's with ice and 1/3 water, have the ice level above the water. Then put the thermometer in there and let sit a min. The temp should be 32 degrees. Now use this temp as your benchmark to calibrate any other thermometers in your tank....Do Not try this calibration method with your aquarium thermometers as they don't read temps this low very well....I tried it with my RKL temp prob and got some weird reading.....HTH

[dunc101]

I have an Apex temperature and also a regular 2 dollar magnesium floating thermometer to compare my Apex results too. =).

[bkhunt]

Well I think I should give an update. I want to petco and got a Coralife thermometer and it is reading 74.9 currently and the controler for my heater is reading 86.6. All corals and fish are doing good except for my open brain that is all closed up. I have turned off the fan I placed above sump in hopes of warming water up a degree of two. I am debating on replacing the glass tops. I will have to contact the manufacture and see if it is covered. I hope the for $125 it will be.

[tkeracer619]

I would get a Ranco or a reef controller. Your lucky it didn't go the other way or it would have nuked your tank.

[sanchoy]

I bet you the petco one is more accurate. At 89 all livestock will be stew

[swichbeatz]

I use an old skool thermometer in the sump as a back up to my digi therm probe in main system. If it goes at least I can reach into the sump and get another reading.

[Sk8r]

^ This. Run 2 thermometers. They're too cheap to take chances. I have a stickon that gives me a general idea and a digital for accuracy. Also touch your glass from time to time. As you gain experience, a touch can alert you to a situation.

[Tmoriarty]

Was going to say what Sk8r said... get use to what water feels like at 78/80.... I can tell from touching my tank or putting my hand in my water what my tank is approximately at. Also I completly agree with running two thermometers (I have three). I run one in the sump that is part of a Titatanium heater setup but is remote away from the heater. And one on each side of the tank (just to make sure they match pretty closely.

They are always off from eachother a total of approx 1 degrees but it still makes a difference knowing if one is way off I can look at another. Another piece of advice I would give is do not run a heater that will heat your whole water volumn, instead run two that combined will heat it. This way if one malfuncitons on it doesnt have the ability to heat your water 15 degrees above ambient. Heaters are known to fail, putting two in place of one helps prevent the possiblity of them failing in a way that will crash your tank.

[TruReef]

I've had 4 coralife thermometers in the same tank at the same time to test accuracy, they all had different temps.....some as much as 3 degrees over and some 2 degrees under... I don't trust those at all.....