Habitat - Indoor :: Large scale cooling problem...

[N4784N R4613]

I keep my 240 gallon tank in my finished basement( it is the only place I can keep it, all of the other floors can't take the weight.). The problem is, there is no air conditioning in the basement, and it stays around 76F air temperature. The tank stays about 6 degrees warmer then air temperature( I guess because of everything running in the tank, filters, lights, etc. etc.).

So my tank stays at about 82F. I have tried all of the tips. I shut off the heaters. Then I tried blowing a fan acrossed the surface of the water, it only went down to 80F. Any kind of ice, would have to be really big to lower the temp. at all, so I skipped that, And went to the water change. I changed ALL of the water, and put back in water that was 76.5F, that was about noon when I finished, and by the time there lights turned off (9:00 p.m.) IT WAS BACK UP TO 81.9F!!!!! I WAS SOOO MAD!!!!

So is a chiller my last option? And if so do you think I could make one? I was thinking about a deep-freezer with allot of hose coiled in it, and a big pound pump to push the tank water though it, without the water freezing.

What do you think?

Thanks allot,

Nathan Radle.

[megcornell]

When it gets really hot where I am I keep my lights off most of the day, the air temp is still warm enough to entice Leo to bask. I give her a few hours of light (UVA and UVB) at night or early in the am before work when my apt is coolest. I don't know what you use for basking lights but perhaps a cooler bulb would help reduce the heat. Also, give the ice a try, you could freeze some water bottles and put them in the tank.
One other option would be to put an A/C unit in the basement.
I don't know the first thing about water chillers or the set up you've proposed so I can't help you there. Personally I just do my best to keep the water cool, somedays you just can't help that it creeps up to 80.

[DavidY]

A homemade chiller would work but you may have to play around with the design to get it to work right. First off, you'll want a low volume pump so the water moves through it more slowly. You won't need to worry about it freezing since you will most likely be using some kind of plastic tubing which conducts heat very slowly. Also as long as the water is moving even a trickle, it won't freeze. Second, you will probably need like 100ft or more of tubing to get enough surface area to make much difference. IMO you're better off getting an air conditioner for your basement. It'll probably be about the same amount of electricity and money in the long run plus you'll get to benefit from it too.

[N4784N R4613]

Cool(litterlly), I guess I will have to find a way to get an ac down there. There are no windows, except two small slider ones on each side, that I don't think an ac would fit in to. Plus it is a big open room(lots to cool).

[steve]

I think both chillers and portable ACs require a vent, so they may be better options than a window AC.

I would double check your heaters and thermometers. If you're using Stealths, then there is no way to know if they are on without putting your hand in the tank. No heater I've used has always been 100% accurate, though the Ebo Jager is very close. Heaters near the filter outlet will also tend to be on more often, so you might want to place it further away if thats the case in your tank.

I've also noticed that my digital thermometers produce slightly different measurements (2 degrees off), they are the same model but one is a couple of years old. I'm not sure if age effects accuracy or if it is a manufacturing quality issue.

[N4784N R4613]

I have had the heaters off(no power to them what-soever) for nearly a mouth.

[DavidY]

Maybe your homemade chiller idea is the way to go then. I know people in the reef hobby have done similar things to keep their tanks cooler.

[steve]

What about sunlight entering the room? If there is, any chance to block it out?

[N4784N R4613]

Nope, no sunlight coming in. Both windows have think dark curtains. One of the windows is under our deck, and the other in sunk in about three feet, with ivy growing over the top cover. I could try the chiller, but now my Mom really likes the idea of me paying to install an AC that would work down there.

[scripta_elegans]

That's really odd! My house is usually about 80, but the water stays @ 76 all the time. When it got up to 90 in here, the water was still only 82. Is your basking area above the tank? If it isn't I think it helps the temp stay down in my tank. It's a 120 gallon, but I am so confused as to why it might be staying that warm!

[DavidY]

I wonder if it's the two monster FX5's he's got running on that tank. Maybe those high powered pumps are generating some serious heat.

[N4784N R4613]

Yes, the basking area is above, and the only light is though the acrylic ramp. I do think David is on to something, it could be the FX5's. I think I will buy another thermometer, just to make sure the one I have is still working properly

[DavidY]

If it is the FX5's then you may want to blow a fan on them to help dissipate any heat that's being generated by the pumps before it gets transferred to the water. Also try putting your hand on the cover of the pump housing and see if it feels hot. It would have to be pretty darn hot to have that much effect on the tank water since the pump should be in the top of the cannister and the heat should mostly rise up away from the water. Do you have your filters under the tank?

[N4784N R4613]

On the FX5's, the pump is down on the bottom of the canister. Yes, they are under the tank closed off. The only openings is the 2" holes for the hoses and cords.

[grey goose]

I've got an FX-5 in a 90 gal. The highest it gets is 79-80 and that's when it's 85-90 outside. The tank is on the second floor and on a hot day the air temps can climb to 85F easily.
Yesterday I came home from work and the air temp was 82, the water temp was 78.5, and all three were basking! Go figure.....
If I run the AC in that room overnight (I put the tank covers on), water temps drop back to 76 by morning.
Summer is always the hardest season to control tank temps.