Cooling a nano

[lordroad]

I have yet to find a fan that would sit above my tank and blow air onto the water's surface, and things are starting to heat up here. I have a couple ideas I'd like to run by...

1. Floating ice cubes in a ziplock bag in my hang on the back filter. I'm actually trying this right now. The ice melted fast... I'm wondering if this is good for keeping the temp stable at 78-79 in the daytime, or if I would have to change out the ice every hour or so to make it efficient. If that's the case, no way.

2. An small ice-pack, wrapped heavily in ziplock bags, placed in the HOB. I'd have about three on hand to change out, changing out twice or three times a day. My concern about this is the chemicals in the pack and possible leeching or rupturing out. Even wrapped in three or four ziplock bags, do you think this would be safe?

 

[1979camaro]

are you having that much trouble with the temperature? (well thats a stupid question, obviously you are) how many degress is it changing and over what time period? how hot is it getting? how far above the tank is your light fixture? this is the 96w PC right?

in the long run, ice or freezer packs will not be good solutions

 

[lordroad]

Well, not yet, but things will heat up pretty fast. Last summer, when it was freshwater, the tank got to 83 degrees.

So far the temp. has risen to 80, and this happened yesterday. Took the course of the whole day to reach 80. It usually stays right at 78 (I have an accurate heater).

The light is 2.5 inches above the water, and it is indeed the 96 PC light.

Good news is the light isn't heating up the water too terribly at all, thanks to it being suspended. In fact, I think my old 15 watt fluorescent heated up the water column more than this one.

Problem with the fan is I need a small model with a clamp. Here's a shot of the setup when both were freshwater... the sw tank is now on the bottom.

 

[lordroad]

Oh, and here's what it looks like now, with a better view of my stand.

 

[1979camaro]

so about 2-5 degrees per day. if you lower the temp to 77 overnight then it should hit 79-82 daytime which will keep you in the safe range all the times, but 83 is really just fine too in my opinion as long as it cools back down in the evenings.

i am leary of fans on tanks because they increase the evaporation rates dramatically and this is, naturally, especially problematic on nanos

 

[lordroad]

Cool, thanks Camaro.

 

[1979camaro]

glad to be of service...and the tank is looking good...do you plan to add more LR or keep it how it is?

 

[lordroad]

Well, my plan is keep the live rock as is for now... it's about ten pounds, very porous and loaded with bacteria, plus coraline algae on one of the pieces. But I intend to get some frags, pieces of rock with mushrooms and zoos on them, when I'm ready for coral.

I joined a local reef society and guys are always selling/trading frags.

 

[1979camaro]

that is a really good first step...generally there are folks willing to give people little frags of mushrooms and zoanthids absolutely free for their first tank (at least in my local club) and the prices you can get from club folks are almost always better than at the LFS

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I just want to say good looking tank Thats the light you ordered right? Nice!

 

[lordroad]

Thanks C-Man. Yeah, that's the light. I am very pleased with it... and what a deal I got at hellolights. 88 for the whole fixture with bulbls, 103 with shipping and tax.