How high of a temp would you be willing to go before intervening?

My trick to keep it cool is turning on the fan at the same time as the light. That way I never let it create enough heat.
 
You must have a mansion.
I heat and cool my 3000 to 72 around the clock because of my newborn and it’s 388$. This includes a 400gallons running on 1000w of MH and T5.
You also don’t have to cool the whole house. Just the room the tank is in is just fine.
My condo is only 1400 sq ft. It just really warms up fast and cools down slow. Maybe it is the sun exposure. Or maybe its time for a new AC unit. Congrats on your new family member.
 
The ocean is not a good example what temperature should we keep coral at.
Coral are hotter than the surrounding water due to metabolism. The wave in the ocean can carry those heat away from coral. We don’t have those big wave in our tanks.

Use a fan blowing over the surface of the tank can drop several degrees and that may be enough to keep the tank cooled.

AC is the way to go, chillers is not effective in terms of electricity usage unless you can vent it outside of the house.

I know a guy who used to keep a 220 gallon tank in his apartment and used a chiller to cool the tank and a window AC to cool the chiller. That cost him $400 a month 15 years ago.

I said why don’t you ditch the chiller. He did just that and the tank was cool and electicity bill dropped a lot.


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I have never heard that explanation before, but that makes sense as to why everyone recommends to keep the tanks cooler than the actual reefs.
 
My condo is only 1400 sq ft. It just really warms up fast and cools down slow. Maybe it is the sun exposure. Or maybe its time for a new AC unit. Congrats on your new family member.

Thanks! Yes, we reduce and avoid solar heating during the day by pulling down the shade on windows that are directly expose to the sun. It helps a lot.
Newer windows also help reduce solar heating.
 
I think my low this time of year probably is 82 or so, so 85 is probably less of a problem. However, I read that the Great Barrrier Reef corals will start bleaching with extended time at 90 degrees, so even with acclimatization, the upper limit is somewhere around 90 in otherwise perfect water. I am just sort of hoping I don'd see RTN all over the place when I get home one of these days.


I would think 85 is pushing it
 
It depends on what's your low. If your low is 76, 85 is a problem. If your low is 83, 85 is less of a problem.
It's all about the swing. Not necessary the max number.
My tank, low is 76, I have my MH turned off if it goes above 82. But the tank is in the basement with the dehumidifier running, it rarely goes beyond 80.
Ditto but mine went to at least 81...i since put the house fan on it on low and it keeps it at 77.8 roughly
 
Plus 1 on Fans.

I keep my tank at 78, a fans blowing across the top of the DT and sump. They kick on when temp reaches 78.1 and Apex turns off the main lights if the temp ever goes over 80.

I've found that keeping the room temperature @ 80 degrees and using fans works perfectly. Cooling the tank with fans works through water evaporation, so make sure you keep up with your Top-Off reservoir cause it will go down a lot quicker than when fans are not in use.

Much better deal than chillers or keeping the house temp cold.
 
Thanks to everyone for the advice and descriptions of how you regulate temps. When I got home last night, my tank temp was 84.7. So, I took the plexiglas lids off the aquarium. I directed more AC air into the tank room. This morning, the temp was down to 79. I will see what it is tonight - it will go up, but maybe less than before.
 
With my house at 72 my Biocube with a 250w MH heater gets to a whopping 78. I run the tank at 78. All I have on it is a computer fan blowing across the water ( not at it )
I use the same method. I shift my photoperiod so my halides are not on during the hottest part of the day
 
Same here, I open the canopy door on the 200 g (that is the only tank has a canopy) in summer.


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Plus 1 on Fans.

I keep my tank at 78, a fans blowing across the top of the DT and sump. They kick on when temp reaches 78.1 and Apex turns off the main lights if the temp ever goes over 80.

I've found that keeping the room temperature @ 80 degrees and using fans works perfectly. Cooling the tank with fans works through water evaporation, so make sure you keep up with your Top-Off reservoir cause it will go down a lot quicker than when fans are not in use.

Much better deal than chillers or keeping the house temp cold.
How can 80 degree air cool water to 78 degrees?
 
Plus 1 on Fans.

I keep my tank at 78, a fans blowing across the top of the DT and sump. They kick on when temp reaches 78.1 and Apex turns off the main lights if the temp ever goes over 80.

I've found that keeping the room temperature @ 80 degrees and using fans works perfectly. Cooling the tank with fans works through water evaporation, so make sure you keep up with your Top-Off reservoir cause it will go down a lot quicker than when fans are not in use.

Much better deal than chillers or keeping the house temp cold.
How can 80 degree air cool water to 78 degrees?

With the fan and evaporation.

Cools to even a little lower. Usually tank hovers between 77.8 and 78.

If 80 degree temp with a fan blowing directly on u feels cooller right? Even cooler if u blowing over water [emoji106]

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I open my cabinet doors in summer. Even though there louverd it make a 2 degree difference
I always keep the sump cabinet open as well.

Makes a big difference. Especially when u have fans on the sump as well

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