Looking for temp experiences

[Liam]

I am looking for peoples temp level experiences,i am converting my basement system to a system with the display on the first floor and a sump in the basement.
My question is to help me work out return pump size.
I will be using 3x250 DE on icecaps and 2x 6 foot vho's,i will have a 100/150 gallon stock tank for a sump.There will be a little heat from 2 tunzes and even less from a sequence dart.
My house has no ac,the canopy will be cooled by 4 5 inch fans and i run my lights at night.
I am trying to avoid electric hungry return pumps and having to pump through my chiller will not help the situation.I could always run a seperate loop with my chiller in to my frag tank but i was hoping to run that off a return.
Do you think i will need the chiller?

TIA

 

[Ray]

Right now I have no fans running on my system but I do have AC in the room with the display tank and my tank runs between 79.8 and 82.7
You might get away with not needing one with fans on the sump and frag tank as well as in the canopy

Ray

 

[Liam]

Right now I have no fans running on my system but I do have AC in the room with the display tank and my tank runs between 79.8 and 82.7
You might get away with not needing one with fans on the sump and frag tank as well as in the canopy

Ray

Hi Ray,yeah i'm hoping the large surface area of fan cooled water in the basement which is pretty cool anyway will suffice.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I have a 125g display with 3 250's, cooled by a 30g sump & 75g frag tank.
The frag tank only has about 55g of water due to a DSB
My tank only went up to 82 yesterday - no fans, canopy closed
I installed a window A/C yesterday to cool the house down - 79

This will be the 3rd summer running. I very rarely turn the A/C on, usually just on days were the say it will exceed 90. My tank is in the front room, and the sun hits the back of the house. When we go to work we draw the shades in the back - facing South

I'll be upgrading to the 180g at some point & replacing the 75g in the basement with the 125g
I do need to install a permanent fan in the canopy, but I haven't wanted (or needed) to blow theheat from the tank into the house. I've also opened 1/2 the canopy while at work on hot days

 

[starrfish]

Liam, both my tank and my sump are in my basement. I run 5 250w DE pendants. I don't have a chiller. My temp got up to 84 last week (I typically run 81-82) so I had to turn on the central A/C. I haven't tried running a fan across the sump - I use the A/C instead. My tank is built into a wall, so there really isn't anywere for the heat from the lights to escape. I do have a small built in fan that draws heat away from the top of the tank and vents outside, but it's obviously not strong enough. I really thought having both the tank and sump in the basement where is stays pretty cool would keep the tank cool, but that's not the case. HTH.

ps...are you doing away with the 400s?

 

[delta]

Liam I run 3-400s with over 100 gals in my basement. I run 2-4" fans

but humidity is more an issue at 80degrees high humidity i have to start using the chiller and AC

at 90 and dry my tank will hold its own.

 

[Liam]

Liam, both my tank and my sump are in my basement. I run 5 250w DE pendants. I don't have a chiller. My temp got up to 84 last week (I typically run 81-82) so I had to turn on the central A/C. I haven't tried running a fan across the sump - I use the A/C instead. My tank is built into a wall, so there really isn't anywere for the heat from the lights to escape. I do have a small built in fan that draws heat away from the top of the tank and vents outside, but it's obviously not strong enough. I really thought having both the tank and sump in the basement where is stays pretty cool would keep the tank cool, but that's not the case. HTH.

ps...are you doing away with the 400s?

yes the 400s are going,the new tank is only 24 deep so 250 de should be ok and although i love the color of the 400 radiums the growth rate is pitiful.
I too found heat can build up in the basement having your system down there.I am hoping that having the tank upstairs and having a large basement sump in a cooler basement will be more effective.

 

[Liam]

Liam I run 3-400s with over 100 gals in my basement. I run 2-4" fans

but humidity is more an issue at 80degrees high humidity i have to start using the chiller and AC

at 90 and dry my tank will hold its own.

thanks Greg,have you ever tried blowing a large fan across your sump?

 

[Liam]

I am thinking that maybe i can plumb my chiller to the side of the sump on a loop i can shiut down in cooler weather

 

[delta]

thanks Greg,have you ever tried blowing a large fan across your sump?

yup a standing fan right next to the sump works great. this even helped with the crazy humidity this spring

I got a drop in chiller so i would have to worry about another pump.

I put my return into a office black trash can and let it over flow with
the heat exchanges in the trash can.

when i first installed it i just had the heat exchange in the sump but it took way to long to cool.
i think i am going to make a box out of 2" rigid insulation to see if that increases efficiency

 

[Kevin McG]

Fan across the sump is something I am going to try also. I have 3 250's over my 180 Liam and if it wasn't for the AC in the window the tank would climb to about 83 on a really warm day.

Humidity is a bigger issue for me though, canyou place an ac unit in the room where the tank will be located?

 

[Liam]

Fan across the sump is something I am going to try also. I have 3 250's over my 180 Liam and if it wasn't for the AC in the window the tank would climb to about 83 on a really warm day.

Humidity is a bigger issue for me though, canyou place an ac unit in the room where the tank will be located?

the rooms are somewhat open plan so a window ac would be almost futile.
Your sump is'nt in a basement though Kevin is it?

Anyone ever tried running a chiller on a return,a 12 foot drop may keep the flow through going?
May be too much resistance in the chiller though

 

[ryanreef]

depends on how much of the water in this entire system wil be inthe basement, what the pumps give off for heat and such, and whats ur desired temp?

 

[Kevin McG]

Your sump is'nt in a basement though Kevin is it?

My whole system is, I live in a split entry house(raised ranch) and the tank is in the lower level. That room down there was extremely cool in the summer but that changed when the tank went in. The room is still pretty cool but without AC I think there woul be a major problem on the very warm days.

 

[Liam]

depends on how much of the water in this entire system wil be inthe basement, what the pumps give off for heat and such, and whats ur desired temp?

pumps are listed in the original post as is sump volume,hoping for around 80 degrees

 

[Kevin McG]

I think what you want to do is possible Liam, even without a chiller. Going from memory that downstairs you have was pretty cool. Just be prepared with a backup cooling source.

Hell you are good at building stuff, create a little shack outside for that chiller and plumb it outside Won't get rid of the excess $$ to run the chiller but would be cool

 

[~Flighty~]

i ran mine with the stock tank and fuge in the basement and was struggling to keep it cool. The best thing seemed to be to turn a fan on blowing at the light fixture. Now with the big container, heat problems are not a problem.

Keep in mind, if your basement heats up, you might have problems. We would always have issues in the past when the kids would leeve the door to the basement open on a humid day.

 

[Liam]

i ran mine with the stock tank and fuge in the basement and was struggling to keep it cool. The best thing seemed to be to turn a fan on blowing at the light fixture. Now with the big container, heat problems are not a problem.

Keep in mind, if your basement heats up, you might have problems. We would always have issues in the past when the kids would leeve the door to the basement open on a humid day.

thats why i don't have kids

 

[Kevin McG]

thats why i don't have kids

YET!!

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Anyone ever tried running a chiller on a return,a 12 foot drop may keep the flow through going? May be too much resistance in the chiller though

I'm wondering the same thing