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Tank Too HOT
- Thread starter Brid96
- Start date
Scuba_Dave
Non-member
Not sure, most of those are very low power & not meant to run all the time
It may burn out
Maybe better with an Iceprobe
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_chillers_coolworks_iceprobe.asp?CartId=
But $160 with controller, A/C maybe better
It may burn out
Maybe better with an Iceprobe
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_chillers_coolworks_iceprobe.asp?CartId=
But $160 with controller, A/C maybe better
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Kiah
Non-member
Strip the inside of the frig out, find a container that just fits inside of it, fill it with water and cool the whole thing down (now won't run all the time). Prior to this dril a small inlet and small outlet hole through the frig. Get some plastic hose and coil as much as you can in the water - inlet / outlet go thru the small holes. Seal the holes. Experiment with pump flow to see how fast / slow to run to get the cooling you need, (or do the math for hose length and flow rate). Use a non-aquarium temp controller (cheaper) from a beer making web site to tuen pump on and off.
Would be cheaper to run than a chiller but inital cost for that small a tank?not sure?
Would be cheaper to run than a chiller but inital cost for that small a tank?not sure?
dave601m
Non-member
that little fridge and some DIY work will befine for your application, since its thermoelectric. it is the same type of thing as the iceprobe, it can be left running continuously with no adverse effects. just make sure if it doesn't come with a cooling fan you use one on the hot side. they're also very cheap to run, but they aren't all that powerful, but it may cool your tank a degree or two.
OP
OP
Brid96
Non-member
Lights Problems
Hey I was planning on taking the small fridge and spooling tubing in the inside with an input and an output. The problem occurs when my lights are on, i was thinking of working otu the flow and having the pump running it on the same timer as the lights....
Brian
Hey I was planning on taking the small fridge and spooling tubing in the inside with an input and an output. The problem occurs when my lights are on, i was thinking of working otu the flow and having the pump running it on the same timer as the lights....
Brian
Scuba_Dave
Non-member
I assume you have a heater in there too
So that should help keep it from overcooling hopefully
I would start it up in the AM when you are home (weekend?)
That way you will have a full day to monitor
The problem as I see it is, depending upon how hot the day is - you will have different colloing results
Nice tank - you built that didn't you? Or did you buy it?
So that should help keep it from overcooling hopefully
I would start it up in the AM when you are home (weekend?)
That way you will have a full day to monitor
The problem as I see it is, depending upon how hot the day is - you will have different colloing results
Nice tank - you built that didn't you? Or did you buy it?
Try putting a small fan aimed at the water surface. It will ripple the water and cool it down a few degrees. I have my fan connected to the timer on my metal halides. When they turn on, the fan turns on. Keeps the temp right where I want it for the daytime and also moves the water around a bit.
It is a cheap solution to try before getting fancy with equipment.
It is a cheap solution to try before getting fancy with equipment.
naturebatslast
Senior Toad Licker
I think it's a DIY, shelf mounted(?). It is nice.
I'd just use a regular medium size fan, and encourage in and outflow from the hood.
I'd just use a regular medium size fan, and encourage in and outflow from the hood.
OP
OP
Brid96
Non-member
Cool me Down
Yea Gustavo (Neo) did the acrylic and I built the rest of it. 48" x 12" x 5"
I was hoping that the mini fridge would be more cost effective than running my AC all day. I am blowing a fan across the front of the tank now.. That seems to have helped. It is covered so I cant blow it across the water. It is a wall mounted unit in my bedroom that I rent so I dont have alot of options as far as a sump goes. I was really hoping that I could hide the mini fridge in the corner and use a little pump (prefferably in the fridge) to get the water to cool down.
Brian
Yea Gustavo (Neo) did the acrylic and I built the rest of it. 48" x 12" x 5"
I was hoping that the mini fridge would be more cost effective than running my AC all day. I am blowing a fan across the front of the tank now.. That seems to have helped. It is covered so I cant blow it across the water. It is a wall mounted unit in my bedroom that I rent so I dont have alot of options as far as a sump goes. I was really hoping that I could hide the mini fridge in the corner and use a little pump (prefferably in the fridge) to get the water to cool down.
Brian
"It is covered so I cant blow it across the water"
Is that saying the tank is covered? If so that could be a major part of the heat issue. Evaporative cooling really does make a big difference (My industrial strength vent fan cools my 180G system a solid 3 degrees), is there any way you can uncover the tank? Maybe cover with egg crate or plastic screen if you have potential jumpers?
Another idea could be to add a remote stock tank or other good sized vessel with some extra gallons and a cooling fan?
*edit; just re-read. For a 12G display you could cool a lot by just adding a fan cooled rubbermaid tub. It could be pretty simple, just elevate the tub, install a bulkhead with a drain set up that will flow back down to the tank or sump, and use even a small pump to send water into the tub. Blow a 12" fan across it and you will see a good temp drop.
How much do you evaporate per day now?
Is that saying the tank is covered? If so that could be a major part of the heat issue. Evaporative cooling really does make a big difference (My industrial strength vent fan cools my 180G system a solid 3 degrees), is there any way you can uncover the tank? Maybe cover with egg crate or plastic screen if you have potential jumpers?
Another idea could be to add a remote stock tank or other good sized vessel with some extra gallons and a cooling fan?
*edit; just re-read. For a 12G display you could cool a lot by just adding a fan cooled rubbermaid tub. It could be pretty simple, just elevate the tub, install a bulkhead with a drain set up that will flow back down to the tank or sump, and use even a small pump to send water into the tub. Blow a 12" fan across it and you will see a good temp drop.
How much do you evaporate per day now?
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OP
OP
Brid96
Non-member
Top Off
I top off with a 2 quart pitcher every couple of days..
I have 2 small fans installed into the hood for ventilation so it is not a closed system. Removing or raising the top would certainly help solve the problem but it would ruin alot of the asthetic design I put into this tank
The hood comes over the front of the tank to hide the pumps and the built in filter. But there isnt much point in good asthetics if you cant keep anything in it.. I dont know about the pheasability of doing a seperate tank or container because it is in my bedroom. If i cant find a good solution I may look into doing a floor mounted stand for it rather then the bookshelf stand, then I could have ANOTHER 
cutom tank made to use as a sump for cooling and filtration. Then it won't be a wall mount anymore, Me and my darn asthetics 
I top off with a 2 quart pitcher every couple of days..
I have 2 small fans installed into the hood for ventilation so it is not a closed system. Removing or raising the top would certainly help solve the problem but it would ruin alot of the asthetic design I put into this tank
The hood comes over the front of the tank to hide the pumps and the built in filter. But there isnt much point in good asthetics if you cant keep anything in it.. I dont know about the pheasability of doing a seperate tank or container because it is in my bedroom. If i cant find a good solution I may look into doing a floor mounted stand for it rather then the bookshelf stand, then I could have ANOTHER cutom tank made to use as a sump for cooling and filtration. Then it won't be a wall mount anymore, Me and my darn asthetics 
RichConley
Attack of the Killer Cute
smcnally said:
Steve, the thing is, most of the minifridge chillers are compressor driven, so they burn out, this is peltier driven, so it wont burn out. Will it be effective? I have no idea.
Maybe I'm confused, by covered are we talking about the tank being covered by the canopy, or covered meaning glass or acrylic covering the top of the tank so that the tank can't evaporate?
If it's just covered by the canopy, then by all means there are ways to increase the air circulation and increase evaporation. You already have vent fans on the canopy, so even adding another small fan inside the canopy and blowing across the water would probabally make at least some difference.
If it's just covered by the canopy, then by all means there are ways to increase the air circulation and increase evaporation. You already have vent fans on the canopy, so even adding another small fan inside the canopy and blowing across the water would probabally make at least some difference.
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