/ Register

  1. Do you have an old account but can't access it?


    See Accessing your GIRS Account or Contact Us - We are here to help!

DIY Chiller?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by ThyRaven, May 5, 2012.

  1. ThyRaven

    ThyRaven Well-Known ReefKeeper

    919
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Well I officially hate the warmer weather.  My tank is 80 with the lights and the main DTs powerheads off and it has been like this the last couple of days.  I have the windows in the utility room where my sump is open and a high powered fan in them to push the hot wet air out of the room.  I've told my fiancee to cut back on the dry usage as well to try and get the tank temp down.  I've even been slowly adding ice to the sump to help cool it off.  I've done a water change as well.  Nothing seems to be cooling the tank.  I run and external return pump and it feels cool to the touch.  I've cleaned it out as well.  Tore apart the skimmer last night, Reef Octopus NW-100, and cleaned it up too thinking the pump was over heating.  Heaters are 100% off.  Just using the one as the temp gauge. 
    SO now I am looking at needing a chiller.  I am broke since I lost my job a couple weeks ago and really can't afford to purchase one hence the DIY in the title.  Anyone know of any plans for a cheap DIY chiller?  I was thinking about building a small radiator and plumbing a couple runs through the sump to exchange the heat from the tank water column.  I'd probably using anti freeze within my chiller.  Not sure where I'd mount the radiator.  A lot of people are using dorm size refrigerators but that would had heat to the utility room as well. I've also thought about using dry ice in a styrofoam cooler and pass the water through that but I'd need a pump to get the water moving from the sump to the chiller so again more heat being added... I think I might be sol...  Any help would be appreciated.
     
  2. ThyRaven

    ThyRaven Well-Known ReefKeeper

    919
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Forgot to mention my DT is 135 right now but in June will become 210 with 50 gallons roughly in the sump for a total of 185 now and 260 shortly. Would like to over build and have a chiller that could keep my tank around 76 with a total volume of 325 to 350 gallons.
     
  3. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    A couple fans blowing accross the surface of the water will lower it 3-5 degrees
     
  4. ThyRaven

    ThyRaven Well-Known ReefKeeper

    919
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    I three 80mm PC fans in the canopy already and a small desk fan blowing across the top of the sump.
     
  5. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    First off I'm sure your tank will be just fine getting up to 82-84 degrees as long as its not a sudden temp change. Don't freak out too much just yet. Whats the room temp where you have the tank? The tank shouldn't be more than a couple degrees higher than that. I can't believe its that hot in your basement yet. I don't remember seeing anything you have in your system that should be adding that much heat. Are you sure its not something stupid like a stuck heater, or a faulty temp probe?
    If all that checks out good then open up the canopy, keep the top open and blow a fan across the surface of the water. If that doesn't cool the tank in this kind of weather you are going to need a serious chiller this summer.
    A DIY radiator, with anti freeze, exchanging heat to an unknown location with a drastically lower temperature so it actually makes a difference in the tank temps is not something I would recommend.
    If all else fails and you're convinced you need one I have an ugly drop in chiller sitting in the basement that might still work.
     
  6. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    ^ plus 1 to black runner

    My tank has been getting to 82-83 I unplugged my heater. I haven't noticed any ill effects on any of my corals sps,lps or softies. my fish are all still happy too. I have a 60 cube with an open top and AI's over it, my house doesnt get above 77 so I tried to find the source as well. I turned my skimmer off and the tank dropped two degrees overnight. I also think my UV turbotwist might be adding some heat as well so ill turn that off and see what happens. good luck
     
  7. ThyRaven

    ThyRaven Well-Known ReefKeeper

    919
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Heathers are unplugged. Using the temp sensor from the one heater to figure out the temp of the water.

    Found part of my problem... Part of the ducting for the dryer was disconnected shooting the heat from the dryer back into the utility room. I have 2 dehumidifiers (3 liters each) running and I dump them both twice a day so major evap.

    I have 3 fans in the canopy and the top hatches are open. I also have a small deck fan blowing over the sump.

    I was under the impression that saltwater tanks needed to be between 73 and 78 and anything hotter would cause problems with live stock and alage growth.
     
  8. softieatheart

    softieatheart Inactive User

    196
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I had a powerhead going bad awhile back that was heating my tank up.
     
  9. erayk1 Well-Known ReefKeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    981
    Coralville, IA
    Ratings:
    +35 / 0 / -0
    This is just my opinion, but I wouldn't be unplugging my heaters if I were you guys, unless they are malfunctioning that is. What temp are they set to? My house is kept at about 74 degrees and if I took my heaters offline, my tank would drop somewhere around 71-72.... Water typically is always cooler than the ambient air temp. So all I'm saying is your tanks could easily have pretty significant temp swings by leaving the heaters unplugged. Just my two cents. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

    Good luck finding the heat source!
     
  10. erayk1 Well-Known ReefKeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    981
    Coralville, IA
    Ratings:
    +35 / 0 / -0
    Also, what is the ambient temp of the rooms the tanks are in?
     
  11. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    this time of year my room doesnt drop below 77 or so.
     
  12. Brandon9400

    Brandon9400

    233
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    this time of year my room doesnt drop below 77 or so.
     
  13. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0



    If you are judging your tank temp by the sensor on the heater, you are going to be in a world of trouble.  They are rarely reliable and accurate .




    Many people normally run their tanks at 80 degrees.  It speeds up the metabolism of everything in your tank though.
     
  14. Troy

    Troy Experienced Reefkeeper

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    One cheap thing I used to do is freeze RO water in 2 liter bottles, and put in the sump. Its not the best fix, but works. Just keep a few extra so you can replaces the thawed ones with frozen, and then refreeze. I would remove the canopy and get a few more fans running over the surface water in the DT. Just watch the temp and don't let it swing to much to fast.

    Good luck, this is always a hard time to keep the tank at temp.
     
  15. erayk1 Well-Known ReefKeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    981
    Coralville, IA
    Ratings:
    +35 / 0 / -0
    I agree with xroads complete about not using the heater as a temp gauge. I had one that was a good couple degrees off.
    Troy also had a good "quick-fix" for those times when it heats up in a room and your in a pinch. But like I said before, watch those temp swings.
    Get some fans to blow over the surface of the display, it should help you out.
     
  16. Tholton33

    Tholton33 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    537
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    My heater is extremely far from telling me the exact temp of the tank. I have 2 different thermometers In my system. At least 1 digital and one old fashioned. One in my dt and the other in the sump
     
  17. Kpotter2 Expert Reefkeeper

    North liberty, IA
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    Just leave your tank temps alone reefers. The temp swings will not kill them. In nature temp swing happen all the time and more and more in the summer times. Please don't unplug your heaters you are just asking for problems. If you see the Temps going up make sure nothing else is doing it as this case with this post. IE heater vent. We are all seeing tank temp swings right now with windows open and air not on yet. My basement is around10 dagree cooler then my upstairs and I am still seeing my temp up 2 degrees from normal. Everything seems fine. Most of our common corals come from Your fish will just want to eat more.
    Also since most aquarium corals are collected from the Indo Pacific and the Caribbean where the water temperatures are routinely between 85 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit, perhaps you may not need to get too concerned as long as your tank temps do not rise above this level.
    http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aquariummaintenancecare/a/reeftanktemp.htm
    Just my 2 cents
     
  18. nrenn Well-Known ReefKeeper

    311
    Waverly, Iowa
    Ratings:
    +29 / 0 / -0
    I have switched my lights to come on at night when it is cooler and my MP10s to be on sleep mode during the day. Makes it a bit tricky to sleep (tank is in my room) but keeps things a bit more stable
     
  19. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Since the original topic was DIY chillers I will throw in my half a cent (I can't throw in two since I don't know enough about them).

    I toyed with the idea of making a DIY chiller and did some pretty extensive research (as far as I could get on forums as well as talk to a buddy who is in thermal engineering). The bottom line is it is pretty cost prohibitive to do it right. By that I mean it is literally cheaper to just buy a chiller made for this very purpose than to build your own.

    Unless your tank is severely overheating, fans should do wonders, as some have mentioned.
     
  20. Bela

    Bela Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I follow you about the lights, but not so much about the MP10s. I would think that they would add very minimal heat (about as close to none as one can get) being that the motor is actually external.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.