water temp too hot, how do i fix????

[futureman]

i just set up a new 38g tank that came with a compact flourescent fixture hood deal. pretty good buy, but the problem is that it's got my water temp at a steady 82 degrees.

anybody have an idea of how to fix this without buying a chiller?

[matt]

There's no problem with 82F; it's actually pretty close to the natural temperature of most of the corals you're likely to keep. Next summer, though, you could have some problems. Common solutions are to put a fan on your sump if you have one, or cooling fans across the top of the tank. Most hoods that put out a lot of heat have fans in them; if you can't modify your hood for fans, try just blowing one across the top of the tank.

[futureman]

thanks for the advice! i guess i was just a bit concerned, because all the info i've read says it recommends a temp of 72-78. but if 82 is ok, then i'm good to go.

[Tim Marvin]

I like 78-82. Like Matt said fans usually do the trick.

[GaryP]

72-78? Maybe for fresh water, but not salt. 78-82 is good for Salt.

Gary

[Polkster13]

If the hood has a flip up top in front of the bulb, you could try flipping the lid open during the day and at night when the lights are off, close the lid. This will allow a lot of the heat to escape. I have to prop open the lid on my 135 gallon or the power compacts will over heat the tank. A fan will work as well, but be aware that this will cause a lot of evaporation and you will need to monitor the salinty level of the tank carefully as this is a very small tank and fluctuations will happen very rapidly. Also, it would be better if the fan is not connected to the tank in any way as salt creep will kill anything electronic like that very quickly (speaking from experience).

[Richard]

I've seen some books recommend temps that low. In south texas 82 is fine.