180 update

[razermouse]

Hello everyone!

I've been very busy with our move to Houston, new job, etc. I wanted to give an update on our 180 reef.

I ordered 240 pounds of rock and 180 pounds of sand from TBS and Richard sent the first part of our order on Saturday. As usual, the quality of his rock is unbelievable. He sent us one rock that was easily over 100 pounds. It took our entire family of four to get the rock into the tank. So far, we've seen three starfish, many snails, a small flame scallop and two sea cucumbers. Not to mention all of the corraline growth and various aquatic plants on the rocks themselves.

The temperature of the water stays around 81-84 degrees because of the lights and pumps. Before I start putting more livestock into the tank, I wanted to put that out there and see if anyone else runs their tank that warm. I'd really rather not buy a chiller if I can avoid it. We normally keep the thermostat on 73-75 during the summers.

I'll take and post some pictures when I get a chance.

Steve

[ErikH]

Fans would be the easiest fix for your temperature issues. Are you running a sump??

[razermouse]

Yes, I have a sump with a built-in refugium. I have two pumps and the return for the skimmer plumbed into the end via bulk heads.

[ErikH]

Yeah, some Fans from Altex should set you straight. You can run them via USB cables and a USB hub, to power 4 or whatever the hub has ports for. This way there is only 1 plug to the outlet for four fans. If you strip a usb cable, all you have to do is connect the USBs red and black with the fans red and black. I have one now that is only running two fans, but it has yet to make it to the tank. I am lazy...

[razermouse]

So do you put them over the tank or the refugium? And if on the tank, how do you secure them so that they don't fall in?

[ErikH]

you could run them lengthwise across the tank or sump... I am going to build a housing for mine, but what I plan on doing is securing them to a piece of plexi and using a PLASTIC C-Clamp to hold the plexi to the tank.

[crossxfire2]

Even though it really is a personal decision to decide whether they should run above the tank or above the sump, but I would go with running them on the sump. Why? Because it will show less equipment up top. I always strive to show the least amount of equipment possible, because equipment always tends to distract my friends from the inhabitants! But just make sure there is a way for fresh air to get below the tank!

[clone]

nice way of saying that crossxfire,i'm with him

[DBlackman]

I have gone through the 'Fan' scenario and let me tell you... its a pain in the *****. I was replacing evaporated water, minimum of every 10 hours in my Auto-top off reserver. I was going through 20 -25 gallons a week on my 120 gallon. Several times I would come home to a 'bubble-storm' in the tank, due to not adding enough 'Top-off' water to the sump.

I had positioned two 7" fans to blow between two 250w HQI and the surface of the water, to include a 6" 'clip-on' fan to blow across the sump. I was able to purchase a used JBJ 1/3 HP Chiller and couldn't been more happier.

Don't mean to be a 'Dark Cloud'... and hope that you are successful in the 'Fan-cooling' concept.

Derek

[SoLiD]

I'd save my pennies, nickels, dimes, & quarters to purchase a chiller in the near future. Almost everyone in South Texas with a reef tank above 55g will need one. Most of us are going to spend more money cooling our house\apartment just to compensate for a hot tank. You might use that to argue your case when you tell your girlfriend\wife that you want to buy one.

-David