Please help with temperature

[FishFreak]

I have 72 watts on my 12 gallon NC and the temp. is 84 degrees. How do I lower the temp. besides buying a chiller?

 

Please help

[reef n ale]

Need more info Freak. Whats the ambient temp? What temp is your heater set to?

 

Rob

[FishFreak]

My heater is set to around 80-81 degrees. I want the temp/ to be around 81-82.

[reef n ale]

Ambient temp? Is this a DX model or OG? What pump/pumps?

 

Rob

[FishFreak]

WHat do you mean ambient temp? This is DX with stock pump and maxi-jet 600. WHen the moonlights are on at night it goes down to about 82. I just checked temps and it was at 84.9!

[reef n ale]

Ambient temp would be the room temp(surrounding air temp). 84.9 would make me a little uncomfortable. Also, are you sure your thermometer is accurate?

 

Rob

[FishFreak]

The thermometer is digital and shows the correct temp in my 20 gallon. I will try to move the probe to a different spot to see if there are any changes. My room temp. is around 75 because it is up stairs and no windows in the room to keep the temp. down.

[ProFlatlander15]

you could add CPU fans

[FishFreak]

Where do you buy them and how do you attach them?

[ProFlatlander15]

u can get them anywhere...radioshack, maybe walmart, online, do a search for CPU fan. you wire them to an AC adapter and plug it in. i don't have a nano-cube so i don't kno where to mount them but my guess is in the lighting area, because that is where the ehat will most likely be comming from

[FishFreak]

Does any one have an easier way? I am not good at mounting, wiring etc

[reef n ale]

For a quick fix, have you tried running with just one pump? That may knock it down a couple of degrees until you figure this out. Upstairs with no windows in North Carolina? Won't that room get much hotter with summer coming up?

 

Rob

[FishFreak]

It was justhot today because the air wasn't on. It is on now and lights are off and temp. is at 83. I have tried with only 1 pump and didn't help.

[shao-lin nano]

try leaving the "feeding lid" open. if that doesn't work, get a clip-on desktop fan and have it blowing from above at the open lid...it'll increase evap but may help lower a little and increase surface disturbance for better airation.

[oceangurl]

i put frozen water bottles in to keep my tank temp down on hot days, it's a bit ghetto but does the job.

 

[shao-lin nano]

oceangurl:

i've tried that before long time ago. but i noticed that the quick drop in temp shocks the inhabitants. the temp drops quick but rises just as quick don't you think?

 

have you noticed your animals unhappy when you do this?

[Web Guy]

A simple stand up fan from Target for $12.99 solved my issues. I am upgrading stock fans this weekend with a power adapter to see if that will cure it and I can take the fan away. But for a simple fix use a 12" stand up fan. On low it dropped my temps by 2 degrees setting about 2ft away pointing to the back and side of the tank.

[taekwondodo]

Radio shack carries 3 and 4" 120V fans... I have a 3" in my FW tank (220PC over my 55G w/plants) and a 4" in the 20H Nano I am putting together. Screwed into my hoods.... made a world of difference in my 55.

 

The fan, plus a $2.00 extension cord, some crimp-connectors and some heat-shrink and voiala!

 

- Jeff

[dga]

Originally posted by FishFreak

The thermometer is digital and shows the correct temp in my 20 gallon. I will try to move the probe to a different spot to see if there are any changes. My room temp. is around 75 because it is up stairs and no windows in the room to keep the temp. down.

 

to double check temp of your water it is always a good idea to use more than one source of thermometer. i have 2 digitals in my 12 gal both within .2 degrees of each other. i checked them with 2 different glass thermometers to average any discrepancies.

[artarmon42]

Originally posted by FishFreak

My heater is set to around 80-81 degrees. I want the temp/ to be around 81-82.

 

Originally posted by FishFreak

WHen the moonlights are on at night it goes down to about 82. I just checked temps and it was at 84.9!

 

My Ebo-Jager (so you know it's not some cheapo heater) is "set" to 77, but it kicks in when the temp drops to 78.4 and quickly bounces the temperature to 79.4-79.6 before switching off. So, even though my heater is technically set to 77, it really keeps the temp around 79.

 

So with a heater set to 80-81, your night temp of 82 doesn't sound that unusual to me.

 

 

If your overnight temp is 82, a high of 85 would represent an 3 degree rise over the course of your photo period. A rise of 2 degrees over an 8 hour photo period wouldn't be that unusual. If the ambient temp was hot, a rise of 3 degrees wouldn't be surprising either.

 

 

Try setting your heater temp to be lower, and then the daytime high will be lower.

[CraigRoss]

JBJ told me my heating issues were related to aiming the outlet nozzle at the water surface. Supposedly that mixes the hot water throughout the tank. That may be so, but didnt help mine at all. I too had a temp of around 85F. Through process of elimination I found that the stock pump generated to much heat. When I replaced it with a minijet 606 the temp dropped to 80F. Every time I try to add an extra pump for circulation inside the tank the temp goes back up (even when using a very small 60gph). JBJ agreed to warranty the pump with no problem, but I dont plan on using it. I'll just have to run one pump unless the fan trick works enough to try adding another pump.

[R1]

I would try this cooling system if it works for a 70w MH I'm sure it will work for you.

 

artarmon42

Nano Reefer

 

Registered: Feb 2004

Location: San Jose, CA

Online

Phase 1 of 2  

The first phase should take up to 3 hours. If you're relatively handy, it can take as little as 45 minutes.

 

1) Detach the hood from the Nano Cube.

2) Remove the splashguard, and the proceed to gut it. Remove everything, including the reflector, fans, and wires for the stock PC lighting.

 

3) Using the high-temperature epoxy, glue the MH kit's DE Bulb Socket directly to the hood.

 

4) Follow the MH installation/wiring instructions that came with the retro kit. Don't forget to install the bulb and the UV glass shield!

5) In place of the stock fans, install 2 of the new fans. These fans need to be positioned so that it will blow air OUT THE TOP of the hood.

6) Using the wire-stripper, wire nuts and electrical tape, connect the 2 rear fans to one variable voltage adapter. Set the voltage at 7.5V.

7) Using the screw-holes that held the stock reflector in place, install 2 of the new fans. These fans should be positioned to blow air TOWARDS the splashguard.

8 ) Using the wire-stripper, wire nuts and electrical tape, connect the 2 front fans to another variable voltage adapter. Set the voltage at 7.5V.

9) You can be extra-neat in dressing the wires by tying them together (to streamline airflow) and threadding it through the rear holes that used to channel the stock PC lighting wires. When done, the hood should look something like this:

 

10) Test the fans by plugging in each voltage adapter.

11) After verifying that the UV glass is in place, test the MH by plugging in the power. NOTE: Never look directly into the light... temporary or permanent blindness can occur!

12) Power everything down, reinstall the splashguard, and then reattach the hood to the Nano Cube.

13) Phase 1 is complete.

 

The system is now ready for a "burn-in" test.  

NOTE: Both voltage adapters (that power the 4 fans) must remain ON at all times. Insufficient cooling (especially after MH has turned off, but while it is still hot) will warp/melt the splashguard.

 

As instructed in the MH retro kit, the tank must be acclimatized to MH over a period of days. Start with a 2-hour photo period, and increase it by half-an-hour for the next 4 days, then increase it by an hour per day until the desired photo duration is reached (e.g. it should take 9 days to get to a full 8 hour photo period).

NOTE: Improper acclimatization will damage/kill tank inhabitants.

 

Until Phase 2 of this mod is complete, keep the front (feeding) flap open. This will avoid a rapid rise in tank temperature, as there is insufficient cooling of the tank until the second phase is done.

 

 

Running the system for the first 2 hours, there should be noticeably warm air being exhausted out the rear/top vents. Closely monitor the system: feeling the temperature of the top of the hood, looking for signs of warp on the splashguard, making sure the water temperature doesn't go up more than 3 degrees in the first 3 hours. Increase the voltage settings on one or both of the adapters additional hood cooling effects.  

NOTE: Lowering the voltage settings is not recommended as insufficient cooling will warp/melt the splashguard over time.

[HobokenAddict]

I agree with the cpu fan method, blowing directly onto the top of the water, easy to do, and really good at cooling via water evap. Just make sure you set up a good auto topoff water system or have ro/di water for topping off.

[Web Guy]

JBJ told me that it was normal my tank ran at 83 degrees. I set on the phone and argued with them but nothing they told me or more like the lack of what they told me helped. Only people in the forum helped me. I have to say they were not very helpful at all.

[oceangurl]

shao-lin: I did this on my 28 gallon tank, and no issues with rapid drops/rises in temp. I could see how that maybe an issue on a smaller tank tho. For my tank I switched the bottles out 3 times a day in the trickle filter compartment, and it maintained a fairly constant temp. For the long term, adding in a fan or two would be a better option, but the frozen bottles made for an easy quick fix last summer. =)