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Whater Temps dropped over the weekend :(

m3fan8ic

By m3fan8ic,
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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

I am not sure what happened, I know it got really cold over the weekend and snow didn't help either. My sump is in the basement/crawl space where I have 3 heathers in different chambers of the sump to just ensure that water temps stays between 78-80F. Saturday morning I noticed that it was dropped to 68F, my corals didn't like it and fish were hiding. I added another heater in my main display to bring the temps back up. It's gradually coming up but still not where it suppose to be. What's other way I can try to bring the temps up? Can I add hot water slowly? I don't have anymore heater to add :(..

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Der ABT Oracle Reefer

Der ABT

(edited)

Rather then adding more hot water, get some plastic bags (like fish bags) and add hot water to them and float them, just make sure they dont have leakes.

 

Ive done this before when the power was out for 3 days in a 75 gal. luckily it was inside but it still got colder.

 

Beauty is you can keep changing the bags out with new hot water and hot have to change the tank chem too much,

sorry to hear about the troubles. only other thing i can think of is a space heater in the crawl space next to the sump, that will be alot of electricity but if you get one of the ones with a thermostat or can plug it into a controller it would offer a little help.

 

good luck

Edited by Der ABT
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dshnarw Grandmaster Reefer

dshnarw

if you haven't already, put insulation - styrofoam or other solid insulation - around the sump and over the top of it. styrofoam sheets are just a few bucks at home depot.

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Coral Hind Neptune Reefer

Coral Hind

if you haven't already, put insulation - styrofoam or other solid insulation - around the sump and over the top of it. styrofoam sheets are just a few bucks at home depot.

 

Good idea. You could also wrap the pipes in insulation.

 

What temp is the area surrounding your sump?

 

Definately check the heaters as Jon mentioned to make sure they are working.

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Coral Hind Neptune Reefer

Coral Hind

You can also increase your lights an hour. The heat from the lights will help to heat the tank.

 

If you need another heater let me know. I have a 250w stealth you can borrow.

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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

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Thanks for your suggestions ... I will try the bags w/hot water. I know that heaters are on and working. I don't have space heater either. 75gl sump + 144gl DT is alot of water to bring temps back to normal.

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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

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You can also increase your lights an hour. The heat from the lights will help to heat the tank.

 

If you need another heater let me know. I have a 250w stealth you can borrow.

 

I've already increased the hours of my MH and my sump lights...

Where in Alexandria are you?

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Der ABT Oracle Reefer

Der ABT

Thanks for your suggestions ... I will try the bags w/hot water. I know that heaters are on and working. I don't have space heater either. 75gl sump + 144gl DT is alot of water to bring temps back to normal.

 

I actually have a 400w glass heater that you could borrow as well, im in arlington and about 15 min for Coral Hind. I use it for water changes but just did a huge one so i shouldnt need it for a while.

 

Let me know if it would help

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lanman Oracle Reefer

lanman

Do you have any closed heat vents in the 'basement/crawl space'??? It would up your heating bill, but you could pump some heat down there. Got down to ZERO in Manassas last night.

 

Before I got the fish tanks, I used to leave all the vents closed in the basement. It got COLD. Now I have the vents partially open to help keep tank temps up in the winter, and down in the summer.

 

bob

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Inspector Starfish

Inspector

Sorry to hear about it. I've got the same problem. I have two extra 250w heaters hung in the tank where they have good water flow across them realy has helped out at night. I only have one 500w heater in the sump, I think I might have to double the sump wattage.

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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

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I want to Thank Der ABT(Evan) and Coral Hind (David) for letting me barrow their heaters yesterday. The tems are coming back up slowly which is what I want to do so that I don't shock the live stock. I am going to order another heater today to just have it as a backup for situations like this. I thought by having 3 heaters would be enough but I thought wrong I guess.. Maybe they are getting old and not functioning properly..

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions and help.

you guys Rock!!

Sid

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trockafella Oracle Reefer

trockafella

Why not just put a space heater in there on a timer, set to coordinate with your lights going off and throughout the night, its only for a couple more months, and cant possibly use more energy than 3-5 heaters.. Just my .02..

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Der ABT Oracle Reefer

Der ABT

Glad the heaters are working hopefully you dont loose anything, sorry to only say hello for two minutes but im sure we will meet again, wouldnt mind seeing your tank anyways haha. I bet the styrafoam would do wonders if you sealed it up with tape to "great stuff" (the expanding foam)

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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

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Why not just put a space heater in there on a timer, set to coordinate with your lights going off and throughout the night, its only for a couple more months, and cant possibly use more energy than 3-5 heaters.. Just my .02..

 

Travis,

I thought about space heater but I've heard many horror stories about them and I think I want to stay away from that route especially since this will be in crawl space and out of sight.

 

Glad the heaters are working hopefully you dont loose anything, sorry to only say hello for two minutes but im sure we will meet again, wouldnt mind seeing your tank anyways haha. I bet the styrafoam would do wonders if you sealed it up with tape to "great stuff" (the expanding foam)

 

Evan sorry for the quick meet as we didn't get to talk yesterday and I had to run up, wish the parking was little better.. I don't like those vamoose buses that block our entrace and take away little parking spots.. I hope to meet you again maybe on the track or autocross ;) or if you are in springfield/burke area just hit me up. My tank is not what it use to be since the invasion of aptesia but I still like the tank with all kinds of stuff growing in it hehe.. thanks again.

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m3fan8ic Master Reefer

m3fan8ic

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What's the ambient air temperature in the crawlspace?

 

Not sure but it's not feezing cold.. I have sump light and not air coming in.

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zygote2k Neptune Reefer

zygote2k

Well if for instance the crawlspace is 40 degrees, then no matter how much you heat the water, there is going to be a noticable drop in water temp when part of the water volume is in cold air and part of it is in warm air.

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