Tips for Cooling Small Tanks

[MaeganWink]

Hey everyone,

 

I wanted to know if anyone had any good tips for cooling smaller tanks during the warm months? My large classroom system has a chiller, but I wouldn't be able to buy a chiller for every single tank I have, especially the really small ones. Right now all I've come up with is frozen RO water in the smaller systems to bring the temperatures back down...

EDIT: And yes, I know ice cubes will lower the salinity. I've just been doing that instead of a top off while I freeze some water bottles instead. 

Edited May 17, 2021 by MaeganWink

[DaJMasta]

You can probably use a temperature controller for a fan pointed at the surface of the water, to increase evaporation and cooling that way.  Would use up ATO water faster, and there is a limit to how cool that can make it, but it should give you at least a few degrees of headway.

 

Depending on how long it's hot for, you can also probably work something out to turn off or dim the lights when it gets the hottest, or even just add a cooling fan to the hood of the tank if it has one.  A lot of the heat coming in is going to be from lighting, so if the room ambient temperature isn't too high, just venting the excess may be sufficient.

[menglish]

what temp is the tank running?

Does the tank have a lid?

[MaeganWink]

The two smaller tanks are running at about 80 degrees right now...I try to keep them at about 76-77. They do both have hoods with lights built in.

[menglish]

80 is not bad.

My biocube at work runs in that range. What i have done to help is to crack the lid open about 2 inches to help with ventilation.  i do not use a heater in the tank and its doing well

[DaJMasta]

Even a relatively small vent in a lid can make a big difference, basically the heat rises but is held in pretty well by most built in hoods, I don't know if there's a convenient spot, but even something like half a dozen quarter inch holes drilled in the highest spot could drop it a full degree - just allowing something to escape through the relatively sealed barrier will keep as much of the light heat from staying in the tank and would even slightly increase evaporation.

[lowsingle]

Evaporation cooling via a fan is the easiest and controllable way to go

 

Darren