I added a fan that blows across the surface and light fixture. It's
staying cooler, but evaporation is higher too. I doubt that's a long
term solution given my locale, but it will hold me until next month.

--Kurt


Wayne Sallee wrote:
Yep, fans do a great job of cooling the water. I prefer to put it over
the tank instead of the sump for 2 reasons.
(1) more surface area to evaporate
(2) fan in sump can tend to get salt spray into the air.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



sdsdevelopment wrote on 1/12/2007 8:11 PM:
"KurtG" wrote in message
...
If it's not one thing, then it's another...

I came home this evening and my tanks temp was pushing 86.4. Ouch.

I turned off one MH, turned on the AC, and have a fan on the tank.
It's starting to cool off, but what now? Chiller? Any other tricks?

--Kurt

Kurt,
Try one of the 6" clip on fans blowing over a sump if you have one. I
use 2-250 watt MH and 2 VHO actinics on my 65 and 90 and with 2 fans
in canopy and one blowing over my sump and I never have a heat
problem. I do have a 1/10hp chiller just in case though. Tanks stay at
78-80 max even in the summer. On our 29 frag tank we do have a heat
issue with 1 MH but a bigger fan helped.
Water surface cooling does wonders for dropping tank temp but also
accelerates evaporation