# How warm is too warm for a Planted Tank?



## MeuserLeaf (Dec 26, 2006)

Ive looked and looked... and cant find a Chiller in the budget! LOL


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

29 C and above. Most plant is still doing OK but algae outbreak is unstoppable.


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## MeuserLeaf (Dec 26, 2006)

yxberia said:


> 29 C and above. Most plant is still doing OK but algae outbreak is unstoppable.


Thats what I was afraid of... My reef tank is often 85 degrees (29.4 Celsius) but that is w/ 300w of MH lighting. Im only planning 100w on a 30 gallon PT so hopefully I can keep it to around 80 (26.6 C) (fingers crossed).

Are you 100% that the heat is the cause of the algae? Are you running pressurized co2?


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## T-Bone (Nov 23, 2005)

If your crafty I belive there are some DIY chillers in the DIY forum. An old beer fridge should do the trick. I'm not that crafty so I don't know how, but I'm sure there are some there.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Most of the time a chiller isn't needed for a planted tank. A fan blowing across the water will usually lower the temperature by several degrees. It increases evaporation rates a bit, but in the long run it's so much more energy efficient.


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

MeuserLeaf said:


> Thats what I was afraid of... My reef tank is often 85 degrees (29.4 Celsius) but that is w/ 300w of MH lighting. Im only planning 100w on a 30 gallon PT so hopefully I can keep it to around 80 (26.6 C) (fingers crossed).
> 
> Are you 100% that the heat is the cause of the algae? Are you running pressurized co2?


Yes I am quite sure about this. 
The hotter tank with just 30 watt x 4 FL with double fan cooling ALWAYS catches algae. I have another bigger tank with chiller just few inches away from that hotter tank. The chiller temperature is set to 27 C and I have no serious algae issue at all. Both tank share a pressurized CO2, pH 6.2 - 6.5.


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## MeuserLeaf (Dec 26, 2006)

guaiac_boy said:


> Most of the time a chiller isn't needed for a planted tank. A fan blowing across the water will usually lower the temperature by several degrees. It increases evaporation rates a bit, but in the long run it's so much more energy efficient.


I think this is the route that Im going to take, at least at first. The PC fans are great for this application and are cheap on Ebay. Im still debating if I really want to setup a sump on my 30 gallon. It would enable me to point the fans directly at the water above the sump but I understand that, unlike the saltwater side of the hobby, too much disturbance of the waters surface will allow too much co2 to escape. I like the overflow design because it keeps the evaporation hidden from sight (along with all of the other equipment).

I dont have PT yet... Just reading and asking questions... you all know the drill!

Thanks


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I run metal halides and T-5's above my 180g tank with no heat issues at all. They're in a wide-open custom hood and are situated about 10-12" up from the water. This provides plenty of air circulation around the lights even without a fan. Over a 10 hour lighting cycle the temp goes from 74F to 75F. You can accomplish the same thing by suspending any one of the pre-fabricated lighting fixtures above an open-top tank.

I have another 46g tank with a VERY tight glass/lexan combination cover. This tank uses an encolsed DIY hood which uses several spiral CF's. They shine through the lexan cover. The whole thing sits directly on the lexan cover. I use a 4" 120VAC fan for this tank that I got from an electronics supply center. The most important requirement IMO is to find one that runs very quietly. Mine is perfectly silent unless you're right next to it and still moves tons of air past the lights. This tank will vary between 76 and 78F during a 11-hour photoperiod.


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## MeuserLeaf (Dec 26, 2006)

My only problem is that I really dont like the open top style (too much light leak into my living room) and the room is already warm (wife has thin skin). I will work with what I have and figure it out. I do have an old mini-fridge......


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