Cooling/Heating suggestions for a 24gal Nano

F

F00jin

I havent aquired a thermometer yet so I am not quite sure exactly how hot my tank has been getting. But by the touch, I can tell its definitly not around 77 degrees (which I hear is the prefered temperature for a reef tank). My temperature fluctuates because I am having to top off my tank about every morning (while the lights are off) with about room temperature, maybe a little lower, water. (and I dont have an auto top off system) I was topping off twice a day before I just recently made a plexy glass cover for the tank to reduce evaporation and heat. My pretty new MH lighting I am assuming is generating a little too much heat for my 24gal. Temperature seems fine by the touch for most of the time but when its almost time for my lights to turn off at night, I can tell the water is pretty hot. Please list some suggestions on how to keep my tank at a constant, good temperature. If I need to buy a chiller thats fine but if there is a cheaper solution to this problem that would be great. The only flow I am getting in my tank is from the pretty standard, rio+ 600 pump that I am using that has a splitter going into 2 seperate directions (one breaking the surface, the other at a downward angle). I am thinking on purchasing a little nano koralia for extra flow overall but was wondering also if that would help cool my tank at all.
If it is a chiller that I need to look into, please list some good kinds for a 24gal reef system that arent so bulky.
Thanks in advance!
-AJ
 
Grab a thermometer first. MH in a nano is going to need something to keep it cooler for sure. If you're only a few degrees up during your light period there's no need to get a chiller though. There are plenty of cooling options, most popular is a fan on the surface of the water...
 
Ditch the plexi-glass cover, its a bad idea. Its better to evaporate more water and by covering your tank your hindering oxygen exchange. If you cant keep your tank cool by fans and evaporation, then it would be cheaper to go with a different lighting system like T5's, rather than Metal Halide and a chiller. Especially so for a 24 gallon tank. Do get a accurate thermometer and heater and even 80 degree's temp is fine. Hands arent very reliable for determining temps. Its all about keeping your tank at a consistent temperature and not so much about a certain degree, although the lower range might be better. Keeping your salinity at a stable level will be the best. Without a top off it can change quite a bit between fresh ro/di water replenishments. What salinity are you keeping your tank at? 1.026 is fairly common for reefs.
 
no one has mentioned LEDs yet? You could ditch the MH and go with an LED retrofit. No heat, little energy usage and comparable to MH. If you are DIY savvy, you can do something similar to Pete:
http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=100&t=67695&start=120

There's another thread that someone posted where he built his own 6 LED fixture for a nano tank. I can't remember where it is though, if I find it I'll post it here
 
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