On the rocks?

Am i the only one though using ice?
Many years ago when I just started I used to use ice. What I did was to remove a few liters of tank water, and then made half-liter sized "ice cubes" by freezing the tank water in small jugs. I then placed the ice in the sump when temperatures reached dangerous levels (+29°C), and it worked quite well - only problem was, somebody had to be at home to do this, as the tank usually reached it's highest temperature during the afternoons while I was still at work... enter long suffering wife and kids :whistling:

Hennie
 
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a chiller is one of the best investments one can make for you tank.... it takes a lot of worry out of keeping marines
 
Just a pity that chillers got so expensive these days. With everything that went up the same chiller I paid R3000 for about 8 months ago, is nearly R5500 now! Most new guys just don't have that money. I would say a fan in the right application will be the next best thing. Just remember that your evaporation will increase dramatically, and it is advised to have a auto top up unit to keep salinity constant by dripping in RO water when needed.
 
I've used ice in my tropical tank before. But that was a long time ago...
I was still in high school at the time - so i had the time to do this in the afternoons...
It worked for me.
Not sure why I've done it - seeing that the tropical fish didn't really "mind" the high temperatures. :)
 
I also sometimes used to use ice too - before I got me fans.

I just bought a 2nd fan (for my pony tank). I got a tiny (23cm) "industrial" strength blower fan (with those huge blades) for the pony tank. I cannot use the 3rd setting as my 300 litre pony tank's water becomes too cold then..... even with the temperatures outside being around the 30 to 35 degrees centigrade.....
 
Cool then another question with regards to chillers. They make so much noise and heat the house up, has anyone relocated them to the roof? I was thinking using a cls to reduce head pressure on the pump, and what happens if too little water goes into the chiller, will it like blow up?
 
Parker - I have 2 fans running on my +-870 litre reef tank, and another one on my pony tank - it works MORE than brilliant - why would you think of getting a chiller for? MY 2 tanks have the following temps:
(right now - at the moment):
Reef tank: 24
Pony tank: 23

And I had to set the fan over my pony tank down to number 1 on the 3 part setting.... the fan is 23cm in diameter......
 
Hi j, its actually not for my personal tank, its for a friends tank which i basicaly maintain i.e. 'my high tech tank'. was there today and the house was like a furnace, the guy who originally designed the system put the chiller in the bottom sump cabinet?! Made me laugh on the floor the first time i saw it lol. So the next move would b up? If possible that is, just wanted to know if people have done that? And yeah, i think fans are the way to go, we gotta save the planet one watt at a time
 
Parker - the one fan (a normal pedestal fan - is not noisy at all). The other small 23cm "industrial type" fan, is far more noisy (but FAR MORE effective) because of the design......

I think that because there are so many different fans available on the market, you MUST be able to find one that is small enough, and nearly completely silent.....

It's just that mine are not as silent - but the do not bother me, as I sleep with a HUGE industrial fan on blowing fluu blast on me - so, I am used to the noise.....
 
i used ice yesterday. i get 3 zip lock bags of RO water and freeze them incase of emergences. my tank was at 33C when i got home, chucked the ice in and it came down to 28 with the help off a fan and an airconditioner.
 
In the summer months, I'll fill 2 litre bottles with water, freeze 'em and drop in the sump. Cheap and effective, not very high tech, but it works. John
 
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