AC..... the best investment for a reefer.

HAWKS12thMAN

NWKRC THUG!
I live in the great northwest, aside from all the rain the weather is pretty reasonable here. Its only spring and my house never gets over 82 deg until late July or early August. This is the first summer my tank will go through inhabited. Last summer it was cycling until fall.
My girlfrend, daughter and myself all went on a week long vaction over memorial day weekend. The weather report looked cool and beautiful, so I had no worries(last time I trust the local news stations). My neighbors were kind enough to watch over my house and fish. All my lights are on timers so all they had to do was feed them once in a while. By all means this is not there fault its just a freak accident.
While we were gone the temperature spiked to over 90 deg. We were in a place were I couldnt get cell reception so I never checked in with my neighbors. Guess who doesnt have an air conditioner......ME. We're not the richest people in the world and we didnt budget buying an AC until the middle of June.
Long story short...... When we got home we found our tank at 89.8 deg. Many soft corals and inverts dead..... but all the fish were fine, weird huh.
I am writing this for a reason. I found a quick way to combat heat until you can afford an AC or chillier. I froze a dozen water bottles without the label on them. I drop them in my tank (or if you have a sump) 3 at a time during the hottest part of the day. They melt in about half an hour. I repeat this procedure until I get the tank to a reasonable temp. I sounds crazy but really works if your in a pinch.
 
sorry to hear that...i live in the tropical and here is hell..my tank gets up somtimes to 92f..thats why i dont have fancy corals..only zoas..tropical zoas are well adapted to high temps...in the near future, ill set up a new tank and a chiller will be the first add..good tip of the frozen bottles..good luck!!
 
Bottled ice does work great for a chiller in a pinch.During the summer,I got a window fan plugged into my timer so that it comes on when the lights do.That way my tanks stay right at 79 degrees,sometimes 80.

Whats the going rate for an HVAC system up there Hawk?I do heat and air myself.
 
I rent a duplex so im gunna get a window unit. Its scares me though becuse it makes it so easy to break in. I guess its just as easy to break glass as it is plexie-glass though.
 
I set my tank up in the basement / sports room. One of the reasons I did was because of the summer heat. I figured it was easier to raise the temperture then to lower it. Thanks for the info about the ice bottles I have that listed under how to lower temperture.
 
Hawk,When you put your window unit in,just shoot a couple of 3 inch sheetrock screws threw the sides of the cabinet into the window seal.Then if you decide to move,just pull the screws and fill the holes with wood putty.
 
A fan pointed at the water surface can work wonders at lowering the temperature of your tank... it increases evaporation which will lower the temperature.

Just another idea.
Brandon
 
Thanks for all the tips. I forgot to mention I also refridgerate all of my top off water. I lose about 3/4 of a gallon a day in the heat. That kicks it down a degree.
 
Thanks for all the tips. I forgot to mention I also refridgerate all of my top off water. I lose about 3/4 of a gallon a day in the heat. That kicks it down a degree.
sucks man, well you know how it is here. good ol ac keeps my room at a constant 68 so im sittin pretty. and better yet my roommate pays the bill!
 
I rent a duplex so im gunna get a window unit. Its scares me though becuse it makes it so easy to break in. I guess its just as easy to break glass as it is plexie-glass though.


I have centeral AIR ~

but have delt in window units Trust me they will not want to move a window unit or open a window that one is in they are rather heavy

I have a window unit in my shed that is not in use anymore
maby we could work out a deal !
 
I have centeral AIR ~

but have delt in window units Trust me they will not want to move a window unit or open a window that one is in they are rather heavy

I have a window unit in my shed that is not in use anymore
maby we could work out a deal !

Thanks for the offer but im sure shipping from kentucky is about the same as buying one up here. As for people breaking in, well..... lets just say Im gunna start keeping one loaded in the chamber!:mrgreen:
 
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