Chiller question

xlayedoutx

Reefing newb
How many of you guys have to run a chiller for your tank. I had another guy on another site tell me that after having all the equipment that I need I'd be lucky if I didn't need a chiller. I didn't think I was getting all that much equipment just what was needed to get the tank running. He was talking about the return pump, skimmer, sump, UV sterilizer and power heads. He said with all that running that the water temp would increase a lot and that a chiller would be needed. What do you guys think. Isn't that all just basic stuff.
 
a chiller is needed when you cannot keep your water temperature between 78 and 82. normally lighting (metal halide ) heat up a tank and chillers are needed. so you will have to see what happens when you fire up the system. fans overt the sump water and over the tank water help dissipate heat. so air movement is important. chiller only if needed to keep temp. in acceptable range. need not yet determined, but may very well be required.
 
Thanks for the insight. This question bugged me all day so after work I ran down the road to my LFS, he's the saltwater expert in the area. He's be in my area running saltwater tanks for 30 years (so he knows what our average temp is) and said that he has never had to run a chiller in that time frame on any of his own tanks. He said he knows people locally that have to run chillers, but its because they have big huge lighting systems. Like thousands of watts. Mine is only 456 watts plus its an open top system so he said he doesn't see a problem at all, didn't see a problem with a canapy either as long as I added a few fans. None of his reef tanks at his store run chillers either. Really put my mind at ease hearing that from him. Like you said and he agreed its all about air movement, so with the open top, fans built into the lighting, location of the tank (coolest room in the house), and the a/c set between 78 and 80 it looks like I'm going to be perfectly fine. I'll keep you all updated though.
 
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