Guys with High Wattage lights..have ?

[fros97gt]

Looking at going up to a 90 Gallon tank...and the higher wattage lights to keep the hard corals and make everything else look nicer....my ? is, is a chiller required to help keep the water temp even?

 

[linda lee]

Unless you're dead set on MH lights, you might want to consider HO T-5's for your 90g and then the heat wouldn't be an issue.

90g is my future tank. T-5's is what I'll be using.

This is just an opinion and one of many, I'm sure.

 

[dakota9]

Theres a lot of unkown factors in there. How cool is the ambient temp of your house? Canapy or open top? How close will the lights be to the water surface? Can you hang a fan on the tank? Fan on the sump?

I had a 250watt MH on a 30g tank this summer, and never got over 82 degrees.

I'd set the system up as if </em>I was going to use a chiller, but be prepared to make changes if it doesn't need one.

 

[fros97gt]

Dakota9;86940 wrote: Theres a lot of unkown factors in there. How cool is the ambient temp of your house? Canapy or open top? How close will the lights be to the water surface? Can you hang a fan on the tank? Fan on the sump?

I had a 250watt MH on a 30g tank this summer, and never got over 82 degrees.

I'd set the system up as if </em>I was going to use a chiller, but be prepared to make changes if it doesn't need one.

Id like the lights to sit on top of the tank like on my 46....they sit about 3-4 inches...no canapy......tank sits on a custom counter top in kitchen...temp n house stays n 70's....i dont want to hang a ficture down from the celling

 

[jefft]

I have a 29 with sump and I use a 175 wat MH. House temp is @77 full canopy light 4" above water no chiller. Water temp stays between 79 and 81.5 F. I have a Gen-x 4100 and a Sedra 2500 pumps in my sump which adds heat, but house temp and canopy fans keep the temp in check.

 

[theplatypus]

I've got a 70w mh over a 14 gallon nano w/ canopy and temps stay around 80.

 

[skriz]

If you are going to have an open top, and the ambient temp stays in the mid to low 70's, you won't need a chiller. The more you enclose the system and the warmer your home becomes, the more you will start leaning towards wanting a chiller. Dakota offers great advice. Plan on a chiller; then if you don't need it, woo-hoo!

T5's can give you just as many heat problems as MH. Just ask Jessezm!

 

[ouling]

I don't think there is anyone here with more wattage/par than me per gallon.

I have 800W of 10K (more like 6500) on a 65 gallon 48'' long tank. The ballast is a HQI PFO ballast putting out stupid amounts of heat. I have no glass sheilding and bulbs are 3'' off the water.

<span style="color: red;">There is no need for this much light!!!! Trust me! My corals had better color with 250w!!</span>

<span style="color: black;">I have a 100 gallon sump downstairs, 3 fans pushing 1000 CFM, and a 1/3hp chiller to keep the temp at 84 degrees. Anything lower than 80 would be deliterious to my electric bill.</span>

Depending on what other equiptment you have in the tank; you will probably need a chiller unless you keep the AC very low constantly. Big fans will cool things by 2-3 degrees.