New to ATL - dealing with heat and humidity?

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rb647

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Hi everyone,

I'm moving to Atlanta in a few months. I haven't lived in the South before. Are there any special considerations regarding reefs and the heat/humidity? I'm not sure if my reef will be in a room that's constantly air conditioned. Do any of you find that chillers installed outdoors are a necessity?

My reef is only 75 gallons and I use LED's so the heat generated is easily managed up North, but I have no idea what to expect in Georgia.

Also, power outages in Atlanta are pretty rare, right? As far as I know, extreme storms are rare in the area.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to the south(soon)! For humidity and heat related to humidity- try a dehumidifier.
 
thanks! but just so you know, dehumidifiers actually create a lot of heat. A dehumidifier is essentially an air conditioner that's not vented to outdoors.
 
Where are you from?

I've lived in the south all my life. It's just a custom to run the AC from April-October, so i haven't had too many heating issues.
 
thanks for the info! I am from Chicago, so I was not aware of that. Good to know. So y'all don't have too many heat-related issues because you also live in the rooms that your tanks are in? makes sense!
 
Fwiw, I run metal halides. I have a fan blowing across the top of the tank and the temp stays between 74-76°. I generally keep the basement around 72° year round.
 
We do have our share of thunderstorms from April till ? and power outages to go with them. Welcome to Georgia!
 
Welcome South Brother! (WSB). IMHO, you have to plan on AC from April through October. It's a challenge every year to see how long I can keep it off, but never make it too far into April. You are definitely going to have some power outages, but they usually don't last too long. Much more prone to the power being out in the winter if we get an ice storm. What part of Atlanta are you moving to? If you need any information on the different areas, don't be afraid to ask. I always have liked Chicago, except for the fact that it is in Chicago :)
 
I'll be living in the Northeast corner, right by Emory. Thanks for your help guys. Seems like I don't need to worry too much about the heat.
 
Welcome to Atlanta! I'm from Chicago myself!

+1 to what the others said. AC on virtually constantly from May to September for me. The biggest temp challenge for me maintaining my reef is around now to when the AC goes on. You need to watch your temps carefully. However, with LEDs you may not have much trouble...

I have a 1HP chiller on my system and I mounted it outdoors in its own little open sided shed. I figure why pay to remove the heat from the tank with the chiller only to put it into the home and pay to remove it from the home with the AC.
 
interesting that you should mention the outdoor chiller. I was just coming to the conclusion that an outdoor chiller is the best solution. Well, except for a DIY chiller with outdoor compressor and indoor heat exchanger, but that's only worth the effort for a bigger system.

i was reading that an outdoor chiller might not work too well when it gets really hot outside. what are your thoughts on this?
 
The hotter it gets the less efficient it will be. But having said that, it will not get too hot for it to be of use. Any refrigerations system works on the principle that once compressed the gas is much hotter than the outside air temp and therefore is able to expell the heat to the atmosphere.
 
My two cents, I have a ceiling fan in the room with my tank. When its hot I open the lid and let the draft hit the surface and it helps. (Plus I also use LEDs and yes they rock.) I have to top the tank off with water nightly but temp stays fine without a chiller.
 
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