Reducing Evap

[skriz]

The coralife one is junk. To test it, submerge the probe in ice water (not touching the ice). It should read 32 degrees. Boiling H2O should read 212 deg (don't know if it'll read that high). It's safe to test the low point. If it's off by a lot, then it's giving you a false reading.

I would buy a glass model to check your temp.

 

[kirru]

thanks skriz, going to test soon.

ok, i will look for alternatives. such a waist, they need to come out with a good one.

 

[weaglereefer]

Hmm, my roommate works at an auto parts store, and they have those laser guns that tell the temp of whatever the laser is pointed at. Wonder if that would work...

 

[kirru]

I dunno, i could get my dad to bring his home. i think we had two at one time, one for his work and one for me and my nitro R/C cars, and to torture that cats and dog and fish

 

[kirru]

Looks to be about 7-8* off of 32. had to go down to 39.9 then to 38 then back up a little.

 

[skriz]

That's not good. That means that your tank could possibly be 88 degrees! ouch!

 

[kirru]

either that or it is colder than i think. i haven't seen any bad effects so i am going with the observation that it is ok. i am going to stop and get one of those stick on thermometers, guess the crystal one and attach directly to the display on the side. that should be accurate right?

 

[skriz]

Test whatever thermometer you buy with the water method; it'll tell you how accurate it is with a quickness.

 

[lilrobb]

The stick on ones are as good as my finger - they SUCK.

(If y'all promise not to tell the wifey:

I use my sons infrared thermometer - it's like the one mentioned point at source (designed for ear) and 'shoot')


Robb

 

[kirru]

haha, ok, i'll test to be sure. lilrob, i wont tell, quite funny though

 

[weaglereefer]

Ok, I'm gonna throw some Thermodynamics in here. You can have water that's 32 degrees and not ice, but a glass of ice water will not be 32 degrees. As long as there is solid ice in water, the temperature of the water will decrease torward 32 degrees, the temperature of the ice will not increase, and the ice will melt. THE WATER WILL NOT BE 32 DEGREES. It's very likely that the thermometer is correct.

 

[lilrobb]

But the difference in temperature should be neglectable - we're talking 0,75°C here... (ice water to 0°C)

 

[weaglereefer]

No, it won't be. If you put hot water out of the tap into a glass of ice water, the water will not be 32 degrees. It will begin cooling until either it reaches 32 degrees or the ice melts, at which time, the temp will begin moving towards room temperature. Now if you put a glass of water in the freezer and remove it just before the water turns to ice, it will be at/near/possibly a few 10th's of a degree below freezing, and that would be accurate, but a glass of ice water will not be 32 degrees. If it was, ice would not melt.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Evaporation isnt a bad thing at all. It is necessary. If the tank is at the temp you are shoooting for, youll have to deal with it, or invest in another cooling method.

 

[dannybradley]

ares;291405 wrote:
theres almost no chance that your themometer reads ~5 degrees high

Being that it is a coralife thermometer, there is a very good chance that it is not providing an accurate reading. I've seen 4 next to each other all giving different temps, within a range of 6 degrees. I pulled one off of a client's tank that was off by 8 degrees.

au01st;291394 wrote: Ok, I'm gonna throw some Thermodynamics in here. You can have water that's 32 degrees and not ice, but a glass of ice water will not be 32 degrees. As long as there is solid ice in water, the temperature of the water will decrease torward 32 degrees, the temperature of the ice will not increase, and the ice will melt. THE WATER WILL NOT BE 32 DEGREES. It's very likely that the thermometer is correct.

Great, but you're competely missing the point. We're not trying to find a median temperature here. We're working with a known(or close to) to establish if his thermometer is calibrated. And as far as not 32 degrees, please see my picture. This was done with a heater I know to be accurate, as it was verified by me. It's not 32, but it's close. If it were using a Ti probe, and not a plastic probe, I assure you that it would be even closer.

We can see that, if he had enough ice in the water it will cool within at least one degree of 32, meaning his heater is off by at least 7 degrees.
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>

>

class="gc-images" title="0216091706a.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a> </fieldset>

 

[kirru]

Wow, such a heated debate. i was using a small paper cup with a handful and a half of fridge ice and i used the water from the fridge as well.

I keep the basement, in which my room and tank are located at 70 during the winter, and the summer too but it is a digital programmed thermostat which adjust when I am not at home, i think it goes to 62 in the winter and 68 during the summer.

i am going to retest the coralife again just to see the results and maybe a couple of more times and get an average. i didn't get to stop for another today so i will soon.

judging by the tank inhabitants I don't think my tank's temperature is either to high or to low as everything in it is acting normal and corals are happy, fish, and what few inverts I have.

 

[kirru]

Also, in conjuction to acroholics evap amount test, i will top off with a one gallon jug to measure how much water evaps in a day, will be measured at 8:45pm tonight.

 

[acroholic]

Kirru;291707 wrote: Also, in conjuction to acroholics evap amount test, i will top off with a one gallon jug to measure how much water evaps in a day, will be measured at 8:45pm tonight.

I was just about to ask about the evaporation amount. You may have a bit to figure in with your protein skimmer loss as well (what is in the collection cup), depending on if you skim wet or dry, but that is probably not too much.
Dave

 

[kirru]

I don't think I skim to wet but there is a tiny bit of water in the collection cup, maybe a 1/4" but it drains to a 2litre bottle if it get to high, i don't want to skim wet but would rather skim dry. however the skimmer I am using I borrowed from flyingarmy till i can get one so i don't know much about it and how to adjust and such.

I've taken a few pics so you can see the set-up

 

[kirru]

Ok, i forgot to post but I use 1 and a 1/4 gallons of water a day due to evap.