Problem cooling my reef tank

[AlfaRomeo]

Hi Guys, i have a problem with cooling the tank nowadays.

My tank is a 6*2.5*2.5 with a 3*1.5*1.5 sump.

Have 3 x 250w MH which are about 8inches off the water.

2 x 6100 tunze in the main tank at 30%-100% pulsing every 7 seconds

MD55 to power the skimmer and 2 eheim pumps as return. all pumps are external.

Currently using a 1.25Ti RR chiller.

The chiller is set at 27 degress but when the lights come on , it will slowly creep up.

Chiller is very very hot to the touch when its running. CHiller is placed in a cupboard next to the tank with its doors wide open and a floor fan blowing at it but still cannot reduce the temperature of the water

Any suggestion on how to improve cooling pls? Thanks

[Acanthurus pyroferus]

no fans blowing across your tank surface..... 8 inches is kinda close to your surface isn't it?

[BarraCudaTM]

Bring the chiller out, the chiller need cool air to operate.

[FuEl]

Try increasing surface turbulence too. A stagnant water surface will trap alot of heat.

[AlfaRomeo]

Raised Lights and also positioned chiller in such a way that the exhaust is blowing out of the cupboard. Have also bought a wall fan to blow across the surface of the tank.

Any more suggestions?

Also called Dr chill and he say he will come either tomorrow or morniong to have a look at the chiller.

Its very very strange that a 1.25HP chiller cannot cope with the heat.

Any way for us to verify the cooling power of the chiller?

[RAV-65]

Is your Mh is a sealed up hood or hung? If its sealed up hood, try fixing two 5inch fans, one to blow air in, one to blow air out....

Vincent Ho

[AlfaRomeo]

Its hung type.. raised it a bit higher so i hope less heat transfer to the water..

[Hon]

I would like to know the solution too. My temp is creeping up dispite the chiller been running for 5 hrs already

[AlfaRomeo]

Bro Hon, Which chiller are you using?

[RAV-65]

Hmm...

guess different people face different problems.... tink I'm one of the few reefers around who uses a heater to bring my temp up! While most people would be fighting to bring it down...

Vincent Ho

[Achilles Tang]

Weather's crazy these days... its going to get even hotter... I now hate to be in my fish room after I close the door. What's more.. the wind has changed direction during the hot months... so the wind is blowing back hot air from my chiller into the room.

[IanJ]

How old is the chiller?

I have found similar situations with several chillers i have used over the years.

Most of the time they tend to be low on gas and need to be re-gased.

[AlfaRomeo]

Hi IanJ, the chiller is 2 months old so i dunt think its a gas issue.

[AlfaRomeo]

AT, which chiller are you using now to cool your super tank? can attach pics on how you have positioned it pls?

[alanseah]

AT is using a 1.25 TR Chiller... if i'm not wrong..

me too using a 1.25 TR chiller and place it in my cabnet...

The back of the chilller is facing a hole in the cabnet and hot air is blowing out..

and front of the chiller is cool by 4 DC (3000 rpm) fan...

so far I'm able to cool my 5ft, 2.5ft, 2ft tank with 3ft, 1.5ft, 1.5ft...in 4 hrs time from 28.6 to 27.4 after the tank has been cool it will remaind cool all the way till next morning 7 plus then chiller start again for another 4 hrs and will remind cool till the MH light on again..

So as to say my chiller only run 2 x time a day..

As for having a need to take 4 hrs to bring down one 1 degree.. me also dont know is it performing well or not..

somemore my MH 2 x 250W and 4 x FL 30W is about 4-5" above water only.. in a open top hood with no fan at all..

[AlfaRomeo]

U have a 5*2.5*2 tank with 2 x 250W and it takes 4 hours to drop by 1 Degree? oh mannnn... im in trouble then... i have a 6*2.5*2.5 with 3 x 250w and 2 x FL.. it will take 8 hours (more or less) to drop by 1 degree then?

Something is really wrong here.. with such a powerful chiller, it takes so long to chill the water... and its the biggest chiller (1.25hp)??

Anyone has any idea how to verify the cooling capacity and compressor of the Chiller? Can it be measured by measuring the Amp drawn when the chiller is operational?

[terryansimon]

I think Ampere is a measurement of the current of the chiller, not the cooling capacity itself....

unless E=VIT, where E = Energy, V = Voltage, I = Current and T = Time. you can try using this formula *off hand can only remember this. damn. and to think I just learnt this!*

and then you'll have to factor in specific heat capacity of water and specific latent heat and a whole lot of other things.

am I appearing to act smart here? sorry if I am. just trying to help out in any way possible. (=

[alanseah]

maybe u can go find out the thread that weilong have post about TR chiller on the 1.25 hp...

the only time i find dangous for u is that when your chiller in action the whole chiller can be so hot at touch... something is very wrong..

my chiller when in action I touch the metal casing it's still as cold... no sense of heat....

[AlfaRomeo]

Wah, so complicated just to find out the compressor rating of the chiller?

[alanseah]

let me know when doc chiller come over and look.. and the change done...

as I also want to know.. what is the round off time the 1.25hp should take to cool should a big vol of water...

as I find 4 hrs abit too long... as I heard alot mention it only going to take them 2-3 hrs to bring down 1 degree only...

[AlfaRomeo]

My Temp starts off at 27 in the morning and will slowly creep up to 28.2 which is about the time the MH switches off. Temp will slowly go down to 27 again.... and the cycle repeats.. sob sob

Which chiller is the best out there if I am happening to look around for a repleacement if the good doc cant solve the problem..

[Hon]

Bro Hon, Which chiller are you using?

I'm using a Hailea 1.25HP chiller. And it holding the temp at 27.9 with the chiller running non-stop during the 10hrs photoperiod ..

In the night, the chiller will be turn on for 30mins every hour to keep the temp at 27.5 until photoperiod again... Dun dare to look at the bill this coming month....

[alanseah]

wow...

which mean at least my case still not that bad yet.. only run for 4 hours during photoperiod only...

[weileong]

Any way for us to verify the cooling power of the chiller?

depends on the design of the chiller.

The difference in the temp of the water going into and coming out of the chiller should meet the specs. Say if it is designed for 2 deg difference at a certain flow rate then you should get 2 degs.

If you're getting like 1 degs which is lower than 2 degs then the chiller is not performing to specs. Go check it out and you'll know. In this case your heat load in your tank shall not matter and you can directly check the performance of the chiller.

[alanseah]

weilong after u have improve on your situtaion for your 1.25 TR..

now how long it will run to cool 1 degree huh..???