No chillers. 210g reef with 3x250w DE & frag tank with 175w. No heat issues usually since I'm in a ground floor suite that stays cool most of the time. For the hottest days of summer, I use clip on fans & in extreme circumstances, I have 12000 btu portable room AC unit that keeps the main room with the tanks a nice comfortable 24 C even when its blistering hot outside.

My reasoning on getting an AC in of chiller is that it keeps me cool as well. It also helps keep all my tanks cool so more cost effective.

Anthony

No chiller here.

I always ran no chiller & 1-3 400w MHs. I have a chiller now, but that is because someone in my building insists on keeping the heat a little too up there.

I kept the temperature in check by always having at least two fans, one blowing in, and one sucking out over the water or in the canopy.

consider the thermometer you're using and where it's located. If it's black, and almost directly under the lights at the top, it's going to heat up like mine did.

I was using a little digital thermometer that was black. It was reading sky high temperatures when it was in the main tank where the light is because the black color was heating up under the lights.

I put a glass thermometer in the tank and moved the black digital thermometer to the sump. I found both temperatures much lower and pretty much the same.

I was panicking about having to get a chiller for my T5 tank but was pleased to find my temperatures were fine all along.

That would insinuate that I put batteries in my thermometer and check the temp :razz: when I did look it would go from about 72 to 88-89 in the heat of summer with no problems it is in the basement with dual 250 and T5 actinics, but this is Alberta can temp can go fron -10 to + 20 in a day

3- 400w MH and fans. Lots of fans. I think a controller is more important; to control your chilling and to shut off your lights if your tank overheats. Start with a controller, then ask your spouse if you can get a chiller next year :wink:

I have 4 X 250W MH and 4 X 54W T5 inside of a canopy on my 180G.

I have a controller to turn on fans at a certain temp (79.5°), then to start shutting off lighting if the temps get too high (82.5° for 2 X MH, 83° for 2 X MH and 85° for the T5's). Rarely do I see it turning off the lights, tank usually hits a high of 82°.

I do have central air in the summer as well to help.

That's what I did and it works great!

I was hoping i could run 2 x 250 MH on my tank with no chiller. Figured if i had to lay out the money for the lights AND a chiller then would just say the heck with it and spend the money on a solaris led unit. Think now i may give the MH and fans a try if i can find a good used setup for the right price now and get the LED in a couple of years when the prices drop.

No chiller, but ...
 

400 watt halides on 90 gallon tank in my basement- ran fan on high just above the sump - had to replace evaporated water every day - also had to be careful to have blinds drawn on the basement windows on the really hot days - still got temperature swings of 3 degrees on the really hot days.

Have run with Solaris PFO LED lights for almost a year... no chiller required, temperature fluctuation of 1 degree at most.