lastlight's 34g solana

lastlight · #1 08-06-2010, 06:43 AM

Thanks. Yeah unbelievably a bangaii I had bought also jumped. I give up on new fish until I have a canopy made.

The canopy will fix my issue with this new light blinding everyone in the room.

My other issue is the intense heat. My fan unit can't cope with it and I took a stab at the bar fridge chiller today before failing...and then reading more online and finding that they don't really work for ANYONE.

So the good news is I have line plumbed into my basement for a chiller but I don't want to buy one. Tomorrow I will raise the light a few more inches, replace the 4-fan azoo unit with a pair of larger clip-ons and assemble a skirt with ventilation slits for the top of the tank. If it's still too hot then perhaps I will be forced to invest.

My fans come on at 80. They actually can hold the tank at 80 for more than an hour but they can't bring it back to my desired 79. I don't want them running all day and I also don't know if over longer periods/hotter days it will climb higher.

I did mount the fridge over the stairs next to my topup bucket tho. It sure looks sexy haha! But before anyone asks for a ghetto shot...I moved the bucket to the other side of the wall so they're both out of the way lol.

Greenmaster · #2 08-06-2010, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

Thanks. Yeah unbelievably a bangaii I had bought also jumped. I give up on new fish until I have a canopy made.

The canopy will fix my issue with this new light blinding everyone in the room.

My other issue is the intense heat. My fan unit can't cope with it and I took a stab at the bar fridge chiller today before failing...and then reading more online and finding that they don't really work for ANYONE.

So the good news is I have line plumbed into my basement for a chiller but I don't want to buy one. Tomorrow I will raise the light a few more inches, replace the 4-fan azoo unit with a pair of larger clip-ons and assemble a skirt with ventilation slits for the top of the tank. If it's still too hot then perhaps I will be forced to invest.

My fans come on at 80. They actually can hold the tank at 80 for more than an hour but they can't bring it back to my desired 79. I don't want them running all day and I also don't know if over longer periods/hotter days it will climb higher.

I did mount the fridge over the stairs next to my topup bucket tho. It sure looks sexy haha! But before anyone asks for a ghetto shot...I moved the bucket to the other side of the wall so they're both out of the way lol.

At what temp does your heater come on? If the sensor is a little old it is possible that it's off by a degree or two... I would check to make sure that your heater turns it's self off at a decent level... I have heard of them coming on and heating while the other is trying to cool... doesn't ever turn out too well...I don't know what you were trying to do with the bar fridge but I think you should be able to make something work with it... I have a bunch of ideas popin' into my head as I type this.

lastlight · #3 08-06-2010, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenmaster

At what temp does your heater come on? If the sensor is a little old it is possible that it's off by a degree or two... I would check to make sure that your heater turns it's self off at a decent level... I have heard of them coming on and heating while the other is trying to cool... doesn't ever turn out too well...I don't know what you were trying to do with the bar fridge but I think you should be able to make something work with it... I have a bunch of ideas popin' into my head as I type this.

Sorry missed your post when I was putting pics up. The heater and fans are on a Ranco so I'm not worried about accuracy here. I don't like relying on the heater's thermostat.

Delphinus · #4 08-06-2010, 11:53 PM

Doesn't have to be a sealed reservoir, just a reservoir. Rain barrell, plastic stock tank, or just another aquarium you can get a good deal on ...

abcha0s · #5 08-07-2010, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Doesn't have to be a sealed reservoir, just a reservoir. Rain barrell, plastic stock tank, or just another aquarium you can get a good deal on ...

I bought two of the blue 55g food grade (new) barrels here in Calgary. They have a removable lid but are completely air and water tight. The lid has two standard FPT fittings, so plumbing is easy. I forget what I paid, but I think it was something like $80 each.

http://www.calgaryplastic.ca/Barrels.htm

I would trust these not to leak more than my tank.

lastlight · #6 08-07-2010, 03:01 AM

This will be in my basement and has to be a closed loop as my tank isn't drilled. To my understanding it MUST be sealed in the basement because there will be a full siphon establish for the loop to function. If power was lost to the pump that's down there the tank would siphon my display.

Dez · #7 08-07-2010, 03:03 AM

Ack, let the heat creep. Shut the lights off or set your controller to have the lights come off if it hits 82 degrees. Let the tank have a few cloudy days if the weather is hot outside. Shouldn't hurt it. Simple is best.

Delphinus · #8 08-07-2010, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

This will be in my basement and has to be a closed loop as my tank isn't drilled. To my understanding it MUST be sealed in the basement because there will be a full siphon establish for the loop to function. If power was lost to the pump that's down there the tank would siphon my display.

It might be more trouble than what you were hoping to do so I meant it more academically if nothing else. I was thinking an overflow in your mini sump and then pump from the secondary tank back into the mini sump. That would effectively make it your real sump and you'd have no overflow issues short of draining your mini sump which is a tiny volume comparatively. If you used a float switch or valve based topoff you'd have to switch it to the basement tank since the level in the mini sump would no longer deviate.

A sealed container would have poor (well, nonexistent, really) gas exchange and presumably less ability to shed heat as well. I imagine some heat would be lost through the tank walls but nowhere near the same as an open water surface. Plus the pressurized lines, the pressurized vessel and the lack of ease of cleaning would make a sealed closed loop idea a total non-starter if it was me considering it.

lastlight · #9 08-06-2010, 06:55 AM

Ah what the heck here's some lame iphone snaps of the ghetto action. Please take special note of my high-tech flow restrictor.

Greenmaster · #10 08-06-2010, 11:53 AM

Can you post a pic of the inside of your fridge? Showing your cooling coils or what ever you got going on inside? Also is that your tank water or is it a closed loop system that is separate from your tank water?