2006 model 12g nano cube dx

TimSchmidt

New Member
If that chiller isn't too pricey for you then get it. With that and a good heater you will never experience a temperature problem.
 

roo

New Member
TimSchmidt said:
If that chiller isn't too pricey for you then get it. With that and a good heater you will never experience a temperature problem.
I'm far from rich but I'm a firm believer in spending money on something like this in order to prevent future troubles. Do you think I should get a chiller now and then wait on the heater until things cool down or?

My biggest issue with the chiller is going to be finding an open outlet...this house is pretty old and I'm already filling all the outlets with full power strips hehehe
 

TimSchmidt

New Member
LOL yeah, at my next house I'm going to have a circuit added just my my tanks! I personally would get both the heater and chiller and set them with like 2 degrees apart so your temperatures don't change at all. A decent heater can be bought for about 20 bucks. The stealth heaters do pretty well, plust they are plastic (no breaking). If you do a search, someone did a great DIY job with ice probe chillers on a nancube. Looked outstanding. But with the way they did it you would have to drain out your back compartments. He/she had the iceprobe drilled in from the back of the nanocube and insterted intot the intak chamber. I'll try to look for the post too.

EDIT Here is the link, thought the post was on this forum...whoops.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... opic=83817
 

roo

New Member
TimSchmidt said:
LOL yeah, at my next house I'm going to have a circuit added just my my tanks! I personally would get both the heater and chiller and set them with like 2 degrees apart so your temperatures don't change at all. A decent heater can be bought for about 20 bucks. The stealth heaters do pretty well, plust they are plastic (no breaking). If you do a search, someone did a great DIY job with ice probe chillers on a nancube. Looked outstanding. But with the way they did it you would have to drain out your back compartments. He/she had the iceprobe drilled in from the back of the nanocube and insterted intot the intak chamber. I'll try to look for the post too.

EDIT Here is the link, thought the post was on this forum...whoops.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... opic=83817
Thanks Tim!

It looks like I definatly need to get the chiller.....86 degrees today with no lights! This room is just getting too hot.

Anyhow, attached is a pic of the tenticles I was talking about....it's pretty transparent with almost a pink color to it...
 

Attachments

roo

New Member
So I visited Pacific Reef today. Looks like the new JBJ chillers for nanos aren't yet released? Anyhow....When I got home, it was once again, hotter than hades in my room. Then I got to thinking....it would be cheaper to get a window-mounted A/C unit for the room rather than the chiller.....and I would have no complaints about the room being cooler. Actually, I like where this train of thought is going hahaha. So what do you guys think? Get an A/C for the room and a just a heater for the tank?

I picked up a Maxi-Jet 1200 today with a calculated plan in mind. If I get a chiller, I will use this to pump to the chiller and then route it back through the stock outlet in the tank. (it will lose some of it's flow but that's why I went with the 1200. If I don't get a chiller, I will buy a bunch of extra tubing, and then coil it like crazy, pump water through the coil and then back into the stock outlet into the tank. What's the point? If I have A/C going, this coiled tubing will cool the water that's in it slightly and add some extra water capacity. I noticed that many fridges that dispense water use this method to chill the water. What do yah think?
 

islandcreation

New Member
Roo,

That picture is probably a AIPTASIA (BAD). For using a maxi-jet 1200... I feel having an A/C in general for your room would be sufficient enough. As long as you room is at 60-70 degrees or less you should be fine. Or you can always switch yor lighting to nights rather than days (if your lights are on during the day). I switched my lighting due to summer and have them on from 10pm to 6am. And turn them on manually when I want to look at the tank :mrgreen: Maybe that will help...
 

bobajum

New Member
Roo,

Glad to meet another local reefer. I'm in lakewood near cypress and am also a reef noob. I also go to strictly fish but only for the Catalina water. Your tank is looking very nice and seems like you're getting all the right help from the right people so far. Eddy has been a great help to me and we plan on making a trip out to the store in RH so maybe we can go together to buy some Ric and Zoa frags.

GL with the cycling and stocking and i look forward to watching the progress.
 

skipm

Moderator
Staff member
As long as the houses wiring will handle the addition of a room AC I would definitely go this route. A window unit is alot less expensive and a chiller also exhausts heat into the room and if the room is already hot I wouldn't want to add more heat to it.
 

djconn

New Member
I have a really old house (80 yrs old) and with my central AC running 24/7, I can't get this place under 80 during the hot Texas day which really sucks. My tanks fortunately don't get above 84 degrees with the lights on so I've been lucky so far...

I've placed a big floor fan pointed directly at my cube and this has really seemed to help. I wish I could add a window unit but my windows don't open. :roll:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
yea we are in a terrible heat spell now and no air. i run a floor fan like dj and i cut the photoperiod of the white lights down to 6 hours early in the day when its not so hot in the house. the actinics stay on the normal time. been working so far
 

roo

New Member
Well, looks like I'm off to by an A/C unit today =) It seems like it will cost less and be more beneficial for me and the tank. This house is old enough to not have any sort of AC at all. The last two summers sucked but weren't as hot as it is now.

From my testing with the lights, the heat is mainly coming from the room, not the lights. (though I do plan to add some extra fans to the tank for additional cooling)

Bobajum, PM me when you guys are planning to go. If I'm free, I'll join you guys.
 

roo

New Member
UPDATE

I turned up the window AC that I already had and then popped in one of those window fan sets and set it to exhaust the static air from my room. The result? Cool air from the AC is pulled through the house and into my room. Noticed cooler temps immediatly. I went shopping and when I returned, my tank was at 77!! Lowest I had ever seen it. Now I just need to work with putting the existing AC on a timer.

While shopping, I picked up some 1/2 in ID tubing and a Hydor Flo. The tubing won't stay on just yet and I need more of it regardless but I still think a large coil of it will also help to cool the tank as well as add slightly more water capacity and tone down the flow of the MJ 1200. (right now it splashes the splash guard when the top is down) I plan to modify the Hydor Flow for a cleaner look when I get some more free time. I also picked up a 50w heater and dropped that in, set to 79. Lastly, I picked up a nice digital thermometer that has a remote probe sensor and a second sensor built in the display to read both the tank and room temps. This was exactly what I needed!

Still keeping track of the water....if it is cycling, it's not looking like it will spike very high. It may be because of the "cycle" additive that I'm using. I'm hoping everything will drop to 0 by the weekend so I can start adding a cleaner crew.
 

skipm

Moderator
Staff member
I am gladd to see that you are having some luck with your temperature problem. Keep us informed on the rest of your tanks progress.
 

reefer73

New Member
Another good place to check out is fishsupply.com in Huntington Beach. They are on Beach just south of Adams. Very Helpful. Prices are pretty good. Nice website, too.
-Mike
 

roo

New Member
Update!

The temp appears to be completely stabilized at 82 degrees. It has remained a constant 82 for the last 2 days which means my heater and the cooler room temps are working. I didn't end up rerouting the tube but I need to get a weaker pump because the Maxi-Jet 1200 is proving to be too powerful for the HF. (it keeps blowing it off after a few minutes) I put the stock nozzle back in for the mean time but the pump is so powerful it has rearranged my live sand to the back of the tank! (though I guess I could rearrange the LR to prevent this but right now the plan is to get a Maxi-Jet 900 and mod the HF to be a bit short and to stay where it should! hehe

In other good news, my ammonia has dropped to 0, nitrite to 0, ph has stabilized to 8.2, so the only thing left is for the nitrates to drop. They have gone from 17 to 15 in the last 24 hours so hopefully they'll drop more soon so I can add a cleaning crew. Speaking of which....how many inverts can I safely add to begin with? Right now I have plans for some dwarf hermits, peppermint shrimp, and I haven't decided on what snails to go with yet.
 

EDGRAY

New Member
You Really dont need to change your MJ 1200-900 cause it will be the same thing blowing the hydro out and well some people cause just glue it.. but i did this there are 2 pieces that will fit perpectly to each other so the end parts are together... well i cant described with words so here is some pics..... that i just take just for you :lol: .... (thx for interrupting my breakfast coffee brake :pom )





HTH

EDDY
 

roo

New Member
Thanks for the pics and the idea ED. I attached mine that way and appears to be holding alot better. Don't you think it sticks out a bit far though? I might try and get some large tubing and some super tiny zip ties and try to rig it up closer to the false wall because with the 1200, it's pushing the water onto the splash guard.
 

EDGRAY

New Member
yeah is kinda to far away but i like it cause the water will flow in middle and then to the other part but if is too close will be to the back part and middle and well yeah i know mine used to splash the light guard but what i did was i put in each side of the hood computer legs they are like tiny rubber circle things they are about 1-2 centimeter tall so that will make the hood to dont close all the way and will give enough space for the hydro to dont splash but that ways just my idea i didng matter that the hood was alittle open in the side or also you can add a piece of glass in that area were the hydro is or add different conector to make the hydro to be lower here are some links..

YOU can see the piece of glass that will prevent the splash ..in this link
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... opic=63151

Another idea here look at the pics guy cut the out take that came with the tank and glue it to the hydro to make a perfect fit... look
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... 149&st=100

and finally here is the arm that he use to lower the hydro for no spash at all or glass needed as shown in first link
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... opic=59497


OK HTH and well if you do something different post it with pics so will be helpful for other people with same question... :mrgreen:
 

roo

New Member
Looks like I spoke too soon ED. It came off again!!! wahhhh :sad: but the all handy zip tie came to the rescue. I had some nano sized zip ties and just tightened that sucker down pretty good.

I'll check out the links you send me and see about the splashing. Once again ED, thanks for the help!
 
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