Trying to figure out aquarium temp due to evaporation

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
Thinking of getting a terrarium with perches. Since they need relatively cold water I'm trying to figure out what temperature difference I might get between the fishtank and the surrounding air - just so I have some value to start off of.

Is there a way of calculating how much lower the water temp will be in comparison to the surrounding air?

The tank will hopefully be 100h x 50d x 50w (cm).

Is there an easy technical sollution for cooling a tank if needed (so I don't mean quaterly dropping of ice cubes or similar and I don't feel like having to dismantle my fridge to get parts).

Thanks!
 

GailC

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 19, 2005
Messages
1,402
You can buy cooling units for aquarium but I can't remember what they are called.
 

AneesasMuse

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 31, 2006
Messages
838
They make chillers for various types of marine life tanks... google "chillers" or search a few fish supply sites...

MarineDepot
DrsFosterSmith
ThatFishPlace

and so on.


Good Luck!
 

MarkS

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
26
The water will take on the ambient room temp. Glass aquariums will allow more heat to pass through, but acrylic (plastic) acts as an insulator and will actually cause the water temp to rise and the heat as no where to go. Some large green houses use large plastic water drums as heat sinks to keep the temp in line, for example.

I do not have the slightest clue where you are located, but a chiller is a must. Even if you are in a cold climate, the inside of your house is heated. Look for one with a rating, in gallons (or liters), that most closely matches the actual water volume you will have in the terrarium and then get the next one bigger. The larger unit will cool quicker, run less and thereby save you quite a bit of electricity. These are not cheap by any means, but you will need one. If the price is too high, you might consider having your tank drilled for an overflow and use a sump. You can point fans at the water in the sump and cool by evaporation. Its not as effective and the amount of cooling is greatly determined by the ambient humidity, but it is a cheap way to go.
 

MarkS

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
26
That is only a 70 gallon (265 liters) aquarium and you will not have much water in it I'm assuming.

You might want to look into this: CoolWorks IceProbe. At MarineDepot

They're not too expensive and can cool a small amount of water quickly. However, you'll need to drill the side or back of your tank below the waterline or add a sump as I stated above. It would be the cheapest option and wont kick out as much heat into the room as a compressor-based chiller would.

BTW, do you have a glass or acrylic tank?
 

Taceas

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
May 12, 2006
Messages
658
You might check out Big Al's Online for prices on chillers as well, I've found their prices to be very competitive.

My big 72 gallon bow front tank runs a degree or two warmer than the general air temp in the house due to the light. Our house is AC'd to around 72*F.
 
Top