by lncc63 » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:50 am
I've tried quite a few methods back in the day but with very little long term success. Sorry to say guys but IMHO a chiller is the best, even most cost effective, way to go. Just cooling is not enough, more important is to keep a stable temperature. IIRC, corals do not like a temperature swing more than 1 degC over a 24-hour period. So unless you have the time to be frequently checking the temperature and making adjustments, manual methods will not work well.
The trick with keeping the electricity bill down is insulation. Keeping the heat out is just as effective as getting it out. If no heat gets in, there will be no need for the chiller to turn on. So how to keep the heat out? I've gone as far as wrapping my main tank with styrofoam panels when I am not enjoying it. This along with evaporative cooling worked though only marginally.
Another method that is worth mentioning, is using a super sump. Mine was suppose to be a 2000, maybe 3000, gallon below ground cement tank I had built (but never got to commission) outside our house. According to literature, the ground's temperature, like the sea's, does not swing much over a 24-hour period. I never was able to commission our super sump however having moved on to other interests so we eventually had it filled in and paved over.
Last method, though I've never used this since it was not available then, is to use LED lighting instead of MH or even FL bulbs. LEDs are not only more efficient at generating light but they also produce less heat. So sure they are expensive but I suspect the savings from the lower cooling requirement will be as significant as the direct savings from the more efficient lighting. The thought crossed my mind to recommission the metal halides I have from my early aquarium days but having said the above I'll probably not be using them.
Cheers.