Tank of the Month - August '06

[RalfP]

Thanks Luiz,

sorry for the late answer.. I was a little busy at end of the year...

I assume, that "chiller" would mean a device, where the water flows through, being
chilled in the usual way: heat of the water is transfered to the air around the "chiller"
which therefore gets warmer.

The largest chiller for aquaristic usage, I found was for about 1000 liters, the tank is 3300 l.
The tank stands in a relatively small room, where the waste-heat of the chiller would heat
the tank again etc..
Using the split-level aircon, the waste heat of the systems turns up outside the house.
Additional, the aircon dehumidifies the room in summer, where I don't want to fan the
outside air into the room, because its too hot.

Hope, that answers your question and I understood "chiller" and "split" in the way you meant it.

Best, Ralf

[Luiz Seadorf]

Thanks Ralf,

Here in Brazil we call chiller or refrigerator. You shoud know Teco and Aquamedic... I forgot how big is your tank. You right using a split.
The chiller is usually put outside the house and water goes and return to the reef, so heat will not be transfered to the tank again.

My tank is 550 liters and is inside a small room too. At the time, I was thinking about using a split and asked my friends and everybody says a chiller would be a best choice. They told me a chiller uses less energy and I could make a best control of water temperature .
Nobody in Brazil uses split for cooling a reef. I wish I could ask someone at the time to answer my questions and take a decision, so I choose the chiller. When a notice you are using a split I became very interested. Thank you. I will tell my friends in Brazil about your tank.

Ralf, I still have some questions :
You said the split dehumidifies the room, do you notice it increases the water evaporation ??

If you dont' have the split and the room is all closed the air humidity will increase and became a problem ?

Why you fan outside air into the room, is this air more cold and helps the split, except in summer ?? Don't you think the split would be more effective if the room is all closed ?

Best, Luiz

[NanoCube-boy]

Nice... Thats really nice ralf. Do you glue your corals to your rocks? Do you glue them rocks to a larger rock?

[jnarowe]

Ralf...amazing tank shot! Your reef is really in good shape!

[RalfP]

Thanks,

Luiz,
I think that one of the bigger problems, regarding large tanks, is the humidity.
The temperature range, where I live is from a max of about 35-40 degree centigrade in summer
to -20 C in winter, with relatively long periods of wet air combined with low temperatures.
In summer only the split is operating, keeping the roomair below 24 degree C and the rel humid. at around 50%. I don't fan outside air in and only a very little amount of air out (to keep tankair from entering my livingroom).
In the winter, the split is not operating. The outside air is dry and I use a "Stiebel Eltron DL13" fan to move inside air out and outside in. The DL13 has a cross-flow heat exchanger, keeping most of the warmth in, while exchanging air.
Spring and autum is a pain, wet outside air which should keep me away from using the DL13 and low temperatures which makes cooling/dehumidifying with the split problematic.
In this time, I use the different units, changing setups from time to time.
The additinal fan, thats normally running on low volume is speed up during this period to produce underpressure in the tankroom and suck dry, warm air from the livingroom inside the tankroom. Well, in this time the rel. humid. is about 65%, compared to 50% in summer and winter.
Without all this equpment, I would be able to keep dartfrogs or something in the room; feels like a tropical rainforest around the afternoon-rain.
As dry air takes more water than wet, I think evaporation increases if using something that removes water from the air. Unfortunately I haven't measured it. I take the water from automatically refilling 1500 l storage in the cellar.

NanoCube-boy,
most of the coral (captive bred) came with a small stone, the frags without were glued to one. The smaller frags where stuck between the LR and the larger ones fastened with cableties. Coral touching LR or glass fastened themselves over the time, overgrowing it.
Most of the cableties are overgrown in the meantime.

jnarowe,
thank you, I was really suprised comparing the pic on the first page of this thread with the new one. Looking at the different coral and how much the grew in that few months.

[NanoCube-boy]

So how do frag them if it gets big?

[RalfP]

NanoCube-boy,
Inside the maintank, I use cutting pliers made of high grade steel (hospital equip.).
Ralf

[NanoCube-boy]

I see. So you just slpice them inside the main tank? wow... cool.

[RalfP]

Well, pretty exhausting, but there's no choice.

[NanoCube-boy]

I see. Well goodluck man.

[Luiz Seadorf]

Hello Ralf

Please think a little about my problem and give me an opinion.
I'm in Rio de Janeiro, a tropical warm city in Brazil. My 130g in-wall is inside a small room with dimensions 67"(L), 35 "(W) and 90 "(H). I'm actually using an old drop-in chiller but it' heating the room. I have to keep the room's door open to let this heat go out but the noise increase and my wife becomes angry. I decide to look for another solution.

1- An in-line 1/3 HP chiller outside the house. Not an expensive solution. I will need some plumbing as the chiller would not be so close the reef. Need a pump. Uses a lot of energy. Perhaps not so efficient because the chiller will be four meters far from de reef.

2- A 7000 BTU split wall ar conditioner from LG. Not expensive but perhaps uses a little more energy than the chiller. Will do well as the reef room is very small.

3- A Deltec ECO-cooler. Very expensive but can save me money as it uses very less energy, but increases evaporation.

4- An Ocean Geotronic cooler model Ocean 600. It's based on Peltier cells. Very expensive too, uses less energy than the chiller, could be placed inside the reef room,very small and low noise.

with your knowledges, what's the best solution ???

Best regards,
Luiz Seadorf

[NanoCube-boy]

I like the Ocean Geotronic cooler idea, uses less energy and low noise. Though i don't know anything about these stuff, not much, only some, but think about low energy and noise since your wife complain about noise.

Low energy is good for the planet also. Less energy use, mean lesser chance raising global warming and electric bill.

[RalfP]

Hi Luiz,
sorry about the late answer.
Hmm, I've no idea, whats best.
Having problems with too wet air in the room, I would personally choose a solution, that also dehumidifies. (split)
Maybe there are cost/engergy effective solutions around, like using the cold cellar and transfer reefwater (or a second cooling cycle with freshwater) there.

Sorry,
Ralf

[TryTheChi]

Beautiful Ralf - a real inspiration.

[rsdino]

What an awsome tank.
I too am cureently in northern Germany.
I am only in the starting stages of building my first 'Salty'
Where abouts are you in northern Germany? Would you mind if i picked your mind and contacts for a few sugestions regarding my new aquarium?
Most appreciated
Dino

[RalfP]

Hi Dino, *
I was offline for quite a while... thanks for your answers.

@rsdino
We (the reef and me :-) are located in Hamburg and would be glad to be helpfull, regarding mind and contacts.
Feel free to write a PM (mail) with further questions, etc.

Ralf

[Adam G]

Ralf,

Just wanted to let you know that I absolutely love your reef! I am relatively new to Reef Central, and I have been going through all the Tank of the Months. I came across your this morning, and I have to say that it is the prettiest one of them all! I love the school of Anthias.


Adam

[RalfP]

Thank you so much, Adam.
Unfortunately its early in the morning here (at least it's early in the reef) and there are only half of the blue bulbs turned on in this moment.
I took a quick shot of a part of the way too dark and only blue reef.
Pls. excuse the poor image quality.

[bad badger 1]

still looks amazing its got to be in the top 5 reefs iv ever seen!

[jnarowe]

no doubt about that.

[NanoCube-boy]

The picture of your tank is very nice. I it remind me that the tank is under the water of the reef. Is that under Antic light?