Disaster Struck: Why you may need a chiller!

If room ambient hit 100*F, there's nothing a controller could have done unless it was connected to a chiller. I suppose it could have turned a fan on, but at 100*F, that's warm air blowing across the tank/sump, and not much help at that point, altho it might have helped a bit before the room temp spiked.

We played the fans, icebottles, etc. game almost every summer until we started running chillers...now there are no worries. I recommend a chiller...

 

It could have sent him a text message alert that the tank was too hot But I think you are right as far as keeping the tank cool at the point, the only option would have been a chiller.

 

Fans will take it down much below ambient if they are blowing across the longest dimension of the tank or sump, you would be amazed what evaporation will do. You will need an ATO but its much cheaper than a chiller.

 

77F turn off heater. 79F turn on fan. 81F turn off pumps, send text (reactor, skimmer) 82F turn off actinic. 83F turn of halides.

I had a chiller... which I got rid of with smarter pump choices and a fan. And I had MH lights. It never needed anything more than a fan. A controlled adds a lot of safety, and it can do anything you want it to do.

If you live in a hot place, and must have AC, then so be it. His room hit 100F because his AC was not on... problem #1. But a controller still does all the same there as well. But the answer is not alway "get a chiller" when a tank hits 83F. Plenty to look at and options to take. Adding a chiller also adds another pump which now adds more heat.

 

I am in western PA and this heat and humidity wave has been a killer. I'm dreading my electric bill ad I run it up with the AC just to keep the tank under 82. I try for under 80 but lately have been just fine with 81. I did hit 85 one day awhile ago and some of the corals dust look too hot , no pun intended, fr a couple weeks.