Res Temps NEED to come down!

I've searched, read, and tried what I have found online and can't seem to find my way to success, sadly.

I have 4 gallon nutrient solution tubs (2) that I need to chill somehow. Each tub is 10 gallons, but I only use 4 gallons of solution. I have a 16oz frozen bottle in each and can't stay under 79.5 even with mylar lying on top of the tub. Would painting the lids white help at all? The mylar is a bit cumbersome to be quite honest. Flat white spray paint is a whole lot easier...but will it help?

I have a box fan pulling air out of the room and a fairly powerful fan blowing on the hood from a short distance that also moves the plants a good amount. I don't have a air cooled hood nor do I want to go that route, I just need to keep a constant 75 or less.

If when using bottles, the roots come in contact with the ice cold bottles...will it damage the root system of the plant? I'd think it would, but i'm thinking there is some sort of physics that takes place and makes the answer no. I can't put 5 bottles in each physically, or I would. I don't want to buy new tubs, I just did that for these tubs.

I have seen the igloo chiller, but I don't run a RDWC, just a basic DWC with rubbermaid tubs. Id like to think someone has figured a solution to drop temps a few degrees at the least. If I could just get mid 70's i'd be happy.

Maybe you could blow some air on the surface of the water somehow

I use a CoolWorks Ice Probe Chiller with a Temp. Controller, which keeps my rez around 68 degrees or so. I also use a cooler as a rez to help keep the temps down as well. Its a little expensive, but does the job.

Yah, I can't spend 250 bucks on a chiller right now. I am wondering if their is a way to convert over to an ebb/flow somehow and block my reservoir from the light off in the corner somewhere. Only other option is going to T5 but i'd like to keep my MH/HPS setup. Hmmmmm

Get a some beneficial bacteria going... My Res is 76 degrees and just fine

Or put your bucket in a tote and full the tote with ice

Do you have a link to that? I can't find him on here by the name 4T

IME I would not bother with anything other than changing my reservoirs over to coolers and would look into using some Zone to help keep the junk out. IMO that will solve all of your problems with temperature. Otherwise perhaps you can check out some Reflectix for the time being, it's usually sold at the hardware store and is used to insulate your roof or even your garage door. Wrap your res's in that and also double up the top layer, I use this in veg under a 250wMH so YMMV. This is might help you but for me using the cooler was a winner. Good luck and happy growing.
KnB

Seems like a cooler is still going to heat up over a period of time, a week being plenty. I can't drop 20 bucks on a cooler...well 60-80 or 3 or 4. I was hoping I could manage to come away with a soution that will at least get me at 76 or so. I just would like to be out of the mid 80's lol. I don't understand it though, I grew a tomato plant a little bit ago and everything was identical, it grew perfectly. No algae, no signs of heat stress, roots were clean, zero problems the whole grow cycle. I don't understand why, now, I have this big problem with temps when I didn't before. Same res's, different nutrients, different plant setup.

"If when using bottles, the roots come in contact with the ice cold bottles...will it damage the root system of the plant? I'd think it would, but i'm thinking there is some sort of physics that takes place and makes the answer no."


Can someone comment on this?

I put one sometimes 2 gals. in my res.(its a 150 qt.cooler)and have done the same in 18 gal totes and mt roots are fine,if you have plenty of bubbles moveing your nutes around I dont think the roots get as cold as we might think,like I said I have been doing it for a few years now and I see no damage to my roots

IME the cooler works really well at insulating the water and with the added water bottle mine never gets near 80. Before I switched to the coolers I was sometimes around 76-78 and the only thing that helped me was using Zone at the high dosage and changing my reservoirs frequently. I even went and got a commercial air pump with a large inlet so I could put it near my A/C and have cooler air in my res. All that and with the switch to a cooler my res temps were good. One thing that I should mention is that all this works only with a sterile reservoir, if your running anything organic I would look into beneficial bacteria to fight your problem.
I know it seems like a crazy idea but honestly under my 400 MH I don't even use water bottles and the light is usually like 32 inches or so off the top of the cooler while in veg. The water temperature stays constant as long as my water is topped up every other day and I change the res completely every 2 weeks.

I know it's expensive but you can always try it with a cooler you have around the house and some insulation board as a top. I have seen plenty of guys using coolers like that around here so that they can be re-used for their intended purpose. Do a search on here and you will find a few threads where people are making good use of coolers, you might change your mind. Good luck and happy growing.
KnB