Heat wave help

[FishingMouse]

Hi, I'm in Portland in the middle of a heat wave (90+ in the afternoon) and I noticed my tanks have been getting up to 85 and higher during the afternoon when it's hottest. If I made a dechlorinated water ice cube, would that help or cool down too fast? I don't have a/c in my house, so I'm relying on cave-like darkness, open windows, and lots of fans to keep my room as cool as possible......are there any better ways to help cool my tanks down?

 

[jwh0818]

he best thing to do is buy some frozen plastic ice packs and place in the water if it gets too hot. Thats what I did but its a job by itsself and you need around 20 small ones to keep the temp regulated properly. A fan strong enough to cause surface aggitation will only cool the tank around 3-6 degrees of the room temperature, plus it causes excessive evaporation.

What type of fish do you have?

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Hey, today here we got to 106!

What I do is before going to bed, I put in two trays of water in the freezer, then I add 8 in my 50 gallon about every hour

 

[bill302]

In the past when my temps rise I placed a 20 oz frozen bottle of water in the tank I left enough air in the bottle to keep it floating...filled it 3/4 way full and freeze.

 

[Mebbid]

In the past when my temps rise I placed a 20 oz frozen bottle of water in the tank I left enough air in the bottle to keep it floating...filled it 3/4 way full and freeze.

This is the same thing I've been doing for my reef tank. Some other things that will help is to remove the top and point a fan directly at the water. Removing the top allows more water to evaporate causing a cooling effect, the fan makes it happen faster.

 

[FishingMouse]

I do have tropical fish, bettas and tetras and a couple corydoras, and gardneri killies in another, but I'm just worried about if it gets too much hotter......I think I'll try the ice packs, I know we have a bunch lying around for when we go camping. We're getting a major heat wave for us Oregonians. I would die at 106 I think >.>

 

[Mebbid]

I do have tropical fish, bettas and tetras and a couple corydoras, and gardneri killies in another, but I'm just worried about if it gets too much hotter......I think I'll try the ice packs, I know we have a bunch lying around for when we go camping. We're getting a major heat wave for us Oregonians. I would die at 106 I think >.>

I would skip the ice packs since some have chemicals but instead go with frozen bottles of water.

 

[Aquamandan]

I like the water bottle idea, makes sense.

 

[jd99]

having the same issue here with the heat, my QT 10Gal is ok but my two larger tanks 65gal,and 55gal heat up, I found that if I take my pedestal fans and have it close to the front glass and blow across the length of the front glass it takes the temp down about 2 to 3 degrees. its enough that I don't have to worry about it while I'm at work.
I have two of these fans, like in this picture.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Yea the water bottle idea is more practical

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

I do have tropical fish, bettas and tetras and a couple corydoras, and gardneri killies in another, but I'm just worried about if it gets too much hotter......I think I'll try the ice packs, I know we have a bunch lying around for when we go camping. We're getting a major heat wave for us Oregonians. I would die at 106 I think >.>

You would die at 106! The normal is between 107-112, right now we are lucky with rainy front, it gets 87 at night, it's like heaven right now! The hottest it got was 92 awesome!

 

[jwh0818]

I have in mind an awesome DIY job for someone on a budget. Basically its a diy water cooler. This will take some work but here is what I have so far. You will need a mini freezer (if even made!) Some airline tubing (50 ft or so) a water pump (nothing fancy or super high powered) and some drills and hard work and determination. Basically its a sump idea.

Create a siphon with the airline tubing going into the top of the mini freezer. (Drill small hole first)

Next set the small water pump up to push the water back up.
The idea is that with 50 ft or so in the freezer, it will have enough contact time to cool the water a degree or 2 until tank temp drops and it will gradually get colder. This is where your heater will definitely come into play. What do yall think? Its easy fun fairly cheap and very helpfull

 

[jd99]

Yea the water bottle idea is more practical

Don't see how that is possible...

Lets see.... I set my fan once which has been on throughout this heat wave, my aquariums have been steady at 80.2-3 degrees. I do nothing else don't have to leave the top open cause I have some bottle floating around in my aquarium, I don't have to worry about adding more water cause there is no evaporation from the top being off or open, I don't have to keep freezing several bottles of water, I don't have to go home and leave work every 3 to 4 hours to put another frozen water bottle in my tanks... etc. etc.

Yep your right..... the water bottle method is more pratical.

 

[tropical-fish]

I would go with the fan idea too. I would imagine that it will give you a more consistent temperature throughout the tank.

Add an airstone to get some more surface movement going to keep the oxygen level up.