Oh No! My AC is out!!

[johnkristie]

My air conditioning in the house went out yesterday and we are in the midst of a heat wave. My house and aquarium are up to 85 degrees. I'm afraid I might start to lose fish if it gets any hotter. I've got a FOWLR about 250 gal. I don't have a chiller 'cause in San Diego we really don't need it. I put fans on the top to help evaporate some of the heat out, but it doesn't help much. What can I do? HELP!!!

 

[Regen311]

I've floated a bag of frozen peas in the tank before to help in a situation similar to that... ice cubes... I'm not sure though other than that...

 

[Innovator]

Are you gong to fix the ac or buy a new one? Can you purchase a small ac in the meantime? Can you borrow chiller from a reef club? What about renting a chiller from an lfs? <--You'd be surprised

 

[melosu58]

Also a fan blowing across the top of your tank will work wonders.

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree with Mike...some fans blowing across the tank and reduced photo period will do the trick until you can get the AC fixed or replaced.

 

[lando]

Keep in mind that 85 is not too far out of range. While not ideal, most fish and inverts can tolerate this temp for a short period of time. The key is to not over-react and drop the temp too quickly. This will cause more stress on the livestock then the 85 degree temp itself. The idea of a fan blowing across the surface of the tank is about the best option for you (convection cooling) if you run a tank without a cover. You can also cut your lights out during the hottest time of the day.

 

[lance]

Some fans and a gallon zip lock filled with ice. If you have good flow then it will help water from getting to high.

But i think in a FO tank it shouldnt be to bad as long as you dont cook them. MMM with butter MB.

 

[johnkristie]

Thanks guys for all the advice. The fans cooled it slightly by about a degree. The AC is fixed now and the tank is running a cool 79 degrees.

 

[melosu58]

Sounds like good news to me.