high water temp with coldwater tank

[bigmac1878]

can anybody tell me the best course of action to keep the temp down in my tank. we are currently experiencing a mini heatwave (by uk standards) and my temp is rising to approx 28c (82.4f). the only thing i can think of is daily water changes, which i've been doing, the same amount that i'd remove on a weekly basis. i normally keep my temp around 24c (75.2f).

thanks for any help, my goldies are acting odd.

 

[tbonem91]

fans across the water help, along with dimished light time - although you wont be able to cool it much it the ambient air temp is high.

chillers are expensive, but a method I read about and have mentioned several times... run a powerhead out of your tank with a long piece of tubing - coil the tubing in a large bucket and then direct it back into the tank. Fill the bucket with cold water and ice and cover it and keep it out of the sun. Use of a cooler would be even better because they're insulated.

 

[tropicfishman]

depending on the tank size, thatpetplace.com sells a mini chiller for 104 bucks anda controller is like another 45, its for tanks up to 55 gallons, thats one method that would keep your tank at the same temp no matter what, or you could float ice packs ( doesn't evenly lower the water temps ) or you can blow the fans across the water which takes forever, you can also try turning out the lights on the tank, this will help some along with killing the heater, with a heat wave like your talking about, your best bet is honestly the chiller setup, no worries for as long as you own it

 

[bigmac1878]

thanks very much, there is light at the end of the tunnel. i thought i'd be doomed to a summer of fish broth. i really had no idea that chillers could be bought or that there were ways of reducing temp. damn, i still have a lot to learn.

thanks again.

 

[DepotFish]

You should get extra oxygen into the water with airstones because warmer water holds less air. That might be why your fish are acting odd. Monitor the parameters too.

 

[Stretch]

Can you lower the ambient air temp?

 

[IceH2O]

Freeze a liter bottle of water and put the bottle in the tank. This will help cool the tank.

Keep another in the freezer so you can swap them daily.

 

[tdalessa01]

The chiller at thatpetplace.com is more than 104.00 because you have to buy a seperate controler to set the temp. which runs about 54.00.

 

[DepotFish]

104 is cheap! The ones I looked at were 600-700 bucks. The cheapest little thing was 350.

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

A window a/c unit would be a better investment. A chiller would just pump more heat into the room which would in turn heat the water more.

 

[tdalessa01]

Hi Everybody. I am glad this topic came up because
I am having this problem right now. I live on the 5th floor and it is very hot when I am not home. Only a couple of warm days so far and my water was around 83. God help me in July!

Can somebody please clarify tbonem91's suggestion about the power head. I am not completely grasping how to set this up. This method seems like a good idea and I would like to try it.

Also, can someone clarify the preferred fan for that method or where to put it. Sucking air out right?

This is a new problem for me because all my tanks were always in the basement.

 

[tropicfishman]

He's describing a heat exchange unit, you place the powerhead in your tank, on the output of the power heqad, you place a piece of hosing over it and run it into a bucket or cooler, get enough hose so you can coil it several times in the bucket or cooler and then be able tu run the other end back into the tank, then fill your bucket with ice or coldwater, only problem is thisa a very tricky way to get your water temp down, it could drop drastically and then you have to try and play catch up wiht your heater, but its a good idea though don't get me wrong

 

[sherry]

i always keep my a/c on in s ummer if I'm not home.. but also I blow a vornado across teh top of the tank aiming for under the lights which are on legs.

my planted tank was hitting 86 degrees because of my lights. with the vornado fan it is always 78.. i keep the cover ON the tank.. so the evaporation isn't high. I just get immense cooling by neutralizing the heat from the lights.

 

[tdalessa01]

Thanks for all the help, however I may need a little more. I am not home from 8:00am til 11:30pm M-F. Class-then work so it is a long time.

The powerhead method is probably not going to work because I am gone to long to monitor it.

I don't think it is a good idea to run my ac all day every day(I could just buy a chiller eventually with all the electric)

So, the fan method? I have a regular old hood, not raised lights. How can I get a fan in there to help? Cut a hole in the hood? What if the fan gets wet? Any suggesstions on this is greatly appreciated?

It amazes me that I continue to learn something new about this hobby everyday!

 

[tropicfishman]

ok, the fan thing is simple, if your tank is on a stand then set a chair next to it and posistion the fan ( if its a tall one ) to blow over the water, since you don't havea hanging lights, you can fashion your own hanging system with some hooks in the ceiling and some rope or just lift the lid open and let the fan cool it that way, most likel;y your fish will be fine since the rippling water will discourage them from jumping, but even with the fan method your still running chances of it not working, honestly just buy a chiller and save yourself the hassle, you'll thank yourself in the long run

 

[sherry]

keeping my house at 76 makes sense anyway.. it would take forever to cool/dehumidify if I didn't... and that minichiller looks complicated to install if you don't have a drilled bulkhead or sump. I looked at it and went with the fan .

 

[tropicfishman]

well as long as it works and cools the tank down, thast all that matters