Water temperature is too high!

[AdamsAquarium]

We are in the middle of 100 degree heat and up, and I am in dire help of suggestions to keep our water temp down. It has recently rose to 90 degrees, and I'd like to keep it at 83 degrees at the highest.

I have filled zip lock bags with ice and let them sit in the tank, I did a 25% water change.

Does anyone else have any other ideas to keeping the water temp down? The side temperature rose to 96 degrees inside the house. We are absolutely miserable inside.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

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[Delapool]

A fan across the top of the tank may help.

They may be ok, I've had the tank go above 86 (probably 90) when away but fish were fine. I did increase aeration to bubble the water table surface more as well.

 

[PB_Smith]

I'm going through the same things as you, Adam.
What type of fish?
Most tropical fish can be kept at higher temps, it is the fluctuations that stress and kill them.
What I have done when the water temps have gotten too high; 90+, I float frozen water bottles in the tank. It helps some.
The other thing to do is to raise the temp on your heater and keep the tank at 84-86 degrees normally, that way when the temps are like they have been lately, there is much less of a difference in temp and much easier for the fish.
When running the tank "hot" you need to;
1) increase surface agitation and airstones to increase the dissolved oxygen (warm water holds less oxygen than cooler water)
2) feed 1-2 times more in the day (the higher temp means faster metabolism)
3) increase water change frequency and make sure to allow the new water to reach room temp.
DO NOT attempt to cool the tank down by adding cold water. The new water can be 2-4 degrees cooler than the tank, but no more.

I am currently maintaining my tanks at about 86 degrees with no problems with tetras and marine fish.
But you also have to double check the temp range of your specific fish.

 

[AdamsAquarium]

Thank you guys for your help! I really appreciate it. It's scarry when you get that high of temperature. And I understand you have to slow it down gradually or else the fish will stress too much. Fortunately, the heat wave ended and all but 1 of my fish made it through, which I think is pretty good odds. I lost my bamboo shrimp.

Right now my tank is all community, Cory cats, bristle nose pleco, tetras, a few angels, dwarf gourami, platys, and ottos

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[Nedly]

I had this issue this past summer. I tried everything including freezing water bottles and letting them float in the tank. Nothing works as well as a cold water change, with my 50 gallon I can cool it down several degrees by swapping out even just 3 gallons and putting in that 3 gallons of cold water. I went as far as feeding my air hose through a water bottle, freezing it, and hooking the bubble machine to it so the air would be cold. It did not work at all. My final solution (which I use now) - if a water change cannot be done then I take a zip lock bag and put ice cubes in it, fill a larger one like 1 gallon maybe half way (depending on the size of your tank) and then try to blow the bag up by zipping the most of it and blowing into it. This way there is ice but also enough air to stay a float. This has worked decently for me for a long time now, maybe several bags to cool it down. Perfect way to clean out that old ice in the freezer! Other options include opening it up or shutting off lights, especially if there is nothing protecting your lights from the water. Those lights will heat up the tank, and if there is any warm air in the tank you can let it vent out by opening it. Other people will use a small fan to blow air on the top of the water. This actually works quite well, comparable to old DIY air conditioners where a wet wick would have a fan blow on the top and when the water evapurates it will trap heat with it and cool down the area. Cool you tank down real good some time in the night and then try to maintain it the next day, it will be challenging to bring down high temps during the peak of the day...

 

[AdamsAquarium]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing that!

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[AnthonyDuong]

I've tried the floating ice bottles method but that still doesn't work as well as the fans.

I've done the cold water change method but that requires a lot of work and water (I'm in CA and were in a drought) and the temp will eventually go back up.

A fan blowing across the top of the water certainly did the trick for me!! My tank was anywhere between 5-10°F cooler with the fan on. The only problem is that the water will evaporate at a much quicker rate so you'll have to top the water off whenever you see your water level too low



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[MICEY]

water, changes will work the best , the water coming from the tap is about the average temp for your area here it is 56f so it will cool your tank down
if you have a large tank a 50% change should keep it cool for most of a day then do it again till the heat wave ends
I would also add a large air stone to the tank , warm water holds less oxegen than cooler water

 

[flyfishfan1966]

run a siphon hose into a large cooler/sump.
fill the cooler with ice and the water in the hose will pass over the ice and cool it.
have a pump push the cooled water back up
This is how the NASCAR drivers get cool air to their helmets.
i would even use metal piping in the interim as it will cool faster


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