6.5 Gal Tank Temp Issue

[dgwebster]

ok, ive got a 6.6 gallon corner tank i got for my ADFs and betta, with a small 25W heater in it keeping it at a lovely 22-23C however its lit by a standard bulb (small one mind you made for aquarium use.

i left the light on for 10 hours today and noticed temp rose to 27C - not a good thing!!

I know this may sound stupid, but would a mini flourescent tube not help these guys out more? surely although they do get hot (esp any ballast) its gotta be cooler than a filament bulb?

i am going to builda wooden lid for it next month anyway and fit some better venting for the light, maybe even a small 5cm computer fan built into it which should also reduce the lighting effect.

 

[TammyLiz]

Where I live, we can get a 10 or 11 watt compact flourescent bulb to fit into an incandescent fixture. It is actually brighter than the incandescent bulb, but since it is a lower wattage than the incandescent (which is usually 15 or 25 watts, you can read on the bulb to check), it will put off less heat. Here in the US you can get them either at the hardware store or the LFS. I have no idea what is available in Scotland as far as light bulbs go! Maybe worth it to check it out and see if the same thing is there. Or wait until you get your new light fixture built.

Tammy

 

[dgwebster]

we get those bulbs here too, thought they tend to be a bit bulkier and larger, something i cannot really afford... that and they are so damned expensive - i remember a few years ago, you were able to get them from local benefit grants for free!!

I think i will just need to ventilate the hood more, lift it up at the back or something when the light is on to ventilate it a bit more? at least till next month...

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

maybe take the heater out if you have the tank in a heated room or move the light bulb further away from the water surface, i had an unheated 10"cube tank on my desk at work with a paradise fish in it, no light or filter either, with only the one fish i was able to keep on top of things with regular water changes.

 

[dgwebster]

night temp drops to under 15C, couldnt do that to them. and during the winter, day temp can be around 5C as the heating is only on 5.30am to 8am and 3.45pm to 8.45pm. This particular rooms temperature drops incredibly fast when the heating goes off.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

OK that rules that out then!!
try moving the bulb higher though.

 

[dgwebster]

only goes as high as the inside of the hood im guessing ill need to vent the hood a little more.

 

[cometcattle]

If you can get All-Glass brand, they are less bulky than the "spiral" shaped ones sold at most hardware stores, all though they are about twice the price.

 

[dgwebster]

yeah thats the size of them here too, but the existing bulb is the size of a car headlight bulb. the hood is about 1" which is the reason behind one of the flourescent U tubes...

are flourescent tubes not meant to be cold tubes, similar to cold cathode... ok had another idea, cold cathode tubes meant for a computer!! get them in pure white?

 

[OohFeeshy]

Could work, yep. But without the heater on, whats the water temp? You could always have a timer on to turn the heater on when the light goes off, and turn it off when the lights on.