HEAT Disaster About to Strike!

[PheonixKingZ]

We had to replace our furnace and AC last year, both were from 1982 when our house was built and were no longer reliably working-big bucks, know the feeling. Happy to hear you are able to cope with the heat, here we have had mid 80 degree heat and lots of rain, very muggy. I am putting one of these in my 55 gallon tank to help aerate it. I picked it up off of Ebay.

My LFS has those in some of their tanks during the summer. Good call.

 

[Retired Viking]

They are cheap too, I am thinking of picking up one for each of my tanks. Since I am softening my tetra tank I also need it to keep CO2 from building up. The water PH drops and it heads toward acidic as the hardness drops and CO2 and acidic water is a bad mix if you have too much.

 

[Byron]

There was a question (unanswered) earlier in this thread about ice, so I'll just mention something. It is OK to do this and that in the room itself, but do not do any "cooling" of the actual tank water by water changes, floating ice packs, or ice packs taped to the tank glass. These only cause more rapid fluctuations and this can cause serious issues for fish. If the water warms during the day as a result of the room air temperature warming, and then cools down somewhat at night, then repeats every day, that is not a problem so far as the fluctuation because it is gradual and more normal (though exaggerated). Some years ago my house used to get close to 95-100F during heat waves, colling back down to high 70's at night. I just left the fish alone (other than ensuring good surface disturbance, and less feeding). I didn't lose one fish. I got a room air conditioner which maintained a temp of 80F on the hottest days (the fish room was on the SW corner and no shade outside). Water takes longer to warm and cool than air, but it is still natural and generally safe.

 

[JBAwrench]

Freeze water bottles amd set them in the tank
Take your lid off

 

[Byron]

Freeze water bottles amd set them in the tank
Take your lid off

Never put frozen ice in the tank, as I just explained. The frozen water will cool the tank water around it, then that water will increase temperature again. It is not safe, and the fish will be affected.

 

[JBAwrench]

Never put frozen ice in the tank, as I just explained. The frozen water will cool the tank water around it, then that water will increase temperature again. It is not safe, and the fish will be affected.

1 have always ran 1frozen water bottle at each filter inlet, never had a problem ever.

 

[Byron]

1 have always ran 1frozen water bottle at each filter inlet, never had a problem ever.

You may not have had a problem, but the fish was not so fortunate.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Open the house at night (assuming it's safe) and let the house cool down overnight. In the morning close the house up and close the curtains to help keep the heat out.

Turn off all electrical appliances in the room except the filter/ air pump on the tank.

If you have a fan, you can point it at the tank to help cool it down a bit. You can put a tea towel over the front cage of the fan and spray water on the towel. As the air passes thru the wet towel it will cool the room down.

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The gouramis will be fine with warmer water, the shrimp might be ok but might kick the bucket.

I was going to suggest the same thing. I keep a fan on my patio pond (has patio cover) in summer. Fan and evaporation cool pond down.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Never put frozen ice in the tank, as I just explained. The frozen water will cool the tank water around it, then that water will increase temperature again. It is not safe, and the fish will be affected.

Wow, I add ice all the time to cool my water down before adding to fish tank. In the South you have to do those things as the water comes out of the pipes at 90F. Fish have always been fine. I float frozen ice bottles in my pond too. Perhaps I just have really tough fish.

 

[Retired Viking]

Wow, I add ice all the time to cool my water down before adding to fish tank. In the South you have to do those things as the water comes out of the pipes at 90F. Fish have always been fine. I float frozen ice bottles in my pond too. Perhaps I just have really tough fish.

Wow, 90f here the water comes out cold even on hot days usually around 50f, you do not need ice cubes to drink it on a hot day.

 

[Byron]

Wow, I add ice all the time to cool my water down before adding to fish tank. In the South you have to do those things as the water comes out of the pipes at 90F. Fish have always been fine. I float frozen ice bottles in my pond too. Perhaps I just have really tough fish.

Not sure I understand this. Water for a water change should be relatively close to the temperature of the tank water. A few degrees cooler is OK, in fact I usually do this deliberately, as it will stimulate the fish and spawning overnight is frequent. When preparing to treat ich you can increase the temperature of the replacement water a few degrees to help raise the overall tank temperature. In both of these situations, we are talking a few degrees, and it is not going to be rapid fluctuation. The latter can seriously affect fish.

Fish are ectothermic. Temperature as in all animals drives the metabolism, so with fish this temperature is that of the water they live in. Once this temperature is outside that in which the fish's metabolism is designed to function at its best, the fish begins to have issues. At the very least, this is putting stress on the fish, and there could also be internal organ issues, osmoregulatory problems, etc.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Not sure I understand this. Water for a water change should be relatively close to the temperature of the tank water. A few degrees cooler is OK, in fact I usually do this deliberately, as it will stimulate the fish and spawning overnight is frequent. When preparing to treat ich you can increase the temperature of the replacement water a few degrees to help raise the overall tank temperature. In both of these situations, we are talking a few degrees, and it is not going to be rapid fluctuation. The latter can seriously affect fish.

Fish are ectothermic. Temperature as in all animals drives the metabolism, so with fish this temperature is that of the water they live in. Once this temperature is outside that in which the fish's metabolism is designed to function at its best, the fish begins to have issues. At the very least, this is putting stress on the fish, and there could also be internal organ issues, osmoregulatory problems, etc.

.

Not sure I understand this. Water for a water change should be relatively close to the temperature of the tank water.

@Byron This is exactly why I have to cool the water off. My tanks run around 75F (except bettas) and water coming out is 90F. I have to cool it with ice to get it to match the tank temp so fish don’t go into shock. I think we’re actually on the same page.

 

[Byron]

.

Not sure I understand this. Water for a water change should be relatively close to the temperature of the tank water.

@Byron This is exactly why I have to cool the water off. My tanks run around 75F (except bettas) and water coming out is 90F. I have to cool it with ice to get it to match the tank temp so fish don’t go into shock. I think we’re actually on the same page.

Yes. I wasn't certain previously if you were saying this, or you were saying that you used ice to cool the water and the tank was higher like the tap. There is nothing wrong cooling fresh water to match the tank temperature.

 

[Chu'Wuti]

We had to replace our furnace and AC last year, both were from 1982 when our house was built and were no longer reliably working-big bucks, know the feeling. Happy to hear you are able to cope with the heat, here we have had mid 80 degree heat and lots of rain, very muggy. I am putting one of these in my 55 gallon tank to help aerate it. I picked it up off of Ebay.

WOW, a furnace & AC both 36 years old! That's an amazing run, really! Nowadays, though, both furnaces and ACs are so much more energy efficient that having new ones can make a BIG difference on your bills!

At some point we may get another airstone; the one you show looks nice. Our shrimp have been happier since my husband put the airstone in the tank, so even though the geothermal system is now working properly, he doesn't plan to remove it.

Thanks again, everyone! I hope my next thread will be something more fun!

 

[Retired Viking]

Yes, our energy cost did drop and they both work better.