Keeping a tank cooler

[Avinitlarge]

We had 2 guppies die yesterday for no reason, It was a really hot day and the tank temp rose up to about 84 degree's, Would this have killed them??

 

[fishydishy]

perhaps

 

[jflowers]

Its possible, but not likely. I have had temp problems these last few weeks and solved it by buying a room cooler from homebase (2 actually) @ 39.99 ea. About 500% cheaper than an aquarium cooler and even cheaper in that they cool all my tanks rather than buying an aquarium cooler for each tank.

As for why they died, how long had you had them, guppies seem to be getting rather frail these days. When I first started keeping fish they were one of the hardiest you could buy.

Jon

 

[Logitech]

Yes, there's a possibility that it was the heat that killed them.
There are a lot of possible ways you can cool the tank down.
There's the way most people do it with the ice cubes, but I don't do that personally. I just place a fan over the surface of the water to cool it that way or just turn the ac in your room on.

 

[Annastasia]

I'd just like to add, since Guppies are so inbred these days and weak, any drastic changes can hurt or kill them. The heat could have killed them, the oxygen level going down in the water could have killed them, or they could have been weak with something already or just getting old and this was the last straw. It's really hard to tell. How long have you had them? And do you have any aggressive fish with them?

Everyone else has had great ideas about cooling the tank down, though.

 

[masterfishes]

it probly wasnt the heat unless they were already weakened by something ie age, stress, dissese etc.....my tanks get up to 86 on the hottest days....even my goldies who dont have a heater in thier tank.....no ac in this dam house

 

[IMCL85]

Dude that wouldn't happen unless u didn't give them air stone because when temerature raise oxygen lvl in tank will drop. During hot summer days I will toss in an air stone for extra oxygen. Guppy can take hot water ez. The last time I have guppy they r in an aquarium near window and temperature there r always 85 they have no problem with an air stone it probably of running low on oxygen.

 

[Avinitlarge]

Hmmmm, I did a 75% water change but 2 More died yesterday. There are 2 air stones in the tank too. They are not very old, I got them as babies from a friend about 3 or 4 months ago, They are possibly inbred but the mother and the father of the fish came from 2 different shops, The seem healthy one minute then start to have problems swimming the lie on the bottom and die, The rest all seem healthy but we shall just have to see how they go

 

[@ombomb]

What are your water stats?

86 is high, but not THAT much higher than they are used to.

I've been doing 10% water changes when I get in from work (when the room they are in is warmest) with tap temperature water and have turned my heater right down. Temp is about 82.

 

[morgan]

Sorry about your fishes dying. When my tank gets to 80 I turn the heater off. I turn it back on when it gets to 76 - 78. As nobody else seems to do that is it not a good idea?

 

[masterfishes]

Dude that wouldn't happen unless u didn't give them air stone because when temerature raise oxygen lvl in tank will drop. During hot summer days I will toss in an air stone for extra oxygen. Guppy can take hot water ez. The last time I have guppy they r in an aquarium near window and temperature there r always 85 they have no problem with an air stone it probably of running low on oxygen.

i always keep and air stone running in all my tanks

 

[Avinitlarge]

Sorry about your fishes dying. When my tank gets to 80 I turn the heater off. I turn it back on when it gets to 76 - 78. As nobody else seems to do that is it not a good idea?

The heater is only plugged in at night at the mo, I have just bought and external thermostat for the heater. I am hoping no more fish have died today, I will find out in a bit.

 

[CFC]

My heaters arent even in the tanks right now, once the temperatures in the house stop dropping below 74f at night i take them all out and give them a good clean. I also run my tanks a lot cooler than most people do with my heaters set for 72f throughout the winter.

To keep tanks cool through summer ensure there is as much surface aggitation going as possible by either using powerheads positioned at the surface or a large bubbler connected to a powerful air pump.

 

[andywg]

Dude that wouldn't happen unless u didn't give them air stone because when temerature raise oxygen lvl in tank will drop. During hot summer days I will toss in an air stone for extra oxygen. Guppy can take hot water ez. The last time I have guppy they r in an aquarium near window and temperature there r always 85 they have no problem with an air stone it probably of running low on oxygen.

Air stones have a negligable effect on the oxygen level of a tank. The bubbles themselves are in the water for far too short an amount of time to dissolve and once at the surface they dissipate.

The only way an air stone has a noticeable effect is to agitate the surface which is done far more efficiantly by having water dropping into the tank (by maybe dropping the level of the tank or raising the filter output - but this is noisy) or at least pumping across the surface.

Andy

 

[Avinitlarge]

I am now worried, No dead fish last night but 2 were on there way this morning. The seem to go nose up 1st with very little movement from there tail then as the day goes on they sink to the bottom then die

Could plants affect them in any way?? I took 2 old plants out then replaced them with 3 new ones

Cabomba Carolina, Large Clump of JAVA MOSS and a Mushroom Plant