Temperature

[K.J.]

As anybody who's looked through the NTTH lately, you'll know I'm remodeling my ten gallon. So here's a problem. The house I'm currently in has no air conditioning, and although I'm moving soon (don't worry, I live with my parents and my mom refuses to depart with her garden, so we're moving uphill ) I don't think it will. So the house is fairly hot, normally. The lights are almost always on in my room, and the fish light is on for 12 - 14 hours. Anyway, the ten gallon has 30 watts of fluorescent light, and even no heater, but it stays eighty + all the time. Is there any way at all I can fix this? I have cories, and I know they like 70 75 -ish... I've tried ice cubes, but they don't do much and they look unsightly.

 

[Tessla]

Your tank stays 80+ all the time? That's a really hot house, mine only do that in the summer here, and thats in 100+ weather. The only way to get the heat down reliably other than cooling down the house (that I know of) would be to use a chiller, but those are very expensive (hundreds of dollars).

Maybe if you keep the top of the tank semi-open to allow evaporation to cool your tank down? You can easily cut a piece of the white plastic light diffuser grating (buy it at the hardware store, the stuff makes great tank covers on the cheap) and use that as a cover for your tank, the only downside is you'll have to top off your tank frequently.

 

[K.J.]

Your tank stays 80+ all the time? That's a really hot house, mine only do that in the summer here, and thats in 100+ weather. The only way to get the heat down reliably other than cooling down the house (that I know of) would be to use a chiller, but those are very expensive (hundreds of dollars).

Maybe if you keep the top of the tank semi-open to allow evaporation to cool your tank down? You can easily cut a piece of the white plastic light diffuser grating (buy it at the hardware store, the stuff makes great tank covers on the cheap) and use that as a cover for your tank, the only downside is you'll have to top off your tank frequently.

I'm used to topping off tanks. The filter opening is there, so I guess it's not completely bad.. I do 40 percent water changes with all cold water, so until about thursday it's usually 79... think this'll be okay for the cories?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

turn the light on the fish tank down so it's only on 8hrs or something like that. time it so when you're out at school or work (sorry don't know how old you are) the lights on the tank and in your room are turned off so the temp should cool down a bit. have you also checked the nightime temperature? You may be surprised to see it drops quite considerably which would be good. Also if there's someone in your house during the day then open the window to your bedroom, let a bit of air in!!

 

[rdd1952]

Be careful with the large water changes using cold water. You don't want to change the temperature too much at once and shock them. One thing you probably do need to do is add some airstones. Corys need lots of oxygen and the high temp of your water will drive out the oxygen.

The best way to cool the tank cheaply, is to float some ice in it. You can use a zip-loc bag rather than just dropping in to float. It will gradually cool it down rather than doing it quickly with the water change. Doing that once a day should help. As the weather gets hotter, you will have to do something. Otherwise, your tank will continue to get hotter each and get to a point where the fish can't survive.

 

[K.J.]

Be careful with the large water changes using cold water. You don't want to change the temperature too much at once and shock them. One thing you probably do need to do is add some airstones. Corys need lots of oxygen and the high temp of your water will drive out the oxygen.

The best way to cool the tank cheaply, is to float some ice in it. You can use a zip-loc bag rather than just dropping in to float. It will gradually cool it down rather than doing it quickly with the water change. Doing that once a day should help. As the weather gets hotter, you will have to do something. Otherwise, your tank will continue to get hotter each and get to a point where the fish can't survive.

It does have an airstone in it, should I put two in? I suppose I can do the window + ice, and during the summer there are fans. One thing I'm wondering, however, is I have 2.5 gallon tanks for my bettas, with a lamp above them, but the temp just stays at 75. Is this just because there's a different amount of water, the light is spread out more even, or does the 10G just have too much wattage?

 

[rdd1952]

The light would have an effect. I don't know that it would be that much but it could.

 

[Tessla]

How hot is your house exactly? Like I said before, my tanks stay around 80 in the summer, but that's in 100+ degree weather so the apartment stays somewhere in the upper 90's. I'd imagine if your house was that hot at this time of the year, you'd have fans out all over the place.

It can't be that hot if your betta tanks are staying at 75, smaller volumes of water heat up much faster. I suspect your lighting, what exactly is your lighting setup?

 

[K.J.]

How hot is your house exactly? Like I said before, my tanks stay around 80 in the summer, but that's in 100+ degree weather so the apartment stays somewhere in the upper 90's. I'd imagine if your house was that hot at this time of the year, you'd have fans out all over the place.

It can't be that hot if your betta tanks are staying at 75, smaller volumes of water heat up much faster. I suspect your lighting, what exactly is your lighting setup?

In the summer, I guess 70ish, according to my mom, though I don't know for sure. It's the typical ten gallon kit, with two 15 watt bulbs I put in a few weeks ago. Has an opening for the filter-heater-airtube, has an opening lid, etc.

 

[rdd1952]

The tanks shouldn't get that hot if the house temp is only in the 70s. The tank temperature should only run a couple degrees warmer than the ambient temperature around it. I have 130 watts on my 29 gallon tank and even in the summer when the temp in the that room is in the mid 70s, my heater still runs to keep it at 78 degrees. And the lights are sitting about 2" about a plain glass top. Are you running some type internal filter that could be producing heat?

 

[K.J.]

The tanks shouldn't get that hot if the house temp is only in the 70s. The tank temperature should only run a couple degrees warmer than the ambient temperature around it. I have 130 watts on my 29 gallon tank and even in the summer when the temp in the that room is in the mid 70s, my heater still runs to keep it at 78 degrees. And the lights are sitting about 2" about a plain glass top. Are you running some type internal filter that could be producing heat?

HOB Penguin filter...

 

[Puffdaddy]

What kind of thermometer are you using? Maybe it is faulty, try getting a reading using another thermometer(you never know).
Could the tank be near a heater like a baseboard heater or something.

 

[K.J.]

What kind of thermometer are you using? Maybe it is faulty, try getting a reading using another thermometer(you never know).
Could the tank be near a heater like a baseboard heater or something.

I'm using an el cheapo one, but I've tested with one of the digital ones (I'm not sure if they call it a candy thermometer) and it reads even higher.

 

[Tessla]

Your tank shouldn't have temperature problems with an ambient temperature of 70 degrees in the house, even in the 80's my tanks are in the lower 70's without heat. The only thing that could be raising the temperature as far as your house is concerned is a nearby heating vent, in which case you'll want to move the tank.

Are you using the usual 15 watt incandescent bulbs? I find those things put off a lot of heat (bad for me in the summertime ). I recently switched to the 10 watt compact flourescents for my small tanks, they don't seem to put out quite as much heat as the incandescents but they do put out a whole lot more light and work for a very long time. The only downside is the cost, they're about ten times as much as the incandescents but it might be worthwhile if you're having temperature troubles in your tank. Since they do put out so much more light, they're good if you've got live plants but watch out for algae growth if you use them.

 

[K.J.]

Your tank shouldn't have temperature problems with an ambient temperature of 70 degrees in the house, even in the 80's my tanks are in the lower 70's without heat. The only thing that could be raising the temperature as far as your house is concerned is a nearby heating vent, in which case you'll want to move the tank.

Are you using the usual 15 watt incandescent bulbs? I find those things put off a lot of heat (bad for me in the summertime ). I recently switched to the 10 watt compact flourescents for my small tanks, they don't seem to put out quite as much heat as the incandescents but they do put out a whole lot more light and work for a very long time. The only downside is the cost, they're about ten times as much as the incandescents but it might be worthwhile if you're having temperature troubles in your tank. Since they do put out so much more light, they're good if you've got live plants but watch out for algae growth if you use them.

I think they're fluorescent. There is a heating vent, but as I said, it's hot, so it hasn't been on recently. And it's a shuttable one.