hot water??

Question

the water in my newly set up tank is at a consistent 85-86 degrees F, which i know is too high. this is also exactly the room temp. i have my heater set at 78 so obviously it doesnt ever kick on because the room is so hot. i cant put in an air conditioner because there are no windows in that room and a fan isnt really gonna help. how to i get the water to cool down?? is there anything i can buy?? any help is greatly appreciated

Answer 1

Not all heaters work properly, take it out to be on the safe side and try to increase your water circulation by an aerator or a larger pump. Leave your tank lights off for the time being (indirect light will not cause any stress in a freshwater tank) and raise the lid up so there can be more evaporation and possibly set a fan to blow across the waters surface (which cools the tank)

Answer 2

Do a daily water change of only 10% using water that is four or five degrees cooler. The temp drop will be about 1 degree per day, which the fish will acclimate to, very well, meanwhile not messing with the chemistry in the water. Do not change more than that, daily, and do not try to make it colder; you'll shock the fish (think of you in the shower, and someone changes the temp on you... either cold or hot, it's still gunna make you squirm)

If you have tetras or corys (as well as some other kinds of fish), this will also trigger spawning activity, so it's a fun little excercise once in a while!

*** I mised some VERY important things... check where in the room the tank is. Have it away from any direct sunlight at any point during the day, no electrical equipment (produces heat) etc. is the rest fo the house 86? Is there a cooler basement room this tank could be in? Depending on the fish, they may totally thrive in this temp, or them may mearly survive... a fish that likes the 86 summertime temp in the room may not like it if it's down to 68 in the winter, too... is the 86 a year-round constant or a seasonal spike?

Answer 3

What type of fishes do you have?
Shut of the heater even if it dosen't kick on, you cannot always rely on their cutoff's.
Open the top of the tank, place a small fan such that it blows over the surface of water, the cpu fans can be used for this.
Most tropical fishes can take this temp, it is not absolute tempreatures which harm them but rapid changes in temp. I live in India where these temp's are pretty common and except for marine tanks we don't need to use chillers.
The temp in my tanks are aound 38C

Answer 4

You could always get a portable air conditioner. You know the ones like sharper image make. That will help alot but if you cant afford that then i would try relocating the tank in one of your normal temp rooms because the fish will become stressed out.

Answer 5

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/TankTemperatureControl.html

http://www.nextag.com/how-do-you-keep-your-fish-tank-cool-in-the-summer/search-html

This is a tough one. A fan wil help lower the temp maybe 5-10 degrees from evaporation, but you will just be reaching the high end of temperatures.

You may look into getting some warmer water species. If fresh water, look to south east asian fish maybe from the mekong or other rivers

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

you could go one of two directions on this
1: you could purchase a chiller.they are quite expensive, rangeing from $300 dollars to well over $1000 dollarsdepending on the size of the tank you want to regulate.this has to be used in conjunction with a good heating system for the tank.
2:you could buy an air conditioner that doesn't need to be set in a window.they make floor models now , again, they are pretty expensive, ranging from $200 to $400 dollars.again, you will need to use this method in conjunction with a good heating system for your tank.

either way you go, it can be quite expensive due to the electric cunsumption.good luck.

Answer 7

they will be alright the temp gradually went up and they are use to it now its not to hot really as long its not like higher than 90

Answer 8

This might be overkill for your tank, but there are refigeration systems that will cool an aquarium. You can find products here: http://shopping.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AvBodXPFWd_vcJ9ehm9KQEsbFt0A;_ylu=X3oDMTBtNTA5a3RqBF9zAzE0NDg5MTE1BHNlYwNzZWFyY2g-?cop=mss&fr=ytff1-ffsc&fr2=tab-web&p=aquarium+chiller&did=63

Another option is to talk to your local fish store and ask them to suggest fish that can thrive in that temperature.

Answer 9

This is not too hot for tropical fish. It's about perfect.