# summer tank heat-up?



## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

I noticed in this crazy heat we've been having that the temp in my 20G has gone up to 82-84. I've been keeping it at 76-78 when the heater was doing the work in the colder months.

I'm wondering if this is ok to allow to happen when its hot like this, I don't ever see people mentioning chillers in their tanks in canada so I'm guessing its a normal temp spike for those of us who choose to avoid A/C in our homes? how warm is too warm for a community tank? (tetras, hatchets amano, blue rams, otto cats, SAE, dwarf frogs, heavily planted)..

thanks


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

I am lucky that the basement is a lot cooler than upstairs. Tanks there get to about 80F tops. I probably will move the fish downstairs when it gets too hot upstairs.

I get a tad antsy when the temperature gets above 82F. I have seen temperatures around 86F and the fish seem okay (livebearers, gouramies, ottos, red cherry shrimp). As you know the best temperatures is shown in the green coloured area of the glass thermometers and even then it depends on the species.

If the aquarium gets too hot then have a fan blow air over the water surface. I've read it helps drop the temperature. Not so good if you have jumpers though.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

I know this might sound somewhat lame but would having a fan blowing over the tank help? You should also put a bubbler in, oxygen levels drop at those temps.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Tabatha said:


> I know this might sound somewhat lame but would having a fan blowing over the tank help? You should also put a bubbler in, oxygen levels drop at those temps.


A fan blowing across the top of your tank is the easiest way to cool it. Adding airstones will also help by adding colder air to the water was well as breaking the surface tension allowing gas exchange.


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

I know a few people that just float bottles of ice in the tank to keep it cool.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Brian said:


> I know a few people that just float bottles of ice in the tank to keep it cool.


The only problem with this method is you constantly have to monitor the temp. A simple device like the ATC-300 (for <$30) you can control your heaters off once receptacle and a fan off another. For $40 you have yourself a decent heating/cooling system.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

mine are in the basement, so mostly cool... only ever have to heat...plus having AC upstairs helps.


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Believe it or not, our basement is too cold, the heaters have to work overtime just to keep the water warm!


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## sakana (Jun 1, 2008)

I am worried about the heat too. I have several tanks in our library at school and it gets really hot in there. I came in today to find only one yellow lab alive in one tank, two small pleco skeletons in another, and a bunch of dead tadpoles in another. I feel so bad. The 35g community tank looks to be okay as with another 10g with guppies. 

It seems that the tanks with the lids were the ones that were affected. I took off the lids and did a slow water change as I wanted to lower the temperature but not shock them. I hope the weather next weekend is not so hot as I'm not sure what to do. I've never had this problem before, but then again I only had the 35g community tank in the past.


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## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

sakana said:


> I am worried about the heat too. I have several tanks in our library at school and it gets really hot in there. I came in today to find only one yellow lab alive in one tank, two small pleco skeletons in another, and a bunch of dead tadpoles in another. I feel so bad. The 35g community tank looks to be okay as with another 10g with guppies.
> 
> It seems that the tanks with the lids were the ones that were affected. I took off the lids and did a slow water change as I wanted to lower the temperature but not shock them. I hope the weather next weekend is not so hot as I'm not sure what to do. I've never had this problem before, but then again I only had the 35g community tank in the past.


The lights definetely add a lot of extra heat, even without the heater running. Are the tanks lights in the library on timers? how long are they on for each day?

also the smaller the tank the less stable the temp will be..


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

You might try simply keeping the lids off of your aquariums to keep them cool via natural evaporation.

IMO, 84 isn't too high for a SA tank. I have most of my tanks set at 84 (for plecos), and they love it, and the rest of the fish don't seem to mind either. I have never lost any fish to over heating. You can treat ick by raising temps to 86+ for a few days, and most fish will survive. Some won't like it, but a few day is ok.

Many tropical Asian species can survive and thrive in higher temps too. Goldfish, not so much.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

> It seems that the tanks with the lids were the ones that were affected.


Maybe use some screening on the tanks rather than lids to permit air flow and prevent jumpers.

Sorry to hear about your losses, sakana


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

redclove said:


> also the smaller the tank the less stable the temp will be..


You might also want to put a sponge filter or air stone in the tanks, something that adds oxygen.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

redclove said:


> also the smaller the tank the less stable the temp will be..


Another reason for big tanks!!!!


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## sakana (Jun 1, 2008)

Thanks for all your suggestions. When the weather gets hot I leave all the lights off on the tanks (and in the library, as teachers and students get really hot too). I should have looked at the teperature of the tanks, but I remember thinking that the tank in which the plecos died felt almost as hot as bath water, the angels and rams in there were okay. I took out the heater just in case that contributed to the problem. 

I think a sponge filter really helps as the large tank has two of them and the fish in there were fine. The fact that it is large does help too. The mesh lid is a good idea, I was actually thinking of getting one and putting ice on top to let it melt into the tank, but that's not going to last long enough for the whole weekend. I guess I'm going to have to search for a larger tank .


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I freaked out last summer because our air cond. just couldnt cut the heat in our apt. (we live over the boiler room and the laundry room) It got to 95.

I had to add frozen water bottles but the heaters helped me keep the temp somwhat stable. Had to add extra bubbles air as well. For my SW i really wanted to purchase a chiller but i didnt have the cash. I so i bought a small but powerful fan (walmart, ctire 12 ish bucks) and put that on the tank to keep in it the safe range. Worked very well! But the water evaporation is really somthing to keep an eye on.

Matters in SW, FW not so much.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Yea, Basements+large tanks are definitely FTW. If you dont have live plants, you could always just keep the lights of indefinitely(sucky for viewing, but better than dead fish) Another solution if you have a canister filter would be to make the output end turned upwards somewhat so the water jets at the surface/above it to make extra aeration and to help cool the water.(think rapids like affect?) At least that way there ought to be less evaporation then the fan method.
@Tabatha and her basement being to cold, have you tried maybe placing some Styrofoam along the back/sides(or where ever isnt used for viewing) of the tank to help insulate it?


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Fishfinder said:


> Yea, Basements+large tanks are definitely FTW, if you dont have live plants?


Well, all my tanks (60 gal, 20 gal long, 2 x 10 gal) are in the basement and the plants are doing wonderfully. On the 60 I have 2 aqu-glo 18K's and in all I add Flourish.

Heat problem? What heat problem?


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

woops, puncuation error!


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