alecka Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I was just wondering, does anyone have any tricks or tips or even DIY ways to keep your tank from getting TOO hot, aside from the obvious & buying something?I have a small tank, it holds just about 6 gallons. I don't know a lot about this hobby. (I got the tank back when I was with my boyfriend, things didn't work between he and I so now I have the tank and I can't really ask him for help so I came here.) I know enough to keep the tank running and healthy but I live in Washington where it normally rains 90% of the year, &I am was soooo not prepared for this crazy heat wave we have been having. It's already been too hot out and it's only supposed to get worse and I'm worried about them dying if the water gets too warm, I can tell already that they aren't very happy at all /:TIA Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Lil clip on fan of aquarium fan work well for me, keeps Temps below 80. Fairly inexpensive and can be replaced easily. Using a fan will increase your evap though and require more fills to the ato or more top offs by hand. I went from 5 gal a week to just about 10 now in top off water. Link to comment
alecka Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Lil clip on fan of aquarium fan work well for me, keeps Temps below 80. Fairly inexpensive and can be replaced easily. Using a fan will increase your evap though and require more fills to the ato or more top offs by hand. I went from 5 gal a week to just about 10 now in top off water. Thanks . I have an ATO so evaporation isn't that big of a deal I'll just make sure I keep it filled up.. I'll have to buy a fan and hope for the best. I have a normal house fan pointed at the aquarium right now. But I want something that will work for sure, really don't want my poor corals to die! Link to comment
ps2cho Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Get the $10 walmart clip on fan and problem solved. Link to comment
righttirefire Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I've been running my a/c at 76. But that's what I like personally Link to comment
ajmckay Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 What kind of temps are you seeing? My experience is that as long as things don't go much above 86 f nothing bad happens - given the livestock I have anyways. I'm not sure off-hand which animals would be sensitive to higher temps. +1 usually A/C is the easiest thing but if you don't have A/C then the next best thing is a clip on fan of some sort. You can buy ones made specifically to clip on to aquariums but any fan will do as long as you can position it safely (you really don't want something like that falling into the water!). Aside from getting a fan you can float baggies of ice which works temporarily but you have to be careful with that because it's more harmful for the tank to go from hot to cold, hot to cold than just staying hot. So don't float big bags full of ice. There are DIY designs for "home made" chillers so feel free to research but they usually all require some amount of maintenance. Link to comment
righttirefire Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 We have 2 "window-rattlers" on in the dining room and our bed room. My tank elevates a little but it helps alot Link to comment
123kid Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I wrapped my tank in a sun shade from my car and point a rotating fan at it. My house gets hot even with windows open 86ish. Looks ugly but it works good doesnt rise above 78...jbj 24 gal.no lid Link to comment
CJJon Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I hear ya! It's been damn hot here lately! People here lose their minds when it snows or gets over 85F. Also, most out here don't have air conditioning. I have a window unit in my house and I run the furnace fan to circulate the air. I can keep the house at 78F and the tank gets to 79F. You can turn off the lights, or shorten your photo period for a while. A fan will help for sure. Remove any top or cover it may have. Make sure to keep your blinds shut and even put sheets over the windows to block the heat (especially for south facing windows). Ice packs in ziplock baggies work too, although you have to be there to swap them out when they get warm. Good luck! Link to comment
righttirefire Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 We had elevated Temps. I was out of state. I set my window a/c unit to run on a timer from 10am to 4pm. Set it to shut off at 70degrees. And ran an opposite light schedule. My main light ran from 10pm to 6am. Good luck Link to comment
PathOfDeception Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 The stress of my open top and fan cooling off too much on certain days made me buy an apex. Worry free since then. Not cheap but what a peace of mind! Link to comment
CrazyEyes Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I know what you mean about the heat, its been 90+ in the days in Florida. We keep our apartment at 74 in the day and I still have to run a heater to keep it at 79. Link to comment
KurtS Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Standard room fan on it's lowest setting pointed at the tank from 2 feet away. My tank only needs help cooling a few days a year, maybe a week and a half tops and I've found this works well enough. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 A cheap Walmart clip on 2 speed fan is around $10 and works wonders. Easily lowers the temp 5-7 degrees but the downside is increased evaporation so and ATO is a good idea. Simple fans allowed me to sell my chiller and Ranco controller. Link to comment
Mstefa1 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 You always resort to freezing water bottles and floating in your tank. Link to comment
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