Keeping aquarium Cool.

Dale Henderson wrote:
It's spring in Texas and the temperatures have gone very high. My
aquarium temperature is between 82 and 84 degrees F. I try to keep my
aquarium at 78. In fact, my air conditioner is set at 78. Does anyone
have suggestions as to how to keep the temperature down in my
aquarium. I don't want to boil my fish.

Evaporation cools very well. Prop the canopy open or even run a small
fan blowing over the surface of the water. If you air temp is only 78F,
your lights are probably warming the tank. You can raise them higher
above the water surface or install fans in your canopy.

I wouldn't worry too much as long as your fish are showing no signs of
distress. I have similar summer temperatures and my fish do fine as
long as there is plenty of oxygen. I start airstones in all my tanks
when temps get above 80F. If you don't like airstones, you can lower
the water level a bit to get surface splash from your fiter.

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"Altum" == Altum writes:

Altum I wouldn't worry too much as long as your fish are showing no
Altum signs of distress. I have similar summer temperatures and my
Altum fish do fine as long as there is plenty of oxygen. I start
Altum airstones in all my tanks when temps get above 80F. If you
Altum don't like airstones, you can lower the water level a bit to
Altum get surface splash from your fiter.

My fish are acting a little hyper but other than that seem fine. One
of my gourami's seems to be spending a lot of time at the surface, but
I think that might not so abnormal for a labyrinth fish.

I'm a bit paranoid about airation, so I keep a bubble wall going all
the time. As for lowering the water level, the water does that fairly
well on its own. I think I've lost about 1 gallon since Saturday.

Dale Henderson wrote:

My fish are acting a little hyper but other than that seem fine. One
of my gourami's seems to be spending a lot of time at the surface, but
I think that might not so abnormal for a labyrinth fish.

I'm a bit paranoid about airation, so I keep a bubble wall going all
the time. As for lowering the water level, the water does that fairly
well on its own. I think I've lost about 1 gallon since Saturday.

Gouramis tend to hang out at the surface and they'll be one of the last
fish to suffer from oxygen problems. Hyper is not generally a sign of
oxygen shortage, except in some catfish. Cories and plecos sometimes
dart to the surface for a gulp of air (they absorb oxygen from it) when
oxygen levels start to fall.

My fish act "hyper" if there's a trace of ammonia or chloramine after a
water change. It's escape behavior in that case.

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Dale Henderson wrote,
My fish are acting a little hyper but other than that seem fine...

Might want to check your nitrAte levels. Stereotyped behavior,
repetitive excape movements, repeatedly bumping glass - back and forth
movements, up and down cornors are all symptoms of high nitrAte levels.
If the nitrAte levels are high - also the DOC levels (high organics)
would be high - organic matter comsumes a lot of oxygen.
.........................Frank

I don;t know why freshwater fish keepers do not do like sal****er fish
keepers do.....add a simple muffin type fan to their hoods......Doies
a wonderfulll job of keeping tanks much cooler.

On 18 Apr 2006 19:28:59 -0500, Dale Henderson
wrote:
"Altum" == Altum writes:

Altum I wouldn't worry too much as long as your fish are showing no
Altum signs of distress. I have similar summer temperatures and my
Altum fish do fine as long as there is plenty of oxygen. I start
Altum airstones in all my tanks when temps get above 80F. If you
Altum don't like airstones, you can lower the water level a bit to
Altum get surface splash from your fiter.

My fish are acting a little hyper but other than that seem fine. One
of my gourami's seems to be spending a lot of time at the surface, but
I think that might not so abnormal for a labyrinth fish.

I'm a bit paranoid about airation, so I keep a bubble wall going all
the time. As for lowering the water level, the water does that fairly
well on its own. I think I've lost about 1 gallon since Saturday.


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The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

I'm lost on the muffin fan. Can you show me an online source for this item?
Thanks for the help...ED

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:59:33 GMT, "MEAlston"
wrote:

I'm lost on the muffin fan. Can you show me an online source for this item?
Thanks for the help...ED



Here's a surplus site that sells such things:

http://www.mpja.com/

Oh..OK...It's just like the chassis fan in my 'puter. Thanks again.

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 01:15:02 GMT, "MEAlston"
wrote:

Oh..OK...It's just like the chassis fan in my 'puter. Thanks again.



The same. You could get one for 120 VAC, or low voltage depending on
how comfortable you are around electricity.

Its a typical 2 VDC fan as used by computewrs, that is cut into the
aquiarium hood and blows across the light bulbs and water surface
creating some evaporation which in turn cools down the tank a few
degrees.

If youy use a variable voltage wall wart type transformer (less than
$12.00 in Wally World) you can vary the volts going to the fan which
in turn varies the speed of the fan and the amount of cooling air. YOu
can bump a heater up against a fan that is adjusted properly and
ma8ntain a pretty darn good close proximity of temperature
control......I can maintain my sal****er tanks within 2 deg or less by
persisitent tuning of heater on and cooling fan speeds........Of
course room ambient temp means a lot as well, but once you get the
hang of it its easy to do. I also made a submersible thermistor that
senses water temp and when water gets to a set point it turns on a
fan.......yet another method, but looks promising. They sell a fan
that uses air temp but its too inaccurate as air is not the medium the
fish are in.....
http://surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UI...-1317&catname=

YOu can get these type fans in all sizes, which 1.6" and 3" sizes are
most commonly used for aquarium cooling. Those sizes are also common
on computers............stay with 12VDC so there is no high AC voltage
for best saftey, and make the air blow in from the outside and across
water.


On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:59:33 GMT, "MEAlston"
wrote:
I'm lost on the muffin fan. Can you show me an online source for this item?
Thanks for the help...ED


--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....