how to cool down aquarium?, aquarium too warm!

Hello -

my husband and i just set up our freshwater aquarium. when we put the heater in, it must have been on way too high, because soon the temp was off the charts. we unplugged it, and i thought it would cool down very quickly. no such luck. it has cooled down to 76-78 in the evening, but it heats up over 80 during the day. we do not have air conditioning, and it is very warm now, so i'm guessing this is also part of the problem. but i know that plenty of other people keep fish over the summer!! how do they do it? any suggestions to cool it down and keep the temp regulated? at this point, i can't imagine when we'll turn the heater on ...

thanks for your time!

- weber

Corys on vacation but we tend to watch each others back when we know the other is away from their site.

Aquariums overheating is a very common thing that happens in the summer and I see your question asked several times a year on different forums. So dont worry you are not alone.

There are several ways to cool a aquarium. Some very expensive others very simple. But the labor is tied to the cost. The more expensive the less maintance, the cheaper needing a constant eye.

The first is air condition your house - (you didn't want to hear that) There is the expense of installiation then the expense of electricity.

Second is buy a aquarium chiller - Chillers are often needed to keep the water temperature within a range optimal for your tank inhabitants. These can run $400 on up. (Not so cheap either)

Chillers are available in two forms: drop-in and in-line. Drop-in chillers have cooling coils that you simply place in the sump to cool the water. No plumbing is required. In-line chillers have internal cooling coils. Water is pumped into the chiller, cooled, and then returned back to the tank or sump. The chief advantage of an in-line chiller is that it can be placed remotely from the tank (such as a basement, a different room or a garage).

Temperature controllers are necessary to operate the chiller. A single stage controller will control just the chiller, while a dual stage controller can control both a chiller and a heater to minimize variance and eliminate conflicts.

Third You can do small frequent water changes with cooler water - This is good for the temp but hard on the biological filtration.

Fourth You can place ice cubes in a ziplock bag and let it float in the tank. As the ice melts it will cool the water in the tank but not to quickly for the fish.

The Fifth and final way that I am aware of is to take the lid off the aquarium and blow a fan across the top. I know this sounds dumb like how can a fan cool water, BUT the fan causes evaporation and evaporation is what creates the cooling of the water.

You might want to try a combination of the last 3 ways to create a slow cooling process that wont shock the fish.

Keep in mind you want to cool your tank slowly. Rapid changes in temps are not good for your fish. Dont be afraid to turn off any lights on the tank. The light only creates more heat and if you dont have live plants you should not have any problems having a dark tank for a few days.

Actually there is one other way. But that is only if you have a basement. (I think you know where I am going with this) If you move the tank to the basement it will cool naturally since basements usually are cooler than upper floors.

I hope this gives you a few things to try. Sorry for it being so long but I wanted to give you all the possibilities I could think of. If you read this to the end - post back here with a diddly-dee diddly-do. Just kidding.

Wow that is a very good explaination. Yes, I am technically "on vacation" although I had some free time so I decided to pop in for a quick visit. You all are the best! Anyway I would add more but fishdoc really added much more than I would ever have thought up so good job.

shucks and glad I could help. Continue to enjoy your vacation.

For most home aquariums the easiest method I have heard of is to semi-freeze a litre bottle of water and sit that in the tank. The lid off and blowing a fan across the surface works well too, but does depend on the type of fish you have( some may try to escape).
Also remember that higher water temps mean less oxygen in the water, so its also worth lowering the water level so the filter outlet is above the water level and it makes more surface agitation, or adding an air pump.

Re the heater, as long as it is working properly, it is better to set it to a lower temp and leave it on all the time, then as the temp cools at night, if it gets below a certain level the temperature will be adjusted.
Drastic temperature changes are more harmful to the fish so its unwise to let the tank temperature differ too greatly. By using the heater it will prevent the tank cooling down as much at night.

HTH's

Hey, i have the same problem with keeping a cool tank. I live in NY and it gets pretty hot and humid in Brooklyn. I find that if i leave the hood open while i have the air conditioner on it cools pretty well, but the downside is that it only stays cool for about an hour! what do i do when im in school or at work?! I just got my black moor and i intend to keep him for a while, im even close to buying 2 more! But what can one do if they cant be by the aquarium all day??