Australian Summer again...

Hey everyone,
Well, I recently moved up to a 4ft tank, and today, the ambient air temp hit 26 degrees c (Sydney, NSW, Australia), My tank, around 2pm was at 22.3...
I've put a fan directed down onto where the filter outlet is (Still trying to slow the flow on it, but that's another matter...), and a 375mL frozen waterbottle down the other end.
I'm looking for thoughts on methods that might improve the situation, especially looking ahead to Feb when the room's previously hit forty...
Thoughts?
(Goal temp 20.5- what they've been at most of their lives)

Have a read through this article on cooling methods and see if there is anything else extra in there you could try.

Thanks, have had a read through it... Most likely is my filter which will be my heat contender *rats!*, and a cooler unit is out of the question.
Random thought: would creating a frozen rock column (or similar) to put in front of the filter's outlet control the temperature better? Or does someone know which medium/material would be best able to keep its cold for 7+ hours a day?

please, me know how you go.

I'm in Perth WA, and we have had hotter temperatures (got upto the 30's the other day) I'm trying my hardest to cool the tank down, but with work and the like, I can't monitor it all day.

I have just ordered a clip on cooling fan from ebay as a attempt to cool the water down, as like yourself, a chiller is not a option.

I don't know if it is feasible for you or not but moving the tank to the floor will shave off at least 1 or 2 degrees. It isn't much but sometimes that is all the difference needed.

the temperature in the tank right now is sitting on about 22 degrees, I just put one of those ice bricks in a sealed bag into the tank, near the filter outlet. I've also dropped the water level so the water is further from the lamp.

It might be worth using something like polystyrene to insulate your tank. It may not look too attractive, but it will help if you can get the water cool.

Minniechild said:

Most likely is my filter which will be my heat contender *rats!*,

Click to expand...

How about switching to an air driven filter as oppsed to a powered one? The surface agitation caused by the bubbles should also help lower your temperature?

Another idea is to clear a space in your fridge and get a suitable container ready, if temperature becomes >25C then you could pop your little monster in the fridge for a spell.

Thanks so much everyone...(Justin)-Moving it really isn't an option, as it took two people to get the blasted thing (EMPTY!!) in! Fortunately, we're on a concrete slab which means we save a few degrees.
(Steve) In regards to fridging, is three degrees C too low? I can't move it any higher under pain of death/shouting (not sure which is worse...)
As for the filter, I've got it set up with an air inlet so it creates a lot of bubbles. I also have an airstone set up, and an air driven pump which currently isn't in use-I need to find a way to power it down the other end of the tank whilst still keeping the air stone up the end with the big filter going... (Hears empty wallet flapping vainly)
As to poly...Would doing the ends help? The floor's done, and it's plasterboard directly behind it, so nowhere there for heat to trap.
iChris, that sounds really viable...How long do your blocks tend to last?
Anyways, they're saying it'll hit 27c here tomorrow..I have my fingers crossed.
Oh, and temp last I checked was 22.3-ish...going to invest in a better thermometer...
Anyways, thanks so much, guys, you've given me some great ideas to use on my terrible trio!

They seem to last a good 5-6 hours in the tank from being frozen solid. I have a few in the freezer too so i can rotate them when they thaw. I can't check the temperature of the tank at the moment because I'm in the emergency room, not for myself or my axolotl FYI.

Minniechild said:

(Steve) In regards to fridging, is three degrees C too low? I can't move it any higher under pain of death/shouting (not sure which is worse...)
As for the filter, I've got it set up with an air inlet so it creates a lot of bubbles. I also have an airstone set up, and an air driven pump which currently isn't in use-I need to find a way to power it down the other end of the tank whilst still keeping the air stone up the end with the big filter going... (Hears empty wallet flapping vainly)!

Click to expand...

I think 5 deg C is the lowest you can safely keep an axolotl without causing tissue damage, I'm just grabbing ideas out of the air here but it might be worth popping a container with a thermometer in your fridge anyway and doing some experiments. I think it might be possible for fridges to have "hot spots" either near the top or sides or bottom (although its highly unlikely to make 2 degrees of difference it might be worth a try)

What make/type is your big filter? When I say an air powered filter I mean you can get very effective ones - try looking for sponge filter, box filter, corner filter. All of these are powered only by bubbles rising through them and they generate no extra heat whatsoever. They're extremely cheap and if you are even just a little bit handy you can make one yourself for free / next to nothing.

Yeah, steve, I've got two air filters, but they weren't getting nearly enough of the stuff from the tank...My current pump is a piddly little President Pt3000 which sounds like a Peel running around my room... (Although it does a lovely job running my 5cm long airstone!)
Current filter that's running is a AquaOne F-103, and I've got the bubble-making nozzle on...which kind of spewed water everywhere when I tried to stem the flow-Am switching it around today,..I'm thinking of shoving a massive rock tower thingy in front of it if only to calm the flow a little...
When I next get cash *Wallet wails at emptiness*, I'll probs set the better of my two bubble filters (Which is currently sliming up nicely) down the other end of the tank (Dimensions=122cm X 40cm x 60cm, water level is currently approx 42-ish cms,)
As for the temperature thing, would an insulated bag keep the temperature high enough?

Chris- Hope whomever you're at the emergency room for is okay!?!???!!!

Okay, as the temp warning's upgraded to 31c today, here's my setup for the day:
http://yfrog.com/n9qewlj
And the tank in its entirety:
http://yfrog.com/epfskfj
Though I'm not running the light atm...
Here's hoping!

Chilling & Heating - Hailea Chillers - Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online - Hailea Chiller

I just bought one of these last month.

i have a 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 with 150 lt - i was stressing every time the ambient temp went over 25 c.

I set up 2 x computer fans (from fleabay for $1 ea Ha!) onto perspex sheets that replace the glass lids.

At ambient 24-26 c , the tank seemd to be on 20 c - i felt that this just did not leave enough room for error, and what if it changed more than that when i wasn't around?

So i got one of the chillers above.

I did a lot of research, and the Hailea chillers are the budget ones. There were some bad reveiws of earlier models, but some really good reveiws of the current models.

There are quieter chillers out there - I dont even notice it, it's no louder than the fridge turning on in the other room

There are better quality ones out there - It has a good warranty period, and i bought it knowing it might not last 20 years

There are no cheaper ones out there - the online store above sells them cheaper than anywhere i found, most other LFS i tried both online and stores, sold them for up to $700 or so (i bought the 130A for 300 ltrs)

I run it in line with my canister filter.

I am so glad i did, i set it for 18 c. It goes up to 19 c then turns on, chills it back to 18 in about 15-20 mins at 25 c ambient.

I've bought peace of mind, i know even on the 3x 40 C + days this summer that the chiller will be on, and setting it on 18 c will give me 2-3 c room for error.

Bren

Awesome, Bren. Wish i had that kind of cash...

Minniechild said:

Awesome, Bren. Wish i had that kind of cash...

Click to expand...

Well, how bad do you want it?

$350 div. by 6 weeks = about $60 per week.

Div 8 weeks = About $45 per week.

Can you go without something for 6-8 weeks?

Can you have a garage sale in the next 6 weeks?

Can you clean out your wardrobe and sell some treasures on ebay?

E=MC squared - Effort = Money and cash squared

With a plan and some elbow grease, you can have anything you want.

Bren

Lol, Bren, I suppose. I did a lot of scheming just to get the tank set up, and that was a LOT of saving...*Sigh* I have plans for a stall at my local market (RIDBC for those who are in Sydney and wondering-...), but they're about to be completely wrecking balled by my brother's camping trip, and after that, there's a chance I'll be knocked out myself for a few weeks *rats!*. On the positive side, I should have the tank established well enough by that point...And will get revenge on little brother at the same time *CACkLE!*.
I'm thinking Christmas present may be an idea....*Ponders*

Oh, and current temp (according to lousy three buck thermometer) is 20.8c, an itty bit higher than I'd like, but I'm feeling a bit more relaxed *Phew!*

I did have just a mini house hold fan last summer (but it's packed in a box somewhere now...), but since I need to make a new screen lid anyway, I was thinking about going with the computer fan idea. But, how do you use them?
For example: PC/MAC QUIET COMPUTER SYSTEM COOLING CASE FAN 80MM FANS (eBay item 110612359072 end time 16-Dec-10 15:20:40 AEDST) : Computers
How do you plug that into a wall? Do I need to also get something else for converting those?

Computer fans usually run on 5V DC or 12V DC, they usually run of the same power cables that also power your hard disks. Usually there is label in the centre of the fan that gives such details and how much current it can handle IIRC.

XeryusTC is right but I think the 5V fans are for the smaller CPU cooling fans, the PSU / case fan your showing in this picture will be 12V.

Best and safest way to power it is a 12V transformer, (similar to a mobile phone charger)- that can convert your mains voltage to 12V DC. You will need to know the power rating of the fan and make sure that the transformer/adapter is rated to supply at least that much or higher. Otherwise it will burn out.

You will then need to join the wires on the fan to the wires from the adapter, probably you would need to cut the plugs off both ends and then solder, or use a crimp or a small electricians junction box.

The PC fan has four wires wheras the output from the adapter will have 2 (+'ve and -'ve). 2 of the fan wires will be to supply the power and the other two will be to control it. (on/off speed etc.) You would need to research which wire does what.

It's not a massively complicated job but you will need some electronics knowledge to do it. You can google "how to power cpu fan" for some good instructions and videos etc.

I looked at something like this a while ago, when I totted up the cost of the fan and the cost of the adapter and then compared the cost of this against commercially available aquarium fans, the aquarium fans came up cheaper.