Help! I can't bring my tank temperature down!

So, 2 days ago I noticed my tank temperature jumped 3 degrees from 19 up to 22, I don't have a tank chiller atm due to budgetary restraints, so I did a 40% water change with really cold dechlorinated water and added some tank starter as well just in case I crashed my cycle, checked the temperature again this morning and it's at 25 degrees. I don't want to do another massive water change because that definitely will crash my cycle, so what do I do?! I've been keeping curtains closed and windows open (my neighbours probably think I'm a weirdo hermit now) so the living room stays cool but apparently the weather hasn't gotten the memo that it's supposed to start cooling down now.

I am new, but reading a lot... I understand you can fill a plastic bottle 3/4 of the way with water and freeze it (this way it wont explode). Put the frozen bottle in the tank with your babies... Freeze at least 2 so you can easily swap them out.

Hope this helps until you get more replies...

I posted this yesterday, it can bring the temperature down for a few degrees which is just what you need right now.
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...bstrate/93140-very-cheap-fan-type-cooler.html

Remembered I had an old desk fan lurking in my attic, dug it out, gave it a good clean and set it on top of a box aimed across the water. We're down 3 degrees in an hour and a half! Still not ideal and definitely not a permanent solution, but it's doing the trick for now. Toaster is already a lot calmer so I'm happy, we're planning on upgrading to a bigger tank soon so that should be easier to keep cool.

Who'd have thought we'd all be complaining about a hot British summer?!

Ice bricks (freeze dechlorinated water in a silicone loaf pan, put straight into tank), ice bottles, fans etc are about the best you can do - it's not really worth investing in a chiller in the UK - unless you can re-route your pump outlet through a cooler like Jelle's.

You can get a really good fan from Amazon - looks like 4 computer fans strung together - for about £30.

If you could move the tank lower down, perhaps on the floor, that will bring the temperature down 2 degrees. I had little tanks on a rack at two levels and the ones nearest the floor were always a couple of degrees cooler.
This plus the fans could get your water just right.

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So today, with all windows open and curtains closed (I'm freezing) plus fan on, I've managed to bring Toaster's tank down to 19 degrees, still not perfect, but significantly better than it was. Going to invest in an actual aquarium fan next week as while my desk fan is doing the trick it's cumbersome and not very attractive. Unfortunately with a 4 year old in the house rampaging around, putting Toaster's tank on the floor is not an option.

19C is fine, mine has been running at that all summer with occasional spikes to 22C. And yes a proper fan is worth the investment!

I'd get one today, but I've just had to shell out for a new aquarium stand (getting a free tank though so can't complain) because our dining table will definitely not support the weight of the new tank. Going to set up Toaster's new home tonight and possibly go plant shopping tomorrow. Exciting!

When I lived in TN (with a very shoddy air conditioner) my tank temperature would spike sometimes. We froze wide, shallow tupperware containers nearly full of ice and would float them, alternating when they were nearly melted. We called them ice blankies and they kept the axies happy until the house was cool enough again. One "blankie" would last all day, and one all night. A floor fan is keeping my juvie tanks cooler right now, seems to make a few degrees (Fahrenheit) difference.

I'm having the same problem with my tank, my house gets very warm even with the windows and doors open and the blinds shut.

Since the beginning of this hot British summer I have been using 1 litre lemonade/cola bottles, I have 4 on the go, 2 are in the freezer and 2 in the axies tank. I have filled them a quarter full of gravel and then topped them up to 3/4 level with water then frozen them then put them in opposite corners of the tank and they sit on the bottom of the tank rather than floating on the top which helps to bring the temperature down a bit better. I think when they are floating on the top you lose some of the chilling effect.

My babies love the bottles and they sit by them when I put them in!

I also have removed the 4 plastic inserts that are in the front of my lid of my aquarium and replaced them with stainless steel mesh (small gauge) and bought 2 aquarium chiller fans off Ebay (they were only about £10 each) that hang on the back of the tank (where my old waterfall filters used to be) and blow air through from the back of the tank and the air comes out the mesh at the front. They are a bit noisy for a living room but I tend to put them on when I go out to work during the day when no one is there so it doesn't matter.

Another tip, I remove the lid of the tank completely and that helps to cool things down too, but I only do this if I am in the same room and keep an eye on my axis as I don't want them jumping out the tank!

Hope that helps any other hot Brits out there!!!!

I live in a top floor flat so mine's been really warm all summer, as the heat just seems to rise and stay here! Anyway. I have the aquarium fan pointing at my tank which helps a lot. But on the really hot days and nights I wet some towels and wrap them around the tank. It might not look very attractive but the evaporating water from the towels keeps it cool. :happy:

Cleo0266 said:

I have filled them a quarter full of gravel and then topped them up to 3/4 level with water then frozen them then put them in opposite corners of the tankand they sit on the bottom of the tank rather than floating on the top which helps to bring the temperature down a bit better. I think when they are floating on the top you lose some of the chilling effect.

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The only problem with that is that you create a temperature gradient - warm at the top and cool at the bottom as warm rises and cool sinks - and when your axies go between the 2 they will get stressed.