Question: What is the safest way to cool down a tank?

Rhiannonst93 · Sep 15, 2013

Hi, I'm new to the site and I'm sure the answer has been posted somewhere else, but my situation is a bit different.
I haven't got my axolotl yet, but I have the tank and everything set up, last night I checked the temperature and it was at 22 degrees Celsius, and now after having the windows open all night it's now 19 degrees Celsius.
Is 22 degrees ok for an axie? If not how can I cool it down?
I don't wan to try the ice bottle method as I think it will make a drastic change

Thank you for any help

Petersgirl · Sep 16, 2013

Ideal temperature seems to be about 18 degrees but to be honest I have never had it that low. In the Winter, in Cornwall, I have it down to 20 degrees by leaving the windows open all day and by pointing fans (one clip on, the other a mini desktop fan) at the water. If you do this, though, be sure to have dechlorinated water on hand as the water will evaporate.

You can also wrap damp towels around the tank - Beks's method - or you can use frozen bottles of water. Be warned that the bottle method requires constant supervision as exposing your axxie to a sudden drop in temp can be dangerous to your axolotl.

The ultimate - but most costly - way of cooling your tank is a Chiller. They can be set to the temp you want and left but they're expensive and also need specialist equipment. Hope this helps!

snuggly time · Sep 16, 2013

Your best option is probably a fan which should drop the temperature by a few degrees. It's getting a bit colder now so in a month or so you might not need anything. If you can get it a little lower then it will be better. But it's better having it a little higher and a constant temperature in my opinion then the temp fluctuating a lot.

When it's very hot I use wet towels like Sarah said above. I haven't needed them recently as the tank seems to be stable around 20c with the fan on. :happy:

Rhiannonst93 · Sep 18, 2013

snuggly time said:
Your best option is probably a fan which should drop the temperature by a few degrees. It's getting a bit colder now so in a month or so you might not need anything. If you can get it a little lower then it will be better. But it's better having it a little higher and a constant temperature in my opinion then the temp fluctuating a lot.

When it's very hot I use wet towels like Sarah said above. I haven't needed them recently as the tank seems to be stable around 20c with the fan on. :happy:

Thank you both so much, I didn't want to try the ice bottle method as I work, so I wouldn't have constant supervision over replacing bottles etc.
through the night I've noticed the temp to go down to 20, and through the day it's highest is 23, I'll try a fan, and see what it's like

Beginner Axolot · Oct 14, 2013

Hi, I live in a hot in summer, freezing in winter climate, I know it is bad, but my Axolotls tank is around 23-24 degrees C. I has been usin the bottle method, but I find it inefficient as the temperature changes back to 23 every time the ice fully melts out. I am saving for a chiller.

Personally the chiller is the best option, save up for one, It will be good in the long run. I hope this helped

auntiejude · Oct 14, 2013

I have to ask why your temparature is so high in a British autumn. My tank is sitting at 18-19C in my living room. What temperature is the room your axie is in? And what could be heating your tank up? Do you have a light in the tank? Have you got your tank too close to a radiator? Is your tank getting sunlight? Do you have a hot filter? Try and work out where your heat is coming from - far better to stop heating that start cooling.

Ice bottles work fine in a large tank, I used ice bottles and fans this summer. In a smaller tank you could use smaller bottles - maybe 1L instead of 2L bottles.

Bambi · Nov 5, 2013

Beginner Axolot said:
Hi, I live in a hot in summer, freezing in winter climate, I know it is bad, but my Axolotls tank is around 23-24 degrees C. I has been usin the bottle method, but I find it inefficient as the temperature changes back to 23 every time the ice fully melts out. I am saving for a chiller.

Personally the chiller is the best option, save up for one, It will be good in the long run. I hope this helped

Hey! I also live in aus where do u purchase a chiller from? Online? And are they expensive?

Petersgirl · Nov 9, 2013

Bambi - Chillers are a little on the expensive side - my local garden centre quoted me in the £200 ball park for a decent one. You can order them online or from shops, including via an LFS. I haven't got one of my own so I can't offer any tips, unfortunately. There are also some great forum threads on here about making DIY chillers which may be worth checking out! Hope Beginner Axolot can also give you some local tips.

Beginner Axolot · Nov 10, 2013

Bambi said:
Hey! I also live in aus where do u purchase a chiller from? Online? And are they expensive?

Hey Bambi,

I did send you a private message about this, but if you didn't get it, and if others want to know, here it is:

I live in Queensland, a state in Australia. Unfourtunantly, I live in a rural area. The pet shop where I got my Axie, didn't sell chillers, didn't think I needed a thermometer and gave me tiny rocks... I had to get most information about what I do and didn't need online. My suggestion: Aquatic chillers are very expensive, the cheapest I have seen is above $480 Aud but below $500... And they can range from $480 - $1480. And that was from:: Aquatic Supplies Australia Aquarium Shop Online Store :: it is an Australian website. Which means local shipping. Just search "chiller". Alternatively search "fan". Fans are cheaper and lower the temperature by a couple of degrees, but they also evaporate water.

If you do find a cheaper chiller from Australia please Private message me. If you have anymore question do the same.

And sorry about raving on!!!

Cheers, probably no-longer Beginner Axolot

Chuzzy2812 · Mar 20, 2014

Hi I am new to this forum. But I find the best way to cool tank down is with a fan. We keep ours running 24/7 between 18/19 degrees. And we keep our bungalow at about 72.
That seem to work well.

Bdyoung · Mar 20, 2014

Here's a video I made on keeping your tank cold that may help you out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6R6md5S3s4&index=3&list=PLh6Z3BOtYfscRxr9eLdjG5jCK5jqYvP3o

axowattyl · Mar 21, 2014

For Australians, here is a place to buy chillers:

Guppy's Aquarium Products Online - Home page

I've bought 2 haileas from them and they've been fine as well as reasonably priced.

One of them was a really big one for my twin 6x2x2 setup, and it is the answer.

If your going to keep axolotls in Oz, you really need one. It's that simple.

You have to be careful to match up the right Lpm flowrate pump or cannister for the chiller though, or it won't work properly.

Skudo09 · Mar 21, 2014

axowattyl said:
For Australians, here is a place to buy chillers:

Guppy's Aquarium Products Online - Home page

I've bought 2 haileas from them and they've been fine as well as reasonably priced.

One of them was a really big one for my twin 6x2x2 setup, and it is the answer.

If your going to keep axolotls in Oz, you really need one. It's that simple.

You have to be careful to match up the right Lpm flowrate pump or cannister for the chiller though, or it won't work properly.

Guppys also sell some clip on fans that I have to say are fantastic. I bought some as I couldn't yet afford a chiller and wanted to try and cool the tank reliably in another way. These have worked amazingly well. I have been able to go to work without worrying that the tank will get too hot during the day. My tank is sitting at 18C most of the time.

Having said that, I would still recommend a chiller as first choice and I hope to get one in the future. Whilst these fans are fantastic, they won't quite be enough during the stinking hot 40C days. However the fans from Guppys do bring down the temperature remarkably well and have worked far better than any desk fan. I expect that they will do the trick until next Summer allowing me time to save up for a chiller

Jennewt · Mar 21, 2014

Among the low-cost methods, I think fans are the safest. There's a low chance of the fan failing, and it creates a stable reduction in temp that requires no constant attention (unlike the frozen bottles).

Given the cost of a chiller, it might sometimes make sense to get an air conditioner for the whole room. Then you and your axolotls can both enjoy some coolness.

Always plan ahead for outages (electrical outage, AC failure, or chiller failure). These can be fatal, and they are INEVITABLE! Have a backup plan for when it happens.

shark · Mar 21, 2014

I second (or third, fourth, fifth?) the fan. I live in Florida, where it's hot and humid year round. Even with my AC set at around 22 C, the tank was sitting around 23 C. I got a clip on fan and an airstone and that has reduced the temp to around 18-19 C.

Lil Godzilla · Apr 1, 2014

I stopped using bottles. Instead I fill plastic containers with water, let them sit out for 24+ hours (to get rid of any treatment chemicals) then cover and put them in the freezer. It not only cools down the tank but adds water too.

Chillers are expensive to buy and cost a lot to run. Plus friends of mine that have water turtles had too many bad experiences with them. Fans are somewhat useful but can also push dirt into the tank. That was my experience. I live in New York and had the window open on a beautiful day. When I went in to feed Godzilla I noticed a film of dirt and pollen on the surface of the water. Everyone told me not too worry but she's been healthy and you don't know what types of contaminants can adversely effect them.

Hope this helps.

BTW - hello all I'm new here and my axi is Lil Godzilla.

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