Cooling tank & consistent temperature

[TinyDragonMom]

Hi! We've had our axolotls for just over a week. At room temperature, the tank fluctuates between 67-70 F (it depends on the outside temp and how much our A/C is running). I have a fan on it (pic attached) to keep the temp down when needed, but if I keep the fan running it will lower it below 60 F, which I think is too cool. As soon as the fan is switched off though temps slowly climb. I also don't love leaving the fan running when someone isn't home (I come from a fire department family and am paranoid about fans). I'm home now, so I'm able to check frequently and keep the tank at a pretty stable temp between 66-68 F. However, I'm looking for something to help maintain more consistent temperatures in the fall when school starts back up and I return to work. I've done some research and it seems like a chiller would probably be the best option, but I have no experience with chillers and don't know where to start looking for one that would be the best choice in terms of effectiveness and cost. I have 40 gal tank with a fluval 207 canister filter on it.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I'm not opposed to fans if it was something I didn't need to check but could regulate the temp on it's own. Thanks in advance!

 

[Murk]

How long does it take for the temperature to climb after you switch off the fan? Would it be possible to turn the fan off when you leave home and back on when you get back?

I think a time switch could be an easy solution here, similar to the time switches you might use for lighting. Most have an accuracy up to 15 minutes, so you could even have the fan on for 15 minutes, off for 15 minutes, on for 15, off for 15, on for 15, etc.

Chillers do work better, but I think you'll have trouble finding one for less than 500 dollars. Price is the biggest benefit for fans.
Also, if 70F is the max temperature, you don't even need to cool that much. It might be a bit of a waste to buy an expensive chiller just to drop the temperature one degree.

 

[MnGuy]

If you don't want to put a fan on a timer to run on and off throughout the day because of fire concerns and can't find a chiller, I'd recommend moving the tank to the coolest room in the house or the basement. My northwest bedroom is always considerable cooler than all the other rooms in my house because it gets the least direct sun. A northwest location could be a good option depending on where you live.

Good luck.

 

[TinyDragonMom]

How long does it take for the temperature to climb after you switch off the fan? Would it be possible to turn the fan off when you leave home and back on when you get back?

I think a time switch could be an easy solution here, similar to the time switches you might use for lighting. Most have an accuracy up to 15 minutes, so you could even have the fan on for 15 minutes, off for 15 minutes, on for 15, off for 15, on for 15, etc.

Chillers do work better, but I think you'll have trouble finding one for less than 500 dollars. Price is the biggest benefit for fans.
Also, if 70F is the max temperature, you don't even need to cool that much. It might be a bit of a waste to buy an expensive chiller just to drop the temperature one degree.

Thanks! I didn't even think about using a timer. I think I was focused on "aquarium" products. It takes awhile for the temp to climb. One degree usually takes several hours. I've been running the fan before bed now and it gets down to 66 F. I usually turn it off around 12:30/1:00 AM. By 10:00 AM it is usually only to 67 F. It seems to warm much quicker during the day though. By 2:00 P today it was up to 68.9 F.

 

[TinyDragonMom]

If you don't want to put a fan on a timer to run on and off throughout the day because of fire concerns and can't find a chiller, I'd recommend moving the tank to the coolest room in the house or the basement. My northwest bedroom is always considerable cooler than all the other rooms in my house because it gets the least direct sun. A northwest location could be a good option depending on where you live.

Good luck.

I have them in a cooler room directly next to the AC output for now. Our coolest room is the basement, but we are finishing it in a couple months and there will be drywall flying everywhere. I didn't want the tank down there until it was done because I don't want anything getting into it. I'm also going to look for a different fan. I got one on Amazon, but it's been less than a month and it is making some weird noises.