How do I keep my axies tank cool?

[AxieFantasy]

my Axolotl Bruno is about 5 months old now, the summer is coming and his tank temperature shot up today! I’m really worried and he seemed stressed, usually he has a very bubbly and energetic mood, but he kinda just sat around his cave and rock all day with slightly curled gills. He’s my first Axolotl, and I really want him to have the best life possible. A few minutes ago I put a ziploc bag with ice packs and ice cubes in it. I gave him his bloodworms and he went back to his normal behavior quickly. But I still need to know how to keep it cold! And if adding bags of ice how long should I let them sit?

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Under your current method, you will need to constantly cycle out the bags to make certain ice is in the tank 24/7. This method can lead to temperature fluctuations which stress them out. Alternative methods: use computer fans blowing across the surface of the water. There are aquarium fans as well. You can also invest in an aquarium chiller.

 

[JM29]

Hi, AxieFantasy,

how long should I let them sit?

Difficult to answer right now, but you have the ice bags and you have the thermometer. After having put an ice bag in, check the thermometer to see how long the temperature stays under 20°C (it depends on the ice bag, but also on the tank volume...).
22°C is definitively too high as a routine temperature but if it's an single hot event, your axolotl should pass that without dammage.

Now, as you stated, it's the beginning of summer and hot events will probably become more frequent (permanent in July-August), so you'll have to think about some permanent solutions :
- A fan or a chiller as suggested by Autistic Catholic,
- If your tank has a lid which can remain open without suppressing the light (necessary for your live plants), so let it open (or add a net if you fear your axolotl jump out of the tank).
- If you have a filter, be aware that the pump will heat a little the water. Having or not a filter is a personal technical choice I won't discuss here.
- If you have a basement or a garage in the northern side of your house, consider moving the tank in it during all summer.

 

[wolfen]

my Axolotl Bruno is about 5 months old now, the summer is coming and his tank temperature shot up today! I’m really worried and he seemed stressed, usually he has a very bubbly and energetic mood, but he kinda just sat around his cave and rock all day with slightly curled gills. He’s my first Axolotl, and I really want him to have the best life possible. A few minutes ago I put a ziploc bag with ice packs and ice cubes in it. I gave him his bloodworms and he went back to his normal behavior quickly. But I still need to know how to keep it cold! And if adding bags of ice how long should I let them sit?

there are different methods to cooling the tank down the most effective and controllable is a chiller, this is also the most expensive.
other methods are..
fans, which use evaporation. will only drop the temperature by a few degrees but will keep it stable. requires top ups due to evaporation.
using an old fridge, by placing coils of piping or an external filter in the fridge and pumping water through them. will drop the temperature better than fans, the amount is dependant on setup, needs to be on constant to avoid frozen pipes. also requires pumps strong enough to pump water around.
ice bottles/ice cubes, will drop the temp down but needs to be constantly replaced to avoid fluctuations.
water change, this cools down the tank temporarily only.
using insulation around the tank, this wont cool the tank but it will slow down the tank warming up due to room/ambient temperature.
be aware of all things that can warm the tank ie.. filters/lights/placement.
I use three cooling methods, fans fridge and insulation which even on a hot day ie.. 24°c+ the tank always stays below 18°c.

 

[michael]

Fan, air conditioner, or chiller are good for cooling. An ice program that fluctuates temps might be worse than no ice. A 2 liter bottle of frozen water swapped out often might be o.k. if the temp doesn't fluctuate to much. If the room is to cold for axolotls think of switching to ribbed newts.

 

[Mash_01]

I don't know if you have central air conditioning or not, but if you do I might suggest keeping it down at between 60 to 64 degrees fahrenheit (15 to 17 degrees celsius.)
Either that or a chiller/fan.
Another alternative might be moving the tank down to a basement area, if you have one.

 

[amary]

Hello,
I will share my strange and unusual experience. I grow Chinese newts, and the aquarium is on the inner window of a glazed balcony. I have a view from the inside (from the room) and the service is from the balcony. I don't have electricity outside and I can't use cooling equipment. Winter is good, but in summer it gets very hot there.
I made my own construction from polyethylene foam (a material similar to styrofoam, but it is plastic and is an excellent insulator of temperature). In the summer at night the aquarium cools down, and in the morning with this device I dress it on all sides, like a thermos. During the hottest days I put a bottle of ice in the aquarium from the freezer. The outside temperature of the balcony sometimes reaches over 36 degrees Celsius, and the water in the aquarium does not exceed 25 degrees. I have been using this simple system for 9 years, so far successfully. For clarity, I am attaching some photos with a view from the room and from the balcony. I wish you success in raising tailed pets! Greetings.


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