New light is making temperature too high

[zak15]

I have a 29 gallon tank that I'm starting to make into a planted tank and I just got a new 130 watt compact flourescent light fixture and it is making my tank water to hot. The temperature right now is 86 degrees with the light turned out. The fixture is one 65 watt regular bulb and the other is a 65 watt actinic bulb. What can I do to keep the light on and have the temperature be normal? Anyone have any advice?

thanks

[The Zigman]

try an airstone, or leave the lid open.. water will evaporate with the lid open, and cool the tank. The airstone might lower your available co2. Could also raise the light further above the tank. how long is the light on per day?

[zak15]

The box said it should be on atleast 12 hours and the way its raising the temp it can't go on that long. Also, do i need the actinic bulb or can i get another regular or plant bulb.

[TheFanatic]

Don't decide how long the light needs to be on by what the box says. If you did that with Java Ferns they wouldn't live. Different plants need different amounts of light.

Try a timer. I have a timer on all 3 of my tanks. Each one comes with extra little pegs that turn the light off and on. You could set it to turn on for 4 hours, off for an hour, on for 4 hours, off for an hour and on for 4 then off for the other 9 hours.

[jpappy789]

I have a 29 gallon tank that I'm starting to make into a planted tank and I just got a new 130 watt compact flourescent light fixture and it is making my tank water to hot. The temperature right now is 86 degrees with the light turned out. The fixture is one 65 watt regular bulb and the other is a 65 watt actinic bulb. What can I do to keep the light on and have the temperature be normal? Anyone have any advice?

thanks
First off, what is the heater set at?

Second, what is the room temperature?

I second the timer and also less light during the day.

[jm1212]

you could also try retrofitting a small fan to the hood.

[stasia8756]

I have the same kind of fixture on my 28 bowfront and was having the same problem. The LFS suggested putting these "legs" on the fixture to raise it up about three inches. It solved my problem. The legs fit into some grooves along the side of the fixture, and can be bought at the LFS for about five bucks.

[TwoTankAmin]

Actinics are useless for plants.

[Mgamer20o0]

legs is a good bet. also a fan blowing over the tank water. leaving the lid up is also good.

[zak15]

It already has 2 fans and is blowing out alot of hot air I just got a timer today and I can't use the legs it came with because I ordered the whole fixture too short, I needed a 30 inch but ordered a 24 inch. I'm going to try the airstone and timer.

[nickmcmechan]

130w over 29g is over 4wpg...that's a lot...wow...!

[AnDr3w]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74389

[Danyal]

if you like the way the actinitic makes the tank look then keep it otherwise the amount of useful plant light it puts out is less than if you used another "daylight" bulb, not useless like some people claim but not as much light for the plants as possible. raising the light with some legs should help out with the temps.

[zak15]

Thanks very much everybody. I just installed the timer to turn on the 2 lights and airstone every 3 hours and shut off for one and repeat until night. I think im going to build the pvc light holder, i have some left over from building other things like potato guns. I have four watts per gallon because it will grow the high light plants I want like compact swords.

[Mgamer20o0]

could hang it or something.

[Plecosterone]

Leave it as it is and get some discus. :grinyes: