View Full Version : Up to 85
midnightmadman
12-21-2008, 9:27 PM
My tank is down in my finished basement with my coal stove.
It is now hovering between 84-86
Am I going to be in trouble?
Or will the fish be fine. I am worried about it creeping higher.
Its a 90 gallon with a wet dry.
Nolapete
12-21-2008, 9:45 PM
It's already too high.
Pittbull
12-21-2008, 9:49 PM
If you have africans it should be fine as for these guys can tolerate high temps..
But however if it gets any higher you may have to do something about it, do you have a heater working in the tank if so you may want to unplug it to see where your at on temp..
mike dunagan
12-21-2008, 10:02 PM
even though they can handle high temps, if it will be for the long term, I would find a way to cool the tank down.
Pittbull
12-21-2008, 10:20 PM
Agreed ideal range should be 80 at the most, i keep mine at 79 and they seem to fare well..
Excuse me but i have had a few Guinness tonight and i forgot to say 85 should be temporary..
Nolapete
12-21-2008, 10:38 PM
Is the tank in the direct path of the front of the stove? If so, any way to put something between the two to form a buffer. If the heat isn't directly hitting the tank, the temp should drop a little.
midnightmadman
12-22-2008, 8:09 AM
Is the tank in the direct path of the front of the stove? If so, any way to put something between the two to form a buffer. If the heat isn't directly hitting the tank, the temp should drop a little.
The tank is about 8 foot away off too the side.
I have a fan blowing directly on it to try to cool it.
snoopy65
12-22-2008, 8:45 AM
Make ice cubes with tank safe water. I have floated some in the tank when my temps get too high. It won't drop the temp fast, but it does drop it a degree or two. If it is possible, put tin foil on the side facing the stove - shiny side out. It will help reflect the heat.
Nolapete
12-22-2008, 9:39 AM
The tank is about 8 foot away off too the side.
I have a fan blowing directly on it to try to cool it.
I don't think a fan is really going to help, but worth a shot. You need something between the stove and the tank that will divert the heat off of it.
For the tank to be at 84-86, it has to be well over 90+ in the path of the heat. Not a good situation at all.
midnightmadman
12-22-2008, 12:40 PM
I am questioning my stick on thermometer. I wonder if it is reading a lot of the air temp around the tank too?
severum mama
12-22-2008, 12:45 PM
I haven't found the stick-on thermometers to be very accurate. I use the ones with the suction cups in all my tanks. They're really cheap, maybe you should pick one up.:)
midnightmadman
12-22-2008, 12:49 PM
Ok. I just checked with three different thermometers. One is a digital TDS meter/thermo. That one is reading 27 celsius(80)
And the other is a meat thermometer that is also reading 80 on the dot.
The other is a regular aquarium suction cup that is reading 82, the same as the stick on.
I think the digital is the one that I trust the most and its at 80 so I think im good.
petluvr
12-22-2008, 12:50 PM
I would say yes the tank is probably about 2 degrees cooler than what the sticky says IME. You can float some ice cubes or set a fan blowing across the top of the water. I always throw in an airstone (if you don't have one running) just to get the surface moving a little bit to keep the cooler surface water to flow througout the tank. You don't have anywhere else you could move the tank to, even across the room?
midnightmadman
12-22-2008, 12:52 PM
I would say yes the tank is probably about 2 degrees cooler than what the sticky says IME. You can float some ice cubes or set a fan blowing across the top of the water. I always throw in an airstone (if you don't have one running) just to get the surface moving a little bit to keep the cooler surface water to flow througout the tank. You don't have anywhere else you could move the tank to, even across the room?
I could, but its a 90 and a pain to move. I would have to empty most of it and have someone help me slide it
petluvr
12-22-2008, 12:55 PM
I could, but its a 90 and a pain to move. I would have to empty most of it and have someone help me slide it
Enough said:) It really can be a PITA to move tanks man I know:)
Philosophos
12-22-2008, 12:56 PM
If all of the above fails, and you've got some extra money hanging around, an in-line chiller will work.
nchoe123
12-25-2008, 8:17 AM
higher temps= higher metabolism, more need for food, potentially more aggression. so step up the water changes also.
if it's 80 that sounds fine. mine are at 78, and i can definitely feel the heat coming off the tank if i put my face near it-- the house fluctuates between 62 and 66 (intelligent thermostat-- i don't heat the house as much during the day when there's nobody home). i lose > 1" of water to evaporation every week, which is fine, as I know that it's going into the house. the humidity in the house is much improved over previous fishless winters. my electric bill is noticeably higher though with all these 200-300w heaters plugged in. gotta transition to white cloud mountain minnows or something :)
Rbishop
12-25-2008, 8:32 AM
I keep the discus at 82-84 al the time, I would enjoy that problem in the room where they are.
I prefer to keep my africans around 76 - 78. You're going to have increased metabolic activity (therefore waste therefore nitrates) and aggression at higher temps. A Chiller would be great, equally floating ice cubes in a plastic back may be a good idea too, or a fan, or all three.