Extreme heat: house gets hot when I'm gone

L

lake_tuna

AC Members
Dec 14, 2009
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Hey guys,

I just moved into a house, and weather in Southern California has really taken off. It's been in the upper 90's here this week, and my house is at 85+ degrees when I get home at 6pm. I've been checking my 30g fish tank during this time, and it's just below 85. Is it OK in the summer to maintain this temperature during the summer time? I'd think there won't be great temperature fluctuation, so I think it would be OK. In the morning, the tank temperature this morning was at 82, even though the house was at 78. I'm not going to use A/C because it's just me in the house. I have ceiling fans that work well for me.

I've never kept fish in a hot summer (moved from San Diego shore area, where my apt was pretty cool all year)! I did put an air stone to help with oxygen. My fish seems OK. Let me know. Thanks!
 
I'm not sure what the tank temp was but when RI temps rose above 85 I lost more than ten fish from three tanks under 3 gallons. I would strongly suggest making certain NOT to use lighting during this heat spell as it'll just raise the temps even more. I only mention this because it never occurred to me until it was too late!
 
Invest in a $20 programmable thermostat and lower your electric bill as well as keeping your fish happy.
 
I put a second filter in both of my large tank to make more surface turbulence. I also have a powerhead with aeration in my 55 to add to the oxygen content. I worry about my mudskippers but they are from africa so I hope they can handle the heat. They all did okay last year and I don't think I lost any fish. I did lose a bunch of my mystery snails though. I am not sure why. I have a 20 gallon that gets around 85 during the day but it is mostly shrimp with a few halfbeaks that are new. I kinda take the wait and see attitude. My BF says they are tropical fish and should be able to take the higher temp fluctuations.
 
I would leave the top off (use netting if you have jumpers) and aim a small fan at the water surface.
 
My house has a programmable Thermostats. I don't like wasting electricity, so I just use the many ceiling fans I have. I think turning off the light would be a big help. I'll implement that. I don't know how I can put up a fan high enough for my tank.
 
I have the same issue... My tank temps fluctuate between 75-85. I was worried when it hit 85 the other day! I leave the feeding door open (10g standard hood) and drape a piece of shelf liner I have which has holes (like flexible plastic canvas or thick mesh) to discourage jumpers. This keeps things a bit cooler, but in general my fish have never shown signs of distress. Usually tank temp only fluctuates about 5 degrees which is normal for day/night temps.
 
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