Our air conditioning has gone out and it's been almost 90 in our house. The aquarium water is already a little over 80. I usually keep it at about 76-78 degrees. Can I put cool water in? Or float ice cubes for a minute? I don't know what to do.
Help! How do I cool the water down in my tank?
- Thread starter Evanleigh
- Start date
Don't do anything if this is a short time event and AC gets fixed in a couple of days.
The only things you should do are turn off lights and ventilate the surface, and that last thing would mostly to calm you down.
WC cooling will only do harm, especially if it is short term and the temp fluctuates too much up and down. Fish stress on that. Most fish will be able to sustain short heat waves. As long as your filtration is good things should be fine. Z danios do better in colder conditions, but they are pretty tough.
The only things you should do are turn off lights and ventilate the surface, and that last thing would mostly to calm you down.
WC cooling will only do harm, especially if it is short term and the temp fluctuates too much up and down. Fish stress on that. Most fish will be able to sustain short heat waves. As long as your filtration is good things should be fine. Z danios do better in colder conditions, but they are pretty tough.
Thank you so much for your quick response!
Yea, it won't be fixed until Monday and it's bound to get warmer. Probably in the low 90's. We are going to have to stay somewhere else for a few nights because of the heat. I'm so worried.
Tomorrow is water change day. If I do that and just used a bit cooler water would that be ok? I usually change about 50%.
I also have some cory's. I know they are fairly cooler temp fish. Will they be ok?
Yea, it won't be fixed until Monday and it's bound to get warmer. Probably in the low 90's. We are going to have to stay somewhere else for a few nights because of the heat. I'm so worried.
Tomorrow is water change day. If I do that and just used a bit cooler water would that be ok? I usually change about 50%.
I also have some cory's. I know they are fairly cooler temp fish. Will they be ok?
Ok, thank you John.
I also have the glass top off and the ceiling fan on high. I just have to find something to put over the top so my fish won't jump out. Maybe a screen?
I also turned the bubbler up a little higher. Hopefully that will help the fish. I know my plants won't like it though.
I also have the glass top off and the ceiling fan on high. I just have to find something to put over the top so my fish won't jump out. Maybe a screen?
I also turned the bubbler up a little higher. Hopefully that will help the fish. I know my plants won't like it though.
interestingly, I know folks that do water changes with cool/cold water with no ill effect.
the thought process he uses has merit..hot water tanks can be a problem as heavy metals can leach more quickly with Hot water .
that said the hot water tanks can be a source as well.. sediments tend to accumulate in the bottom of the Hot water tanks.
I have recently begun using cool water as well. cool water is said to trigger spawns.
btw in mid summer on hot days I use water bottles filled with water and frozen to cool tanks
the thought process he uses has merit..hot water tanks can be a problem as heavy metals can leach more quickly with Hot water .
that said the hot water tanks can be a source as well.. sediments tend to accumulate in the bottom of the Hot water tanks.
I have recently begun using cool water as well. cool water is said to trigger spawns.
btw in mid summer on hot days I use water bottles filled with water and frozen to cool tanks
I might do just like a tiny bit cooler water change. Like 1-2 degrees. I will need to see what the temp is in the tank tomorrow. It's 81-82 degrees now.
I am another one that normally uses water at WCs that is substantially below normal tank temps. And my WCs are always at about 50%. I have never experienced anything unusual doing it this way.If I was in your situation I would do a WC each day in the early evening, large and with water at normal tank temp or even lower.
Since I am in the desert, the air in the late evenings/early mornings cools down a bit so I can at least blow in the cooler air from outside with the fan. It's gone down from 84 degrees to 80 in the house and in the tank it's at 80 instead of 82. Yay! Still worried about this afternoon, but seeing as it's WC day, I'm going to wait til early evening to do WC. I was going to do it in just a little while, but you're right Bob, it makes much more sense to do it after the heat of the day has warmed everything back up again. And will do another one tomorrow as well. Thanks!
Byron Amazonas
AC Members
There is quite a difference between doing a weekly water change with cooler water, and doing several frequent changes the same day. I would not do the latter. Before I got a room air conditioner for my fish room, I had tanks full of fish, including many wild corys, remain around 90F for a week (dropped during the cooler night obviously) during summer heat waves, with no fish losses. Just keep the fish quiet, do the normal weekly water changes, feed less (missing alternate days is fine). Additional water circulation (airstones, filter) is good, and keeping the room air circulating above the tanks.
I use slightly cooler water for all water changes. I mix hot and cold, as using just cold in my situation would lower the tanks by ten or so degrees and I do not think this is wise. Temperature obviously fluctuates in the wild between day and night, but it is not sudden or massive. The temperature lowers when the rainy season begins, but again this is not a rapid frequent fluctuation back and forth nut seasonal.
Temperature affects several physiological processes in fish, and such rapid extreme fluctuations is bound to have an impact on stress at the very least, and in higher temperatures you want to avoid stress as mjuch as possibled.
Byron.
I use slightly cooler water for all water changes. I mix hot and cold, as using just cold in my situation would lower the tanks by ten or so degrees and I do not think this is wise. Temperature obviously fluctuates in the wild between day and night, but it is not sudden or massive. The temperature lowers when the rainy season begins, but again this is not a rapid frequent fluctuation back and forth nut seasonal.
Temperature affects several physiological processes in fish, and such rapid extreme fluctuations is bound to have an impact on stress at the very least, and in higher temperatures you want to avoid stress as mjuch as possibled.
Byron.