Cooling tank water

[Adler]

I need help with lowering my tank temperature. I never put thought into it until recently during a water change I noticed the water being too warm, I checked my thermometer and the reading was off the scale (>32°C) (it isn't the first time it is like that, it's always like that during dry season).

I've seen a video where they use computer fans to cool down water tank but I was wondering if there is another method.
What I've been doing is freeze water in a plastic bag and then put the plastic bag in the tank. So I got a couple questions with this:
1. If i freeze tap water can I dump the frozen water directly into the tank (without using plastic bag as a barrier)?
2. Is it ok if I freeze tank water and then proceed to dump the frozen tank water into the tank?

Now before you say "temperature changes shock/are bad for fish" I am very well aware of this, However during my actions the temperature readings changes very slightly if it does, and not to mention it only helps for 30 minutes or so.

My objective here is for a method that can give me a temperature reading of <27°C (no AC)

 

[dudley]

What is your room temperature?

Before we had AC installed in the house, we used to open the tank lid in the front and install a piece of egg crate (drop ceiling light grid) to allow the tank to lose heat in the summer and it worked well.

I don't see a problem with using solution #1 but you would need to keep up the frozen water solution frequently.

You could experiment with a plastic quart milk jug, fill it 3/4 full of water, freeze it and let float in the tank if that would work for you. A couple jug's could be rotated throughout the day.

Most people in hot climates with no AC either open the lids and add a small fan blowing across the water surface or invest in a chiller.

You don't mention tank size, whether you have a heater in use or what water pump that may be generating heat due to the wattage of the pump. Might be helpful to know some additional details.

 

[Adler]

What is your room temperature?

Before we had AC installed in the house, we used to open the tank lid in the front and install a piece of egg crate (drop ceiling light grid) to allow the tank to lose heat in the summer and it worked well.

I don't see a problem with using solution #1 but you would need to keep up the frozen water solution frequently.

You could experiment with a plastic quart milk jug, fill it 3/4 full of water, freeze it and let float in the tank if that would work for you. A couple jug's could be rotated throughout the day.

Most people in hot climates with no AC either open the lids and add a small fan blowing across the water surface or invest in a chiller.

You don't mention tank size, whether you have a heater in use or what water pump that may be generating heat due to the wattage of the pump. Might be helpful to know some additional details.

room temp +30°C
tank is 20G. LOL if i'd use a heater i would fry my fish. The only equipment i use are hob filter (aquaclear 20) and led lights (hood that came with tank)

 

[Sprinkle]

If you dont use tank heater you can leave temperature as it is and it will eventually drop down on its own many times i did that and havent harmed even a betta this way.
If you dont want to do so, a water changes with colder water will work out as well.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Two things here that matter. the first is what fish are in the tank. There are some fish which can handle very warm water. I have had two heater malfunctions. The first had my tank at 104F (40). It killed a discus pair, turned the rummy nose tetras into balls of rotting mush. However, the Hypancistrus plecos (L450s) were all hunkered down in their caves. A month later they were spawning.

The second heater failure wiped out a tank of 10 breeding L236 plecos and abut 30 offspring. This time the temp was over 120F (49C). The fish actually exploded.

What I do know is that when any fish is at a temperature which exceeds their safe range (high or low) it will show behavior indicating it is approaching death. The way to prevent the fish from dying is as rapidly as possible to return it to water within its normal range. No acclimation is done at all. In fact trying to move it back into a safe range gradually will likely result in death.

I have actually dealt with this problem when I sent a box of 20 zebra plecos from NY to Texas during cold weather. It was sent overnight and packed for that time frame. The box got delayed due to an accident at a FedEx facility in Chicago. When it was located and a delivery time was given to us, I knew the heat packs were going to be done and the water cold. I told the buyer when the box arrived as fast as he could to get the fish into good temps. He followed this instruction. he also checked the bag temp in each of the three bags- 59, 60 and 60 F (15.5 C).

Two fish were DOA but he got the rest into the right water temp as directed. Two and three days later he lost one fish each day. I offerd replacements or refunds in the tow DOA and he opted for the refund. I also told him since he had the other two in his tank for a few days, the possibility was it was something he did that might have killed the fish and I sent a refund for one of the two fish. He refused to accept it.

If he had tried to acclimated the fish back to their safe temperature range he would have lost them all.

Next, for many years I have set up summer tanks outside on our screened terrace. Temperatures out side will get into the 90s ) . The water in the tanks gets pretty warm at times- low 90sf ( 33C+). I do not cool the water and I do not lose fish either. I have kept danios. tetras, corys and placos outside like this.

My biggest problem with this setup is not the summer heat, it is the nighttime temperatures getting down below the mod 50sF (12-13C) that are my biggest problem. I add heaters and cover tanks with towels and/or blankets. But once the nighttime temps get even lower, I have to have all the fish back inside.

Finally. in the 1970s I and roommates had a house tank we shared. We had to deal with high heat and no AC. We would remove tank water to containers and freeze it. We used container that were box shaped so by running water on the outside it would allow the block of ice to slide out. We put the "iceberg" into the water.

We used two containers and the first time we filled them both with tank water, we replaced the water in the tank with dechlored water. Each time we had to put in the next block of ice, we first refilled the container with tank water. This system worked great. We did not lose fish. My best recall was we had a 20 gal tank and the contaers held about a quart of water.

 

[Sprinkle]

Two things here that matter. the first is what fish are in the tank. There are some fish which can handle very warm water. I have had two heater malfunctions. The first had my tank at 104F (40). It killed a discus pair, turned the rummy nose tetras into balls of rotting mush. However, the Hypancistrus plecos (L450s) were all hunkered down in their caves. A month later they were spawning.

The second heater failure wiped out a tank of 10 breeding L236 plecos and abut 30 offspring. This time the temp was over 120F (49C). The fish actually exploded.

 

[mechtech]

you can get a tank cooler we have one in our class for the salmon

 

[Sprinkle]

U got a salmon in your class?? unusual for me wondering how its cared for hence they do in bigger numbers, like goldfish lets say and give that people dont or dont know how to care for one. Cant quite hide it i am concerned about its wellbeing.

 

[Adler]

My biggest problem with this setup is not the summer heat, it is the nighttime temperatures getting down below the mod 50sF (12-13C) that are my biggest problem. I add heaters and cover tanks with towels and/or blankets. But once the nighttime temps get even lower, I have to have all the fish back inside.

I can see how a temperature change like that can affect the fish, but my goal is to get the water to ~25°C I think that would be fine for my gouramis and nighttime would not affect much because the water would still be cooler than room

Finally. in the 1970s I and roommates had a house tank we shared. We had to deal with high heat and no AC. We would remove tank water to containers and freeze it. We used container that were box shaped so by running water on the outside it would allow the block of ice to slide out. We put the "iceberg" into the water.

We used two containers and the first time we filled them both with tank water, we replaced the water in the tank with dechlored water. Each time we had to put in the next block of ice, we first refilled the container with tank water. This system worked great. We did not lose fish. My best recall was we had a 20 gal tank and the contaers held about a quart of water.

So freezing tank water and then putting the chunk of ice directly into the tank does not harm fish or should I use a container as a barrier to not let ice come into contact with tank water, even though it is just frozen tank water?
my tank is 20G

you can get a tank cooler we have one in our class for the salmon

Wow a salmon!? did not know they were also kept in aquariums

 

[mechtech]

well its for a class project and we got permits to reales them into the wild

Wow a salmon!? did not know they were also kept in aquariums