Water temperature

S

sardesign

AC Members
Sep 28, 2005
341
0
0
45
Phoenix, AZ
I've been reading about temperature I should be keeping my aquarium at and I'm having a problem... it's running warmer than I think it should. It runs at about 82 degrees F.

I have 3 bala sharks, 5 serpae tetras, 1 clown pleco. I'm sure that the lights are not helping the matter but there is a built in fan that should be moving some of the heat from the lamps out. The ambient temperature in my apartment is about 79 F. Should I go get a chiller or just turn the AC down to 75?

Thanks.
 
sardesign said:
I've been reading about temperature I should be keeping my aquarium at and I'm having a problem... it's running warmer than I think it should. It runs at about 82 degrees F.

I have 3 bala sharks, 5 serpae tetras, 1 clown pleco. I'm sure that the lights are not helping the matter but there is a built in fan that should be moving some of the heat from the lamps out. The ambient temperature in my apartment is about 79 F. Should I go get a chiller or just turn the AC down to 75?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, sounds like you had better turn down the AC if you want the tank cooler, if the lamps are putting out any heat, that is one thing, but the motor from your filter will also be giving off heat, and that creates an additional heat gain for your aquarium.
 
Thanks

I think I need to lower the temp for the AC system... with the lights turned off, the temperature drops only 0.5 degree F. I think it might be the ambient room temperature. I'm going to be getting my 125 gallon tank soon for my bala sharks so that should be easier to keep cool. Thanks for the input.
 
get ready with the 2.99$ u tube to use your 20 gallon as a refuge for wimpy funfish & snails algae & tender plants.your acrylic tank will get seeded from the small one balanceing it quicker & run the big one while setting it up b4 putting in fish. use a screen for your U tube on both ends just in case.Stuff from refugiums always brave the big tank if allowed .I wish I had a 20 gallon freshwater refugium on my large tank but its only a 90 .look up some diy refugiums, you may want to sylicon in a couple of pieces of glass to cotrol the waterflow.
 
Uh, what does increasing the water volume (requiring another pump in the system, therefore more calories total and quite possible more per gallon) have to do with a tank always running a few degrees above ambient? Tanks, even open-topped as many of mine are - do tend to run significantly and measurably above ambient. To reduce the tank temperature frequently requires reducing the ambient temperature.

Chillers do tend to increase the ambient if their heat dump is the same area - magnifying the work the have to do.
 
82F isn't that much of a problem. Just make sure to do large volumn weekly water changes so that the water is as clean as possible. Adjusting the AC lower will help. Removing the heater won't do anything unless the heater is actually on, which I doubt with that high of an ambiant temp. Heck I keep a heater in my coldwater tank and it just doesn't turn on. But if it drops too low I know it is there to count on.
 
The lag in response in larger tanks has exactly zero bearing on the stable operating temperature of the tank. The operating temp of two linked tanks in a warm area will be identical to that of the same two tanks not linked. The original suggestion still makes no sense at all. There was no question or issue with temperature fluctuation, only with operating level.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom