Ok I live in southern Ca. It was 90 degrees today and my aquarium water temp went from 76" set point to 80" and my house just isn't that hot , I opened the lids to help but I have some big fish that like to jump and don't want to loose any , so I looking for a simple solution no chillers or any think that cost $$, I have 4 tanks with temps to contend with and its not even summer yet.
What kind of fish do you have? please don't tell me its an arowana because those guys can potentially break tank lids or whatever you're using as a lid.
Its going to be hard to lower the temperature without keeping the lid off. you need to increase water agitation. Therefore, you need to aim your filters/powerheads/etc. upwards towards the water's surface to make ripples. Also, get a small fan or something and aim it at the water surface too.
You can also freeze bottles of water and put them in the tank but its a hassle to maintain because you have to keep replacing them as they warm up too.
80F isn't bad unless you're keeping cool water fish... o.o
If it is a gradual change and not 70F to 90F, fish can survive really high tank temperatures.
In my reef tanks I used to put ice packs in the sump. Also, a cool water change would help. If the light is right at the water surface and can be moved upward, do so. Increase surface agitation as Mizuhuman suggested, unless the air is hotter than the tank.
You could always remove the heater. In the summer I don't even have my tank heaters plugged in.
I keep Malawi Cichlids my biggest fish is a Red Empress 8 inches they can handle the temp change I just think its better for them to have the water parameters steady , I will increase surface agitation and shorten my light time , cant really raise the lights up any more ,all but one fixture is led.
I wonder if the canister filters increase the water temp with the motor or restriction on flow.
If its a super hot summer this could really be a issue for me.
With canister filters there may be an easy way to cut some heat. They do create heat and it is 24-7. Over time it is a major source of heat. If the canister is under the tank, the heat rises into the tank.
Any way to move the canister out from under the tank? Maybe setting outside but under a cover, so that the heat can be blown away into the room? If there is floor space, this can work really well if a bit of thought is given to a "reason" for the cover.
I have a special situation where the stand is used for other things than tank equipment, so some things are backed out into the room.
Your reason for the extra box may be quite different but my wife welcomed the extra plant stand. Maybe you have a special item to display? If you can get more air blowing on the tank in any way, it helps. Water evaporation is a really good way but cooling the canister can also help if that works better.
A simple plywood box, a cheap sheet for fabric and left open on the back for air?
If you wanna go really fancy and you have money to spend on your cichlids, buy a chiller for the aquarium. Many people use them for saltwater. It'll cool the water down and if you hood it up to a controller along with your heater, you can keep it at the precise temperature you want at all times.
Lot's of surface disturbance by aiming spray bar's ,return nozzles upward's as mentioned.
Add a couple air stones or sponge filter's to help with lower oxygen level's in warmer water.
They sell fan's that clip onto the tank to help cool the surface which also help's .
Switch to LED lighting.
Use floaters (frogbit) to top the tank rather than glass.
Open up the sides of the box on top of the tank to get some airflow.
Move the tank under an AC vent.
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