gazz2005uk

I'm seriously looking into buying an axolotl for my new 10g tank, just waiting for the tank to cycle for a week or 2 first. The only problem I have got is that axolotls ideal tank temp is 14-20C. My thermometer is showing 21 at the minute which I know is not a massive difference to the ideal temperature but if the water was to get any hotter I could lose my axolotl. I need a way of cooling down the water in my tank. Any ideas?

eiginh

A chiller! or have a fan blowing on the surface of your tank. Not on the surface but horizontally over the surface barely touching it to reduce water turbulence.

gazz2005uk

Chillers are ridulously expensive and a fan may not fit next to the tank.

eiginh

Hmm... can you fit a 5"x5" fan next to your tank? I'm talking about desktop fans that people use in their offices.

Jackie Frost

I had a similiar problem with my fifteen gallon tank. I was told that you could put ice cubes in a plastic bag and then float them in the water. But of course you would have to do that constantly. And of course if the bag with the chlorine made ice cubes were to develop a leak ...

I had no idea there was such things as chillers for fish tanks. How much do they go for?

eiginh

usually 200+ and when I mean plus I mean up to 1000 or more.

Here's a cheaper nano version.

http://www.marinedepot.com/chillers_...hiller-ap.html

gazz2005uk

did you have an axolotl?

Jackie Frost

Wow! I guess a chiller is out of the question for my tank at least.

As for the other question, no I don't have any axly ...sorry I can't remeber how to spell it. Just plain ol' goldfish for me, but the temperature was swinging from 78 degrees in the morning to 84 at night. I ended up buying a heater just to stop the flucuations ...and that is/was the subject of another thread I started somewhere.

namehater

i wonder if an airstone would lower temps at all. i also wonder about putting an airstone in a HOB filter. i would think either of those would lower your temps, but i dunno. maybe if you could do a little research on how chillers actually work you could do a little DIY work and make one yourself? just judging off of the pictures i have seen of them they dont look that complicated.

eiginh

Chillers are basically refrigerators with a temp control and without storage. I don't think an air stone will lower temps but if it does I highly doubt it would be significant.

Nick Goody

Gazz, you live in the uk. You won't need any sort of cooling on the tank, believe me! I moved to NZ 6 years ago, and my guy does fine, even in the summer, and it gets way hotter here. Get a thermometer for the tank, and keep an eye on it. As long as your not constantly above 21-22c, then he'll be fine. If it does get abnormally warm then throw a few icecubes in the tank.

gazz2005uk

Yeh thats true its hardly ever hot here lol. Wont the ice cubes be bad though as tap water is harmful to them?

eiginh

How many ice cubes do you plan on putting? 5 gallons? It's the same thing as topping of your tank and add your water conditioner. You can also freeze R/O water.

Tavel

use a computer fan! you can run an 80mm fan off any old 12v or 9v charger you have laying around. You don't need a massive fan, just something to wick water vapor away.

also the "micro chiller" looks very easy to build...but that's not really a bad price. It would cost you $50-$60 just for parts to DIY...but that's already assembled!

Butterfly

If you use ice cubes make sure your freezing dechlorinated water You can also freeze water in water bottles then float them in the tank then refreeze when it thaws. It will last longer than ice cubes.
an airstone will add oxygen to your water as well as cool it a couple of degrees. As warmer water has less oxygen that will help there also
Carol

Tavel

Not necessary. The freezing process drives solutes out of the ice.

Butterfly

Is it worth the risk ?
Carol