Titi

Hi, I have a 14 gallon tank that is too warm. I took the heater out a month ago after it broke, and I never got a new one because the tank gets up to 84degrees without it. When the temp gets that high, I float a bag of ice cubes and water conditioner in the tank.
I want the average temperature to be 78*, but right now it is 82 during the day. I can't put the lights on in the tank because they raise the temperature too much.Is there anything I can do to lower the temmperature?? Thanks

MousePotato

Here is a question near and dear to my own heart. I take it you probably live in a warm climate...?

What is the temperature in the room? Is the tank near a window or a vent? My tanks usually run between two and four degrees higher than room temperature without heaters and I do have lights.

Hypnox

You could try running a fan over the surface of the water. That should help it a little bit. The other option is a cooler unit, but at $600 for a small one it's not worth it for a 14g tank.

MinxMermaid

we take old water bottles, fill them about 3/4 or a little more (leaving room to expand) and FREEZE them, then float a few frozen bottles in the tank to cool the water. when they melt, replace with a few more, till temp is where you want it.

Titi

thanks everyone! The room temperarure is about 78-79 degrees. The tank is near a window, but I keep it closed all the time. If I put a frozen water bottle in every day, should the temperature stay constant or will it change alot? I don't want to stress out my fish.

MousePotato

I would move the tank away from the window. Even closed, it is not as insulated as a wall and the heat will affect your tank.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think I would get tired of adding a frozen water bottle every day. Plus, I'm sure it would cause fluctuations in the temperature that may be harmful in the long run. I could be wrong (it happened once), but that sounds like a short-term solution to me.

mrsmuffin

Titi - it sounds like everyone else pretty much has you covered.

FishnFry

I agree. I wouldn't leave the tank by the window. Is there any cooler place in the house (basement maybe)? That's where I try to move it then run a fan. It should help a little.

Titi

Thanks for the help. I'll try to move the tank away from the window soon, but I'll need to rearrange the furniture so it might take awhile. In the meantime, I'll keep using the occasional frozen water bottle and I'll put the small fan on too.

MousePotato

Sounds like a good plan. I see in your aquarium info that your tank is only 3 1/2 months old. Depending on where you live, you may want to get it moved before winter arrives. Even way down here in the sub tropical climates it gets awfully chilly next to a window in January!

Oh, also it can make a difference which way the window faces. I have one tank up against a north window in lots of shade, but it still makes a small difference on a hot day. I wouldn't even risk it with a window facing any other direction in the northern hemisphere. There's a reason my cats love to lay on the windowsills when the sun comes beating in!

pepetj

Titi: There's at least one not so expensive Electronic Nano-chiller that would manage up to 16gal of water, rated at 85W. The Resun CL-85. There's another model that I would rather get, the Resun CL-150, with the same technology but that would cover 14gal easier, at 150W. The CL-85 manual states 16gal as the upper limit, but some users' revieww question its utility beyond 12gal.

The CL-85 usually sales around 200USD, the CL-150 around 300USD. See a pic of both models here: http://web2.7ien.com/r/rs/en/productview.asp?id=46

Looking at e-Bay I found the CL-85 at 149.99USD and the CL-150 at 295USD. Since their shipping cost may be high (CL-85 weight is 13lbs, and the CL-150 is 19lbs), it would be wise to get it locally, if available.

Otherwise, relocating the tank likely makes more sense; the frozen bottle method is great for emergencies (it saved 2 out of 7 Red Salmon Rainbowfish for me) but requires a lot of effort.

e-Bay info:
http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_nkw...Q_fromZQQ_mdoZ

Pepe
Santo Domingo