heaters and coolers

[balafreak]

i reently read an article article about heaters and coolers for tanks.they said that coolers would be needed to get the water to the right temp when breeding somespecies.and especially on those hot summer days.i didnt see anything about how much they cost and if they make them for 10 gallon tanks.can somone please help me.

 

[Limi310]

Google "Aquarium Chiller'. They are expensive. They make something called the ice probe for small tanks. They are expensive too. They are mostly used on saltwater tanks. What are you wanting to breed?

 

[balafreak]

im just stating that they use that for breeding fish.im only going to use that
for my tank because in the summer my house temp sky rockets.im afraid that so will the water temp.is the any thing else i can do to fix that.like dropping i cubes in there or something.and people say that you can make one.how and how much does it cost?has anyone ever done that.

 

[balafreak]

does anyone have an aquarium chiller or has anyone made one?

 

[Shaunna]

Most tropical fish can handle temps into the lower 80's. I really wouldn't worrry about gettign a chiller. Are your tanks upstairs? If you notice the temp rising considerably, you can also just buy a little hood fan. I wouldn't even think about the chiller.

 

[balafreak]

i didnt think of that shaunna thanks.and yes my tanks are upstairs.

 

[SeaMonkeyMiner]

For freshwater you really are only going to need a heater. True if your tanks are upstairs they might get a little warmer but the fan idea should work fine. Most of my fish that have breed did it on there own no special temps or feedings. Plus if you are just starting out it would be best to only try and breed easier fish other wise you could jsut be throwing a bunch of money away of fish and chillers and whatnot and not have one spawn

 

[balafreak]

im not worried about breeding.my tank is upstairs next to a window so the sun will beat on it in the middle of the day.when the sun is obviously hottest,
and i know my tank will overheat.now i just took apart an old computer i had laying around to get parts for my new computer.would the fan inside the computer work to cool down my tank.the fan is in perfect working condition.

 

[SeaMonkeyMiner]

The fan out of your computer was probably a 80mm case fan or a processor fan. The problem is finding a way to power it. Most case fans have a 4-pin molex connection or a 3pin. I dont know if there is a way to convert it so you can plug it into the wall. Best thing would have a normal house fan.

Another thing that might help are ice cubes or cold water but that would probably put your fish into shock so I dont think I would recommend it. You could float a cup in the tank and have the ice cubes floating around in the cup so it cools the water slower. But again unless anyone else says that this could work I wouldnt do it.

 

[jefftaylor]

Just to expand on the floating cup. Great idea by the way. Try freeezing a zip loc bag with water and putting it in the tank im sure it will last and aid in cooling. Again im not an expert on this so i would wait and see what othere people think or say.

 

[balafreak]

great thanks,ill try that soon.
is there anyone here who has ever used a cooling device of some sort for there tank.or is that a waist of my time looking into that.

 

[balafreak]

has anyone ever used a chiller or anything to lower temp.

 

[seastaar88]

crank your air conditioner hahaha

 

[balafreak]

that room doesnt get the greatest heat/ac anymore.ive tried cleaning the vents but notin so can someone please tell me wether or not they actually
use chillers or something to lower temp.

 

[homebunnyj]

I've aimed a fan at my goldie tank before, seems to help. But you have another problem. You will have a big algae outbreak with your tank in a window, dut to all the direct sunlight, plus you will most likely have temperature fluctuations big enough to stress your fish. Try really hard to find a place to put your tank away from the window.

 

[balafreak]

cool thanx, ill take all of this into consideration.

 

[Shaunna]

Bala, where do you live? Is the temp starting to raise there now? Why don't you wait until it gets a little closer to summer and keep an eye on your tank temp thenm if you need to invest in something you can start weighing your options based on how high your temp is getting. Like previously stated, you need to move your tank from the window, that will help considerably. You say you have a 10 gallon, mine came with 2 incadescent bulbs, go to WM and get a couple of Light of America screw in compact flourescents and that will help lower your temp CONSIDERABLY! they are also more energy efficient. You could try hanging dark curtains to keep your room cooler. All of these things will help without having to spend a whole lot of, probably unnecessary, money. Again though, I would wait until the temp starts rising enough consistently before I began worrying too much about it.

 

[Limi310]

Bala.....you aren't going to find many people that keep FW fish that use chillers. Like I said before, they are more geared toward SW reef tanks. Your best bet is to get a fan, don't turn the aquarium lights on during peak hours of the day, and definitely get it away from that window. You should avoid keeping a tank where it comes into contact with direct sunlight. You are going to be back in a month or 2 asking why you have algea everywhere.

Edit: Didn't read Shaunna's before I posted this - I agree with everything she suggested - especially if you have the incandescent lights on your hood - those are major heat producers.

 

[Grymatta]

Yeah I brought a small desktop fan to use on my 6 gallon Eclipse tank last summer and it worked great. Kept the temps to 80 even on the hottest days. Of course you need to open the hood so the fan can blow across the water and you will have to top off with water everyday cause it evaporates alot.

 

[balafreak]

but people are saying that will put my fish in shock.(im talking about the fan)
what if the temp dropped to much.or will it stay at the 1 temp of 80farenhiet
with my heater on.sorry if i mispelled any words,i know i did.