Cooling a tank

[-Lp]

I can't seem to get my 150g cichlid tank cool enough; temps are hovering at 82-83 degrees. They're all as happy and active as can be but I'd really like to get the water to 78. When I do semi-weekly 20% water changes, I control the temperature of the new water to exactly 78 degrees and it drops the tank to roughly 81 but it eventually rises again. Heaters are off, and the tank is in the same room as my 55g, which is always 78 degrees, odd.

Could the two power heads I have running be causing the water to heat up via kinetic energy? Is the UV sterilizer helping to maintain temps? There is a mirror directly behind the tank but no sunlight hits it, could it be reflective heat? Fish are very healthy, but I wonder about any long term effects warm water will have on them. Any ideas on how to keep it cool?

I am also keeping the lights off during the day because they give off some heat. Just some thoughts I have, and I may be worrying for nothing. Thanks, -Lp

[Gayle]

Set the heater to 75 and see what happens.

[bushwhacker]

your worrying for nothing... cichlids like the warmer temps

[thatcichlidguy]

I'm in the same boat . My 125 never drops below 82 in the winter and stays at 86 in the summer. Pretty much anything running in the tank will generate heat and transfer it to the water.UV lights and powerheads are big culprits. Try turning of everything non-esential for a day or two and see if it helps bring the temps down a bit. As far as long term effects go , since the higher temps increase the fishes metabolism it may shorten their lifespan a bit . Mostly because it puts them on a physiological fast forward . Not by much, but some.

[Gill Roy]

You can try freezing some water bottles and floating one or two at a time while you have a couple others in the freezer.
This way you won't have to haul buckets and use so much de-chlor with the changes.

My .02

[PostalPenguin]

I run my UV lights on a timer and set them to turn off during the day. But yes they along with the powerheads will dump heat into the water. Powerheads will heat the water by their motor and the UV lamp generates heat.

I cool my tanks by just aiming a room fan at them. My tanks are currently at 80F despite the room being 85F since I have the fan on them.

[-Lp]

bushwhacker - that's kind of what I thought, thanks for the confirmation.


thatcichlidguy - 86 huh, I don't feel so bad about 82-83 now, and they are growing a little fast though, lol.


Gill Roy - good idea!


PostalPenguin - I never thought of the powerhead motor being a heat generation culprit, but your absolutely right!

Thanks for the help..

[AABatteries]

You can get some clip on fans and have them blowing across the top of the water. It will cool the water a good few degrees.

[domjd05]

I want to say try leaving your hoods open but thats just asking for a bunch of dried up fish.. can you rig up a screen so they won't jump out? Leaving the hood up may add a bit to the level of evaporation but it should help bring the temp down a bit.

[gem]

Powerheads can be a source of heat as well as uv sterilizers. Your lights can heat the tank a bit too.....more so depending on what lights you're using. Cichlid tank, I'm thinking standard flourescent or PC. PC will run hotter than regular flourescent lighting. I run fans across the top of the water on my reef tank for evaporative cooling. This causes a bit more evaporation, but worth not losing corals. Those temps aren't a real concern when it comes to a cichlid tank though. Mine generally ran 80 - 83. I did and still do keep a couple frozen 20 oz bottles of ro/di water in the freezer for emergencies.

The other option....and most expensive.....would be to run a chiller. Well worth the $500 or more when you're dealing with a tank full of thousands of dollars worth of corals and salt water fish.....but unless your tank is regularly hitting 85 and 90 degrees......probably a waste of money to buy and run a chiller on a fw tank.

I would look into what powerheads you're using. Some radiate more heat than others. My Maxijets ran really hot. I now use Koralias. Not as bad heatwise. Best would be vortecs...motor on the outside of the tank.....but again....an expensive option....

All in all.....I wouldn't worry too much. Just run some fans and top off a little more often.

[-Lp]

Great idea with the fans, I think I'll try that with the lids open while I'm home and see what happens. I am also going to look into the powerheads with the motor on the outside of the tank. Thanks for the ideas everyone! :thankyoublue:

[robflanker]

I have a fan pointed at the side of the tank, and plan on placing ice-packs (the blue frozen things) in the back of the HOB filters.

[bushwhacker]

rob the icepacks will only block the flo in the filter

[-Lp]

Can't something be rigged so the ice pack hangs in the tank itself, say in front of a powerhead?

[robflanker]

rob the icepacks will only block the flo in the filter

Not substantially. I've already tried it out and its not a big deal. I'm not using the jumbo ones so the flow wasnt that disrupted