Fish tank partially in front of A/C Unit! Good or bad?

[Josimc]

I have a 20 gallon long fish tank. I am getting ready to add the water and filters to the setup. Just poked into my mind that it being in front of my A/C may become problematic due to temperature change.

Is there any products out there that any of you can refer me to, that might make it so the colder air flow won't directly impact the temperature of the water. Just thought about possibly putting the heater on the side that the A/C is on.

There is a chance I can move the tank in my room, but would require movement of a lot of other furniture which I would like to not do.

What are your thoughts/suggestions?

 

[GaryE]

You could buy styrofoam, and cut it to fit the back and side of the tank. That would possibly stabilize the temperatures.

How large is the tank (larger is more temp stable) , and what kind of fish do you keep?

 

[Josimc]

You could buy styrofoam, and cut it to fit the back and side of the tank. That would possibly stabilize the temperatures.

How large is the tank (larger is more temp stable) , and what kind of fish do you keep?

Oh I love the styrofoam idea.

The tank is a 20 gallon 'long'. As of right now, I do not have any fish, still need to do research as to what kind of fish I would like to get. Nothing to crazy due to this being my first tank.

 

[Seisage]

I like Gary's styrofoam suggestion too. You can always get a slightly fancier foam that looks nicer than the normal stuff and either buy it in black or paint it black. Dual purpose as a tank background!

Another thing you could do is stick a couple thermometers in the tank and monitor them. Put one on the side of the tank that faces the AC, and another on the opposite side. Keep a log of the temps in a little notebook, maybe every 2-3 hours over the course of a day, to see how the temp changes. Water in general is pretty resistant to temperature change because it has a very high specific heat capacity (takes a lot of energy to heat it up) and as a result, it also retains that heat well. Depending on how much time your AC is on throughout the day, it might not have much of an effect on your water temps at all, especially if you're using a heater.

If you plan on keeping tropical fish, the heater+foam combo should do the trick. Otherwise, depending on how cold the water gets from the AC, you could also look into temperate/cold water fish. A 20 long would be great for some pretty little ricefish or white cloud mountain minnows, or perhaps just big enough for a small group of zebra danios. There are plenty of fish in the hobby that don't need heating at all, and they might be worth looking into. Just avoid goldfish haha.

 

[Josimc]

I like Gary's styrofoam suggestion too. You can always get a slightly fancier foam that looks nicer than the normal stuff and either buy it in black or paint it black. Dual purpose as a tank background!

Another thing you could do is stick a couple thermometers in the tank and monitor them. Put one on the side of the tank that faces the AC, and another on the opposite side. Keep a log of the temps in a little notebook, maybe every 2-3 hours over the course of a day, to see how the temp changes. Water in general is pretty resistant to temperature change because it has a very high specific heat capacity (takes a lot of energy to heat it up) and as a result, it also retains that heat well. Depending on how much time your AC is on throughout the day, it might not have much of an effect on your water temps at all, especially if you're using a heater.

If you plan on keeping tropical fish, the heater+foam combo should do the trick. Otherwise, depending on how cold the water gets from the AC, you could also look into temperate/cold water fish. A 20 long would be great for some pretty little ricefish or white cloud mountain minnows, or perhaps just big enough for a small group of zebra danios. There are plenty of fish in the hobby that don't need heating at all, and they might be worth looking into. Just avoid goldfish haha.

I will order some Styrofoam now! Thank you for the feedback! Super helpful to get an experienced persons view. The A/C isn't on all that much. I do have a thermometer ready to be put in the tank. Will have to buy a second to get a better understanding.

Definitely won't be doing any tropical fish in this tank. Will have to take a look into those fish! Glad to hear that the A/C won't be turning into a big pain in the butt! Also, no plans on any goldfish over here haha!

 

[GaryE]

Goldfish, grrr. Bug eyed poop machines...

Painting styro a dark colour will increase the colours of eventual fish. It's a bit awkward for hang on the back filters, but you can use a different type, or use an exacto and razor blades to cut a carefully measured spot for a filter.

The US has a few climates, so I don't know if this is a year round thing, but a styro lining would also save money in winter if it gets cool.

 

[Colin_T]

You don't need heaters during summer unless you live in a really cold climate. If you have an air-conditioner on in the house to keep you cool, then the aquarium probably doesn't need a heater.

Depending on how close the aquarium is to the air-conditioner will determine if you need to do anything. I had ducted air-conditioning in my old house and my tanks were about 8 feet from the vents and they didn't have any issues with cold air blowing onto them.

As others said, use 1 to 2 inch thick sheets of polystyrene foam on the base, back and sides to insulate the tank.

Have a coverglass on top of the tank to trap heat. Use glass that is 4, 5 or 6mm thick.

If the above doesn't help, get some cardboard and put it on the air-conditioner outlet to direct the airflow away from the aquarium. It won't look pretty but will do the job.