How To Get Tank Temp Down?

[FrogGirl]

We turned the heater off in our 100g tank a few weeks ago when the temp started to go above what our heater was set to. We've had no heater running but our tank temp just slowly keeps climbing as the weather is getting hotter. We're sitting at around 86 now. I'm usually home all day with our A/C running so the house almost never gets above 80-83 (even on days when the house is open for part of the day). I know that really our temp is supposed to go no higher than 83 for most of our fish but we have no idea how to lower it. We leave the lights off most of the time or run just the UV & we even leave the lids open when we're close by to hopefully let some heat out. We asked at the fish store what to do when it started rising & they just told us to turn the heater off. Done that but it's still going up. We're starting to freak out a bit.

Anyone have some advice?

Thanks!

 

[pompeydaz]

Water change with cooler water and if you can have an empty drinks bottle fill it with water and ice it, and put it in the tank, making sure its properly sealed.

 

[FrogGirl]

So basically a frozen bottle of water? If so, since it would sink is there any particular place we should put it? Near where the largest flow of water is?

Also should we do just straight up cold water or try to only do a few degrees lower? I was reading that in some cases a 15% change daily is ok. If we did 15% daily for a week or so should we just try to get the new water to say 78 degrees each time & would doing that daily be enough to lower the temp?

 

[BigbruiserAl]

2lr bottle of pop filled with water till about 3/4 of the way freeze it and then put it in the tank. Botlles of water willl float not sink

 

[SchottayB]

I'd also use the ice trick, works well .

You can do a water change with cooler water before adding the ice in the bottle to help more

 

[Miles_hot]

Why is the tank heating up above the ambient temperature? Is it sitting in the sun so that it is acting as a solar collector (if so shade could be a good idea)

 

[StandbySetting]

Personally, I wouldn't do water changes to bring the temperature down, just use the ice.

 

[FrogGirl]

We'll try the bottle trick today & see if that helps. We're not exactly sure why the temperature keeps rising. The tank is angled in a corner, one end of it is partially in front of a window but the shades are constantly closed.

 

[StandbySetting]

Ambient room temperature or lighting will cause undesired temperature increases...if it isn't that then I'd be replacing the heater.

 

[Aqua Tom]

So basically a frozen bottle of water? If so, since it would sink is there any particular place we should put it?

Ice floats

 

[KkAaNnEe]

May be an idea to change your lighting period too, let the lights come on later in the day when its cooler and leave them on for a shorter period, consider just lighting the tank in the evening.

 

[FrogGirl]

The heater has been unplugged for a few weeks when the temperature started to go above what we had the heater set to. We've been leaving the lights off in the tank most of the time or just running the UV lights part of the time during the day & then the regular lights maybe for a bit in the evening.

As for the sun & the window, the sun really only hits the window in the morning time (though like I said the shades are always shut) & then the sun starts to shift around noon & by now at 2pm there's almost no sun really shining in the windows.

And thank you everyone for the correction. I do know that ice floats but apparently my pregnant brain was too exhausted & stressed at midnight when I posted this