Keeping My Tank Cool.

[Deus Machina]

Alright, due to a bunch of (vaguely off topic ) responses in another thread, I'm going to get started on another project.

A couple goldfish will be moved into a 6 or 8 US gallon tank as soon as I can get my hands on it (a hand-me-down), find room, and into larger as they grow.

The 3gal they're in levels off at 76-78 degrees, in a well-lit corner of the room with their light on but far from the water.

The 10gal I'm cycling in now (carefully, it has my personal betta in it) levels off at around 85 degrees with the light on for a few hours. It gets turned off when I open the blinds, and I haven't yet tested it with the light on more than 3 hours at a stretch.

For the goldfish--how can I cool that? Find cooler lights then their spaced pod (it's from a kit, currently) and put it in shade? Is there a cooling device my google-fu fails to track down?

For the 10gal, is between 84 and 88 degrees safe for tropicals, particularly my betta? Card says it's out of range, and I want that confirmed or denied.

For the 10gal, I could probably find cooler bulbs (the currents are twin incandescents) or plug the sockets and fab a cold-cathode setup. Common, advisable?

 

[ox5477]

So if the lights are warming up the water... two solutions... either the light is way more power than you need (only have goldfish and they dont care how bright or powerful the light is) or you have the light too close to the water. In either case, raise the light off the current height its at. this will allow more area for the heat to esacape and makes more distance for the heat to radiate to the water.

If your 10G is getting to 85F then I would address this ASAP as that's not healthy for any fish.... 82 is max I would want any tank to get to and even then only for a short time and hopefully I would notice and make adjustments.

If the light cannot be moved then I would recommend using a fan to blow across the top of the tank. This will help evaporate away heat and "convect" away heat from the light fixture instead going into the tank water.

Ox

 

[Colin_T]

Goldfish won't die from being in warm water. Most of them come from tropical Asia where they are born and raised in 26-30C water. They will live happily in cold or warm water as long as there is plenty of oxygen in it for them to breathe.
If you have a number of tanks in the room you can use a portable air conditioner to cool things down but unless the temp gets over 30C I wouldn't worry about it.
Sorry don't know what 82F is in C.

 

[ox5477]

Google magic.....

82F is 27.8C

30C is 86F

Ox

 

[Colin_T]

cool, thanks Ox

 

[Deus Machina]

Well, I know the goldfish aren't in mortal danger, but a few people are pretty adamant that they're not comfortable.

Light is as as far away as that gets, on that one. I'll turn it off more often.

The 10gal has fixed lights. With me out of the room, lights and computer off all day, it dropped to about 81. Relatively cool day, for right now.

Will florescent lights make enough of a dent in the temp? I've got some spare computer parts that haven't been used in years, I could rig up a fan and a cold cathode, if I have to...

 

[ox5477]

you dont have flourescents on there right now? what kind of fixtures are you using?

Rigging up a fan to blow across the surface of the water will help carry heat away in the form of evaporation.

Ox