RandomWiktor
Rabid Betta Activist
Well, I spent many, many hours with my fish yesterday, and even though I am cutting down on 'netting time, I thought I should post here since bettas are often such sensitive little guys (especially for those of us who have chronically unhealthy dudes).
If you live in an area like mine, summer means 90-100+ degrees every day. If you have no AC like me, it means hot fish. Short of floating ice non-stop all day, how can you keep the tank temp from getting up to 85-90 degrees, a temp at which I'm finding the fish tend to get stressed and thus, prone to bacteria?
My answer? Plastic needlepoint sheets. Hear me out. I found that, in the one tank I have with a mesh hood (no plastic, lights, or in-hood filter), the temp stays steadily around 80-84 degrees even in hot temps. Yet all of my betta tanks with hoods, even with the lights off, are running into the upper 80's. The fact that the filter is in-hood seems to contribute to this, because the electricity generates heat, which is then trapped in the hood. Most 2.5-5 gallon tanks are not a normal shape, so you can't very well buy a mesh lid (esp. since bowed tanks are now popular). So, my answer to this was removing lid of the hood, leaving behind the plastic rim and filter (most of my tanks are in-hood filters), then cutting the needlepoint plastic to the exact size of the open space remaining. When cut very exactly, it fits snugly into place like a lid and won't budge, bulge, fall in, or pull any other funny business. the holes in the plastic let air flow freely throughout the tank, which cools the water, and by exposing the filter, water is further exposed to the air and cooled.
The results? Since yesterday, despite the broiling temperatures, all of my tanks are between 80-82 degrees, the safe range! Whoo hoo! At 39 cents per ft. long sheet, that's not bad at all.
As a word of caution, however, betta owners with sprays and scented plug-ins might not want to do this as it allows for more interation between the water and anything air-borne. If you have a cat who likes to sit on the lid, it might also be a bad idea.
I hope this information helped someone. If I have time later, I'll post some pics.
If you live in an area like mine, summer means 90-100+ degrees every day. If you have no AC like me, it means hot fish. Short of floating ice non-stop all day, how can you keep the tank temp from getting up to 85-90 degrees, a temp at which I'm finding the fish tend to get stressed and thus, prone to bacteria?
My answer? Plastic needlepoint sheets. Hear me out. I found that, in the one tank I have with a mesh hood (no plastic, lights, or in-hood filter), the temp stays steadily around 80-84 degrees even in hot temps. Yet all of my betta tanks with hoods, even with the lights off, are running into the upper 80's. The fact that the filter is in-hood seems to contribute to this, because the electricity generates heat, which is then trapped in the hood. Most 2.5-5 gallon tanks are not a normal shape, so you can't very well buy a mesh lid (esp. since bowed tanks are now popular). So, my answer to this was removing lid of the hood, leaving behind the plastic rim and filter (most of my tanks are in-hood filters), then cutting the needlepoint plastic to the exact size of the open space remaining. When cut very exactly, it fits snugly into place like a lid and won't budge, bulge, fall in, or pull any other funny business. the holes in the plastic let air flow freely throughout the tank, which cools the water, and by exposing the filter, water is further exposed to the air and cooled.
The results? Since yesterday, despite the broiling temperatures, all of my tanks are between 80-82 degrees, the safe range! Whoo hoo! At 39 cents per ft. long sheet, that's not bad at all.
As a word of caution, however, betta owners with sprays and scented plug-ins might not want to do this as it allows for more interation between the water and anything air-borne. If you have a cat who likes to sit on the lid, it might also be a bad idea.
I hope this information helped someone. If I have time later, I'll post some pics.
