cooler

[justin_ny]

hi
i live in NYC. In this week the wheather is get really hot. and my tank temp is raise to 90. i use 2 175 MH and 240 PC in my 55 gallon tank. what can i do to lower my temp without buying chiller. chiller is way to expensive for me.
i use only one fan in my tank. i was thinking about closing the top of my tank with glass, do u think by closing the top of my tank will reduce the heat or should i do something else.
pls help me, since my galaxia is dying now

 

[rockster]

At times like these, I use empty 2L soda bottles filled with tank water that are frozen solid in the freezer. I place them in my sump one at a time. The reason for using tank water is to be safe that when it leaks, it wont harm the tank. You can use 1L bottles if you don't have enough sump space or you can float the bottle directly in the display tank in one corner (I've done that too)if you don't have a sump. Oh, don't fill the bottles to the rim, the water expands when frozen.
I don't think covering the tank with a glass is a good idea, it will impair air circulation and keep the heat in, also decreases oxygen exchange. You might want to add another fan to blow off the heat. Many people here swears by the effectiveness of fan blowing across their sump also lowers the temp. I haven't done so. I think it likewise increases the rate of evaporation.

 

[fallen04]

actuallt closing the glass will make it worse. as you may have seen from my posts my tank is always in the 90s during the day. closing the glass will increase the temp. open the top and blow air across the water

 

[jonthefb]

i use the bottle method as well, buyt i use ro water that has been buffered and freeze it so that when it thaws it replaces evaporation, without adding extra salt! You can also do this with ice cubes and float them either in your sump or in the tank itself, and if you dont use them all, grind them up, add some flavoring (i prefer grenadine my girliefriend like peach) and you have a nice cool treat for yourself!!! <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" /> YUM!
good luck
jon <img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" />