Help with temp control

[molly]

Hi-
There is a warm spell here, temps are in mid-hi 80's and because it is April my building hasn't turned on AC. I got home and my tank was up to 83. It went back down to 79 by this AM. But the heat is supposed to last the next few days. Will my fish and inverts stay OK? I have one cardinalfish, two clowns, one coral beauty, some shrimp, snails and hermits.
I took off one of my lights and did a water change last night making the new water about three degrees cooler.
Any other ideas? Will everything be OK?
Thanks!
Molly

 

[scott270]

ziplock bags of ice

 

[ahoowahoo]

Molly,
Had a similar problem. I initially tried the bags of ice idea but that is a short term solution that over the course of a day (assuming you have to work like the rest of us ) won't be terribly viable.
What I did do that is working it to open the glass covers on my tank a couple of inces and moved a small fan (12") into position so that it blows over the top of the tank from one end to the other. The resulting temperature drop from evaporation more than compensated for the increased ambient room temperature. In fact, since I set this up my tank room has routinely reached the mid 80s (couple tanks and several comuters) and my tanks have manitained a nice 77-78 degrees.
The only downside of this arrangement is that because of the increased evaporation I have to top off the tank more frequently but that isn't a huge deal.
HTH
Brad

 

[puffermama]

i am having that same problem right now...but thanks to your post, i dont have to ask

 

[salvatore]

I read a similar post recently and the synopis was to get a clip-on (or similar) fan and aim it at the sump. Havent tried this one yet, but will give it a shot as soon as I can locate a fan.

 

[twoods71]

A tank temp of around 83 IMO is really not a problem depending on the animals you keep.
Many animals in this hobby come from coral reef areas which in nature most reefs have an annual average temperature of around 82 - 84 F.
If you wish to cool it down however one simple solution is open the hood and use a fan.

 

[jsolomon]

Opening the hood and using a fan works great. The temp here reached mid 90's yesterday. I live in upstate NY none the less. It was an all time record. My tank reached 86 degrees by the time I got home from school. I opened the top and ran a fan across it and the temp is now at 79. And it is mid 90's again today.