Need some help with temp please

[superman]

The temperature in my tank is about 2-3 degrees higher than what it should be and its causing my angelfish to want to hide all the time. He eats and everything he just doesnt come out from behind his rock. This started when the temp went up. The temperature rise is due to my hot appartment which i am currently trying to correct. Does anyone have any solutions on how to reduce the temp in my tank, besides a chiller. If that is the only possible solution, can anyone recommend an inexpensive brand that will get the job done. Or if anyone has an old one that they want to sell. Anyway thanks for your help.
-Superman

 

[ed r]

What is 2-3 degrees warmer than it should be? Are you talking 80 or 86? Reef tanks are often kept at 82 or even 84 degrees for the benefit of the corals and fish. Much above 84 may be pushing it, but I think a stable temp toward the high end is much prefered over a variable one near the low end.

 

[superman]

It's sitting at about 85 degrees and all my other fish are active. It's just the angel and I can't think of any other reason why he might be acting like this.

 

[ed r]

What kind of angel is it? Some are very unlikely to hide or act timid, while others may avoid confrontation. Do you have a lot of water motion? Do you have a powerhead angled toward the surface to increase gas exchange? Do you have any fans that blow over the tank or remove heat from lighting? All of these things could help a little without costing much. If you have several powerheads in the tank, you might try moving them to see if the fish moves also. Don't point a strong one directly at his chosen spot however. It may be that he likes the water flow in that particular area and is not really hiding. As long as he continues to come out to eat and is not harassed by other fish, I don't think it is too serious.

 

[crispcritr]

try using a fan placed so it blows across the the water surface. it works great for my tank. it will drop it about 4-5 degrees.