To chill or NOT to chill?

[ChadRamsey]

A little backgroud is in order here...

I keep a BUCNH of reptiles. I have a huge "reptile room" that also housing my 125g tank as well. Well due to the requirements of my reptiles the room temp stays in the area of 78-81 degrees. So the tank water stays in that renge. The night time temp MAY dip down to the mid 70's MAYBE. SOMETIMES. And that is during the winter months.

Summer is here in Ga (I HATE Ga weather) The outside temp is is already in the low 90's and the room temp never really gets blow 80 now and, like last season, may get as high as a constant 85. Therefore i am to assume that my water temp will be in the mid 80's

I have posed this question before on another forum, and was told not to worry about getting a chiller, but as summer lays her humid nasty hot blanket over Ga i am getting more worried that the tank temp will be too high.

So...to chill or not to chill?

Thanks

[Gerryd]

whatcha got in the 125? Are discus an option?

I have an interest in herpetology as well. What DO you have in that room? Nothing dangerous I hope...

[ChadRamsey]

No i do not have Discus. I have a school of tiger barbs, roselines and purple passion danio. Some cory cats and a pair of rainbow darters(that would also appreciate cool temps)

I have been keeping herps for 25+ years. ATM i keep and breed Ball pythons, carpet pythons and Boas. But keep a few other speices as well.

[Gerryd]

I meant can you SWITCH to discus in that tank....not do you have any currently...

[Florin Ilia]

If you decide to chill, you may consider something cheaper than a chiller - fans. You can buy a commercial fixture or diy with PC fans. It will accelerate your evaporation a lot (that's the point, that's how they cool).

[ChadRamsey]

I meant can you SWITCH to discus in that tank....not do you have any currently...

AH, yeah i love them but not the price tag that comes with them

If you decide to chill, you may consider something cheaper than a chiller - fans. You can buy a commercial fixture or diy with PC fans. It will accelerate your evaporation a lot (that's the point, that's how they cool).

I have a 125g tank (should have mentioned that in the OP, sorry) and i am not all that sure that PC fans will help all that much.

[Biollante]

Hi Chad,

Cooler water species (Rainbow darters) need a home in air conditioned space, I do not see any need to chill.

Most tropical anything’s will tolerate temperatures into the mid-80’s, the plant growth accelerates at those temperatures so keep that in mind with CO₂ and so on.

The Rainbow darters are out of place in a tropical tank, their temperatures are more like 70°F and I think it is rather counterproductive to try to chill a tank that much in a room that is 85°F.

Be extra careful about excessive feeding and keeping vegetation trimmed and anything dying removed.

Cyanobacteria are a good indicator.

A trick in hot weather, especially if the critter load is high is to dose the aquarium with Hydrogen peroxide. 20-ml of 3% H₂O₂ four times per day, in most mature tanks you can probably dose 4 or 5 times that amount. If you have cyanobacteria, remove as much as you can and definitely use 80-100-ml squirting the 3% H₂O₂ directly on the BGA.

The 20-ml of 3% H₂O₂ four times per day maintenance amount, keeps the dissolved oxygen (DO) up, which helps the biological filter.

Definitely get a fan or fans going across the water surface, air movement are crucial, in high-humidity, it won’t help with cooling as much as in low-humidity but it will help. Do not underestimate those pc-fans, but anything that maintains air movement is good.

Biollante

[benleeph]

Pc fans can really cool by 2-3 degree celsius.

Sent from my HTC Android