Aquarium very hot!

[MichelleCarmen]

Ugh, it's super hot here in the Seattle area. . .tomorrow it's suppose to reach 100!

Since there are a fish/aquarium hobbiests, I am hoping for help. I adopted a second guppy so now we have two in our 3 gallon tank. After nearly 2 weeks, the levels of ammonia, etc., are all really low. . .we're in the clear on that.

The issue is that the tank temperature is very high. Over 86 degrees.

The fish are still swimming and eating, but surely the heat is going to hurt them & possibly kill them. This morning the water was still that warm so I moved the tank - 30+ lbs to a slightly cooler room and it's on the floor (I kind of got stuck not being able to lift it to the book case because of the weight and also not wanting to accidently tip it - I kept it as level as I could while moving it).

I have a fan blowing on the tank. I called the pet store and the person suggested adding ice to the tank. We're going to be gone all day tomorrow so I can't sit there and continually do that. Seems like if the fish get too close to the ice, they'll go into shock?

What now? Should I buy blue ice packs and surround the tank with a few of those?

(yes, they are only $4.99 guppies, but still I guess they've won my heart and I really do not want to come home to them floating on the surface. Plus, they're my son's fish even though I take care of them.)

 

[Luckyeshe]

My FI was just complaining about the heat up in Seattle! We''re LDR and he''s over there and I''m here in Fl. We have mice for pets in Seattle while I have the dogs and it''s getting too hot for them as well. Here''s a suggestion...Is there any way for you to put the tank in the tub? You could use the blue ice packs to help cool them off all day tomorrow. Or buy a bag of ice and have it surround the tank without touching the glass. It should help keep the fishes a little cooler. I hope that helps!

 

[Little Monster]

try freezing water in small tupper-ware containers or disposable water bottles... then float either the tupper-ware or just the ice in the tank. that should cool it down a bit.

or... put a fan in front of the tank...

you can also do a partial water change if you get really desperate

 

[MonkeyPie]

You can actually put the ice packs IN the water, and then a couple of them outside against the glass while you will be gone. When you get back you can keep putting a fresh ice pack in once the previous one softens and melts.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/28/2009 3:41:35 PM
Author: Luckyeshe
My FI was just complaining about the heat up in Seattle! We''re LDR and he''s over there and I''m here in Fl. We have mice for pets in Seattle while I have the dogs and it''s getting too hot for them as well. Here''s a suggestion...Is there any way for you to put the tank in the tub? You could use the blue ice packs to help cool them off all day tomorrow. Or buy a bag of ice and have it surround the tank without touching the glass. It should help keep the fishes a little cooler. I hope that helps!

It''s terrible here! We went swimming for 1 1/2 hours and it felt great. Their was a line outside to get in and pool reached capacity within 10 minutes of opening time!

I''m not sure if the tank can be put in the tub. It has a filter that is plugged into the wall.

We''ll try ice packs tomorrow. Thanks everyone!

 

[Kunzite]

MC I feel you! I was so worried about my kitties overheating today that I came home from work early. We''ve been doing the ice packs in the kitties beds and frozen peas so I think ice is the best way to go for your poor fish! I also like the idea of moving the tank into the tub because it stays cooler.

I don''t know what I''m going to do tomorrow. My poor kitties....

I''m seriously thinking about making DH stay home from work (he has more vacation than me) but I just don''t know yet.

 

[Luckyeshe]

Date: 7/28/2009 11:19:36 PM
Author: Kunzite
MC I feel you! I was so worried about my kitties overheating today that I came home from work early. We''ve been doing the ice packs in the kitties beds and frozen peas so I think ice is the best way to go for your poor fish! I also like the idea of moving the tank into the tub because it stays cooler.

I don''t know what I''m going to do tomorrow. My poor kitties....

I''m seriously thinking about making DH stay home from work (he has more vacation than me) but I just don''t know yet.

I have a siberian husky in Florida...yup, you read that right. When it gets unbearable for him, he goes and lays in the tub. I think something''s wrong with my ac controller since he goes in there at night time when it should be cooling down. Do your kitties have access to your bathroom sink or tub? They may end up using it the same as my husky does. I saw pictures of cats sleeping in the bathroom sink in one of the threads at hangout and I wasn''t sure how many cats actually does it. Another thing that I did was fill up 2 liter bottles with water, freeze it, and then let him play with it or keep it beside him when it''s too hot in the apartment. He personally likes to just lay by it. Or roll it around, depending on if he feels like getting the carpet wet. I just gave up and made sure that the apartment is set at 75 degrees. I still have to check on the temperature controller though....

Good luck!

 

[Gailey]

Hi MC

Sorry, I''ve only just seen this thread. I''ve never been in the same position as you, although I have come home to a tank full of cooked Guppies because the heater malfunctioned so I understand your concern. I tried googling optimum temperatures for Guppies and there was surprisingly little information out there. Best I could come up with was here

If it was me I would empty out half of the water or more and lift the tank into the bath. Refill the tank with cold water. Fill the bath with cold water as high as you dare. If you have an extractor fan in the bathroom, put that on as well, at least you will keep the airflow going even if it is warm. If you are worried about keeping the filter going, run an extension lead to the nearest electrical outlet.

Best you buy a portable air conditioning unit for Sam and his tank buddy I think. Seriously though, is there anyone that could come in half way through the day to cool down the water for you? I`m guessing where you live, you don`t have a basement?

 

[Kunzite]

Date: 7/28/2009 11:28:54 PM
Author: Luckyeshe

Date: 7/28/2009 11:19:36 PM
Author: Kunzite
MC I feel you! I was so worried about my kitties overheating today that I came home from work early. We''ve been doing the ice packs in the kitties beds and frozen peas so I think ice is the best way to go for your poor fish! I also like the idea of moving the tank into the tub because it stays cooler.

I don''t know what I''m going to do tomorrow. My poor kitties....

I''m seriously thinking about making DH stay home from work (he has more vacation than me) but I just don''t know yet.

I have a siberian husky in Florida...yup, you read that right. When it gets unbearable for him, he goes and lays in the tub. I think something''s wrong with my ac controller since he goes in there at night time when it should be cooling down. Do your kitties have access to your bathroom sink or tub? They may end up using it the same as my husky does. I saw pictures of cats sleeping in the bathroom sink in one of the threads at hangout and I wasn''t sure how many cats actually does it. Another thing that I did was fill up 2 liter bottles with water, freeze it, and then let him play with it or keep it beside him when it''s too hot in the apartment. He personally likes to just lay by it. Or roll it around, depending on if he feels like getting the carpet wet. I just gave up and made sure that the apartment is set at 75 degrees. I still have to check on the temperature controller though....

Good luck!

Oh how I wish we had AC! Our kitties do lay in the sink sometimes at night (they sleep there) but during the day it''s not all that cool because we live in a three story townhouse and the bathrooms are on the top floor. When we''re home we wipe them down with wet rags to get their fur wet and that helps a lot. I read somewhere that you can leave a small amount of water in the tub and they might get their paws wet so I''ve been doing that but I''m pretty sure it''s just wishful thinking on my part. We''ve also been leaving ice out for them to mess around with but I think they''re stilll afraid of it. Don''t they know what''s good for them?!

 

[Moh 10]

Sudden temp changes will kill fish too so make it gradual.

Fans don't really cool things.
Fans do cool people by increasing the rate of evaporation of sweat we produce.

But a fan cannot cool the room; in fact their motors actually give off heat so the room becomes hotter.
Still when you are in the path of moving air your sweat evaporates faster and that is a cooling process.

Imagine a block metal that has been in the room a long time so it has stabilized to the room's temperature.
If the air in the room and the block are both at 95 degrees the fan will just blow 95 degree air on the 95 degree block and the block will not change temp.
Of course if the block is a different temp from the air then a fan Will accelerate the block's change of temp to match the air in the room.

If the object is an aquarium with water at 95 degrees and if the air is 95 degrees also, blowing that 95 deg air on the glass will do nothing to cool the aquarium.

However with an aquarium if you direct the fan to blow on the surface of the water it theoretically should lower the temp since evaporation is a cooling process, but I'm not sure the change in water temp would be appreciable or even measurable since a few teaspoons evaporation may not cool down 3 gallons of water much.
I remember from Chemistry that changing the temp of water takes quite a bit of energy.

They do make aquarium chillers but they are expensive.
The cheapest one I found in a 10 second google search was $159.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_searchItem.aspx?Category=Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Chillers&vendorname=AquaEuroUSA&vendorcode=ED&IdCategory=FICH


You probably already thought of this but not using the light (or changing the bulb from standard to fluorescent) will help reduce the water temp.
Lower, near the floor, is cooler since heat rises.
If you have a basement that may be cooler.
The north side of your house should be cooler than the south side, unless you are in the southern hemisphere.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Thanks, Moh! The light is turned off and I have been taking the lid off (covering the aquarium with a net) when I'm home with the fan blowing on that (rather than on just the side of the aquarium). . .I also have two cats and even though, they've been ignoring the fish since we've gotten them, their appetites may get the best of them if they see easy access to the fish! Having the lid off does help, though. . .maybe by 1 degree.

One of my cats has been going crazy, too. . .the one pictured in the avatar. He's been whining!

We have three bowls of water out and I filled one with ice cubes so it'll be cold. Poor things. Plus, my yard plants are nearly dying for water. . .my hydrangeas began drooping b/c I missed watering them the day before yesterday. After soaking them, they look happy again.

Eh, heat. . .

Cats!
Kids!
Fish!
Plants!

AHHHH. . . can't wait till things cool off and everyone will be a bit more self sufficient.

Oh, and you found a great deal on an aquarium conditioner! When I googled yesterday, the ones I saw were $300+!

I guess with the fish, I'm going to try and keep the ice up later when I get home around 4 pm. I read something about "ich," and am now paranoid that regardless of what I do or do not do, they're probably stressed enough that their life spans will be reduced. Sadly, I'd rather have them pass away quickly than introduce any disease into the tank!

The little one was hiding this morning and for a few mintues, I thought he was dead. . .

 

[treefrog]

I presume you don''t have or aren''t using an air conditioner? The aquarium should run slightly higher than the surrounding room temperature. Must be pretty hot in the house. Your pump will generate heat so move it away if it''s close to the tank. In a 3 gallon tank, the water volume is small enough that the temperature will change fairly rapidly. Definitely avoid major temperature swings. It sounds like you''ve done just about everything you can. Outside of a chiller, bags of ice or ice packs placed next to the aquarium is all I can think of. I agree with the fan advice.

Treefrog

 

[jcarlylew]

Date: 7/28/2009 11:19:36 PM
Author: Kunzite
MC I feel you! I was so worried about my kitties overheating today that I came home from work early. We''ve been doing the ice packs in the kitties beds and frozen peas so I think ice is the best way to go for your poor fish! I also like the idea of moving the tank into the tub because it stays cooler.

I don''t know what I''m going to do tomorrow. My poor kitties....

I''m seriously thinking about making DH stay home from work (he has more vacation than me) but I just don''t know yet.

we did that for the past two days (stay home) for our dog. today i am bringing him (the dog) over to my parents house since they have AC, and we might spend the night there too..

(i am in seattle too, btw )

 

[LGK]

Hope the fish are OK. I''m in Seattle too, and miserable. We don''t have A/C at work, so it''s right around 100 at 10AM right now- typically our antique mall is about 10 degrees hotter than the outside. I''m probably gonna close it at 2PM today, if it does get near 100. Our staff is mostly older and I really don''t want people getting sick from the heat. Yesterday the upper floor was 105.

My mom is guppy farming too. So far, my mom''s are OK. She''s not doing anything special to chill them and her house doesn''t have A/C or anything. (It''s so funny, I have never seen anyone get as attached to fish as my mom does.)

 

[Luckyeshe]

Hope everyone, human and animals alike are ok in Seattle!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/29/2009 11:00:50 AM
Author: MC
Thanks, Moh! The light is turned off and I have been taking the lid off (covering the aquarium with a net) when I''m home with the fan blowing on that (rather than on just the side of the aquarium). . .I also have two cats and even though, they''ve been ignoring the fish since we''ve gotten them, their appetites may get the best of them if they see easy access to the fish! Having the lid off does help, though. . .maybe by 1 degree.

One of my cats has been going crazy, too. . .the one pictured in the avatar. He''s been whining!

We have three bowls of water out and I filled one with ice cubes so it''ll be cold. Poor things. Plus, my yard plants are nearly dying for water. . .my hydrangeas began drooping b/c I missed watering them the day before yesterday. After soaking them, they look happy again.

Eh, heat. . .

Cats!
Kids!
Fish!
Plants!

AHHHH. . . can''t wait till things cool off and everyone will be a bit more self sufficient.

Oh, and you found a great deal on an aquarium conditioner! When I googled yesterday, the ones I saw were $300+!

I guess with the fish, I''m going to try and keep the ice up later when I get home around 4 pm. I read something about ''ich,'' and am now paranoid that regardless of what I do or do not do, they''re probably stressed enough that their life spans will be reduced. Sadly, I''d rather have them pass away quickly than introduce any disease into the tank!

The little one was hiding this morning and for a few mintues, I thought he was dead. . .

Been there!

Got one of these! No more ich. Tad of an overkill in a 3 gallon tank, but I suspect you won''t be in a 3 gallon for long!

Here''s hoping the weather breaks for you all in Seattle soon!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi everyone,

It simply has become too hot. It was 107 in my car and 91 when I got home. . .luckily, earlier today I was able to take the tank over to a friend''s house who has a/c. Even with a/c, their house was 75 at the time. That''s pretty much our only shot at this point!

My cats seem to be fairing well enough. I just gave them a bowl filled with ice water and both didn''t have any idea what to do with it and walked off into the shade!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/29/2009 1:19:30 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
Hope the fish are OK. I''m in Seattle too, and miserable. We don''t have A/C at work, so it''s right around 100 at 10AM right now- typically our antique mall is about 10 degrees hotter than the outside. I''m probably gonna close it at 2PM today, if it does get near 100. Our staff is mostly older and I really don''t want people getting sick from the heat. Yesterday the upper floor was 105.

My mom is guppy farming too. So far, my mom''s are OK. She''s not doing anything special to chill them and her house doesn''t have A/C or anything. (It''s so funny, I have never seen anyone get as attached to fish as my mom does.)

I hope your mom''s guppies are doing well. Man, it is hot! Some of the strip-mall-type stores were closed today and the mall was packed! ehhh!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/29/2009 4:30:37 PM
Author: Gailey
Been there!

Got one of these! No more ich. Tad of an overkill in a 3 gallon tank, but I suspect you won''t be in a 3 gallon for long!

Here''s hoping the weather breaks for you all in Seattle soon!

Yikes, that is a pricy gadget for a 3 gallon tank! lol Before we upgrade to a larger tank of any kind, I''m going to do some serious research and try and find some stuff used via eBay. The prices on all the fancy stuff will just about kill me otherwise. My husband said he''d get me a salt water tank for my birthday, but now I''m too paranoid thinking of all the variables that will come into play.

In case the fish do get ich, is there any sort of product I can put into the water?

 

[LGK]

Date: 7/29/2009 8:15:54 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/29/2009 1:19:30 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
Hope the fish are OK. I'm in Seattle too, and miserable. We don't have A/C at work, so it's right around 100 at 10AM right now- typically our antique mall is about 10 degrees hotter than the outside. I'm probably gonna close it at 2PM today, if it does get near 100. Our staff is mostly older and I really don't want people getting sick from the heat. Yesterday the upper floor was 105.

My mom is guppy farming too. So far, my mom's are OK. She's not doing anything special to chill them and her house doesn't have A/C or anything. (It's so funny, I have never seen anyone get as attached to fish as my mom does.)

I hope your mom's guppies are doing well. Man, it is hot! Some of the strip-mall-type stores were closed today and the mall was packed! ehhh!

They are! I'm a dork so I called her to see how they were doing. They're fine luckily, and her koi are not boiled either.

The power at work (and the whole city of Snohomish) went out at 1:30, and by then it was about 115 inside. As soon as our exhaust fans went dead with the power, the temperature soared- no idea how hot it got but 120something is my guess. And it still took us a half hour to extract every customer! It was *pitch dark*, over 120 degrees, and people were pissed we were closing and hiding in the aisles to try to stay and shop! My temper was stretching mighty thin at the half hour point of playing hide and seek in the sweltering pitch black hallways with customers pretending they didn't know we were trying to get them to leave, so we could lock up- on one hand, I'm thrilled they're that dedicated to shopping; on the other hand, I really don't want to get sued if someone pitches down the stairs in the dark. My car said it was 109 on the ride home.

So far I've taken four showers today, trying to keep my hair wet. Hope your guppies are OK, too MC! And kitties and such.

 

[Gailey]

For all you hot and sweltering ladies, I think you need an Orbit Arizona Mist system.

I bought the portable and it''s fabulous. Sorry MC, not much use for guppies though.

Stay cool girls!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/29/2009 11:07:38 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten

Date: 7/29/2009 8:15:54 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/29/2009 1:19:30 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
Hope the fish are OK. I''m in Seattle too, and miserable. We don''t have A/C at work, so it''s right around 100 at 10AM right now- typically our antique mall is about 10 degrees hotter than the outside. I''m probably gonna close it at 2PM today, if it does get near 100. Our staff is mostly older and I really don''t want people getting sick from the heat. Yesterday the upper floor was 105.

My mom is guppy farming too. So far, my mom''s are OK. She''s not doing anything special to chill them and her house doesn''t have A/C or anything. (It''s so funny, I have never seen anyone get as attached to fish as my mom does.)

I hope your mom''s guppies are doing well. Man, it is hot! Some of the strip-mall-type stores were closed today and the mall was packed! ehhh!

They are! I''m a dork so I called her to see how they were doing. They''re fine luckily, and her koi are not boiled either.

The power at work (and the whole city of Snohomish) went out at 1:30, and by then it was about 115 inside. As soon as our exhaust fans went dead with the power, the temperature soared- no idea how hot it got but 120something is my guess. And it still took us a half hour to extract every customer! It was *pitch dark*, over 120 degrees, and people were pissed we were closing and hiding in the aisles to try to stay and shop! My temper was stretching mighty thin at the half hour point of playing hide and seek in the sweltering pitch black hallways with customers pretending they didn''t know we were trying to get them to leave, so we could lock up- on one hand, I''m thrilled they''re that dedicated to shopping; on the other hand, I really don''t want to get sued if someone pitches down the stairs in the dark. My car said it was 109 on the ride home.

So far I''ve taken four showers today, trying to keep my hair wet. Hope your guppies are OK, too MC! And kitties and such.

Yikes about Snohomish! I haven''t kept up with any news because my office is too hot to be in during the afternoon so I cannot check the computer so I hadn''t heard about that. My kids have their Lego table in here and were still playing at night while sweat dripped down their foreheads!

Glad you and your customers were safe through all that! That''s pretty scary and the thought of "looting" comes to mind! Luckily that would be more difficult to get away with in a smaller town.

We went to Alderwood Mall food court yesterday (after we finished up with a dr. appointment - we had right nearby there) and it was packed and gross. Oddly, and maybe it was because it was so crowded, that the tables hadn''t been cleaned as much as normally and there was food ALL over the floors. My kids and I had to walk from table to table assess which one was the least messy! We had a difficult time finding a place to settle into.