Jump to content





Posted Image

PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


Photo

Preparing For A Heat Wave


  • Please log in to reply
78 replies to this topic

#1 sandgroper

sandgroper
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 24-April 06
  • Location: Near Malaga

Posted 10 December 2013 - 11:21 PM

Now is the time to start preparing people, for people with outside tanks under the patio, shed tanks or houses with no insulation and air-con. It's good to get the temp down now in your tanks to give yourselves a little more play. Heaters should be unplugged, water changes should be made to freshen up the tanks as cleaner fresher water holds more oxygen. If you have not already got one add a air stone to ripple the water surface more for air and other gases to exchange more easily. Remove lids during the day and you can leave them off at night as well when the next day is also going to be a hot one. To stop fish jumping out i replace the glass lids with egg crate (light diffuser) cut to the same size as my lids (i only remove the front lids). This allows the tanks to cool down better at night because you want the temperature down as low as you can get it for the next day. The more hot days you have in a row the night time temp in the tank gets a little higher each time, that's why if you can get the temp down before the heat wave starts say 22 degrees, i find it gives you one extra day before the shit hits the fan. Speaking of fans, a fan blowing across the water surface can also aid in cooling also. Some people use frozen bottles of water floating in the tank, i'm not a fan of this as i believe it just stresses the fish more (unless you can put it in a sump). The fish are better of with slow gradual temperature changes up or down and not sitting next to a mini iceberg, OK that's enough typing for me good luck all and may god have mercy on our little fishes souls.

 



#2 Anka

Anka
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 01-November 11
  • Location: Kallaroo, WA

Posted 10 December 2013 - 11:37 PM

Could an admin make this an announcement? Andy/Daz/Tim?



#3 Bombshocked

Bombshocked
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 03-July 13
  • Location:Carabooda
  • Location: Perth

Posted 10 December 2013 - 11:43 PM

This Is A Great Reminder Get Your Tanks Sorted



#4 Bermont

Bermont
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 16-April 13
  • Location:Lesmurdie
  • Location: WA

Posted 11 December 2013 - 12:09 AM

one of the tricks i used last summer was to put my cannisters into a foam box and add cold water and top it up with ice during the day, i found this worked well as a makeshift chiller and kept temps down. great for when your doing like 2-3 tanks, ive got 25, so this summer is gonna be hectik, most my tanks are in 3 rooms, only room im worried about is my back room as it gets hotter, but ive got higher temp tollerant fish out here in hopes that will help. 



#5 Fox

Fox
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 30-July 06
  • Location:Perth
  • Location: Ellenbrook W.A

Posted 11 December 2013 - 06:30 AM

Great post!

 

In the shed I use one of the "El cheapo" oscillating fans to cool the tanks. Seems to work ok.
Plenty of airstones as well.



#6 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 11 December 2013 - 11:31 AM

Ive pointed one of my powerheads to the top of the tank, makes one hell of a ripple on the surface!



#7 TheTexasCichlidMasacre

TheTexasCichlidMasacre
  • PCS Club Member
  • Joined: 12-March 11
  • Location:Dalwallinu
  • Location: Dalwallinu

Posted 11 December 2013 - 02:36 PM

nearly got all my insulation in has taken a bit longer due to other things coming along



#8 BristledOne

BristledOne
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 04-November 13
  • Location: Beechboro

Posted 11 December 2013 - 11:56 PM

Can I just point out that your heaters are thermostat controlled so unplugging them is probably not advised or needed 



#9 bigjohnnofish

bigjohnnofish
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 02-August 10
  • Location: Banjo Country aka just past Mundaring

Posted 12 December 2013 - 02:53 AM

thermostats can sometimes play up and get stuck in the open heating position.... best unplugged IMO.... 

 

talking about dissolved oxygen in summer is important.... water can only absorb so much - it has a full limitation.... so for easy explanation i will refer to 100 litres of water and estimate water can dissolve into 20% of its total volume... so in a 100 litre tank theres only 20 litres that will hold other compounds dissolved into it....

 

oxygen will only be dissolved into that 20 litres when its holding capacity isnt full... nitrates are dissolved into this 20 litres lowering the available room for dissolved oxygen...and so are other compounds dissolved into this 20 litres of water.. so if you want higher levels of dissolved oxygen in your tank get your nitrates down low - either by waterchanges or fitting a denitrator to your tank...

 

now one other thing to know as the temperature goes up theres less room in the water to dissolve oxygen also... another good reason in summer to keep nitrates low and temp low as it = healthy alive fish :)  much better than finding deads in your tank and then the dreaded chain reaction of dead fish decaying (decay quicker in summer with higher temps)  producing ammonia in your tank making conditions worse for the surviving fish until they die and contribute to the chain reaction till everything is dead and smelly as.... 


Edited by bigjohnnofish, 12 December 2013 - 02:54 AM.


#10 Fox

Fox
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 30-July 06
  • Location:Perth
  • Location: Ellenbrook W.A

Posted 12 December 2013 - 06:29 AM

Can I just point out that your heaters are thermostat controlled so unplugging them is probably not advised or needed 

 

 

thermostats can sometimes play up and get stuck in the open heating position.... best unplugged IMO.... 

 

Not only that, but a plugged in heater doesnt give the tank time to cool down over night. Not that there is much cooling down during Summer anyway but it is a couple of degrees which can make all the difference when it heats up the next day.
Not so bad if you have your heater set a lower temp, but if you dont you could be heading for trouble.
My tanks in the shed are already stable at 25c during the day and drop 1c overnight.



#11 TheTexasCichlidMasacre

TheTexasCichlidMasacre
  • PCS Club Member
  • Joined: 12-March 11
  • Location:Dalwallinu
  • Location: Dalwallinu

Posted 12 December 2013 - 09:19 PM

see the pros have commented with the last 2 comments... having heaters on during a heatwave is not advised i never been advised to use them during summer .... 


my tanks just got gradually worse and worse and couldnt cool down while the heaters were on... i dont recommend leaving them on during summer unless the tank is in your house and you use reverse cycle alot



#12 Fox

Fox
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 30-July 06
  • Location:Perth
  • Location: Ellenbrook W.A

Posted 12 December 2013 - 09:37 PM

see the pros have commented with the last 2 comments.

:blink: :huh:  No pro here :) Just happy to help when & were I can.
Your never a pro in the Aquarium industry, things change WAY to quickly. You will get people like Ollie who know a SHITLOAD! and is one of the very rare people who are happy to share his knowledge.



#13 Westie

Westie

    West African Cichlid fan

  • Admin
  • Joined: 31-May 10
  • Location: Hammond Park

Posted 12 December 2013 - 11:05 PM

any local fish shops sell those surface clip on fans to cool the tank?

#14 Kleinz

Kleinz
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 02-September 11
  • Location: Maylands

Posted 12 December 2013 - 11:27 PM

Were a pile at the last auction...


  • Fox likes this

#15 Bermont

Bermont
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 16-April 13
  • Location:Lesmurdie
  • Location: WA

Posted 13 December 2013 - 12:42 AM

i believe aquotix do sell them, not very cheap tho, but a pedastool fan will work too, just more power consumption



#16 Mononoke

Mononoke
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 19-September 13
  • Location: Hamilton Hill

Posted 14 December 2013 - 08:53 AM

Thanks everyone for a great thread! It was a timely heads up.

Regarding small fans, I reckon you could get a little one at Thingz, Dick Smith or Harvey Norman pretty cheap? Surely even a cheapy wouldn't use much power, my big pedesal fan is 50W.


  • Fox likes this

#17 malawiman85

malawiman85
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 11-December 08
  • Location: Geraldton

Posted 15 December 2013 - 07:16 AM

My outdoor pond  tank in full sun was 26 degrees yesterday but i suspect it will get to 30 in the next few days. Tanks in my garage got to 25.

How's everyone else going?



#18 Westie

Westie

    West African Cichlid fan

  • Admin
  • Joined: 31-May 10
  • Location: Hammond Park

Posted 15 December 2013 - 08:52 AM

30degrees on all 4 tanks
running extra air

#19 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 15 December 2013 - 09:40 AM

30.6 this morning in the jack tank. Got the powerhead aimed at the surface on 80% and the other one on 20% as its wave maker controlled. Jack seems to be doing fine. Doing a big water change today also so that should bring it down a touch.

#20 Shane-o88

Shane-o88
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 02-July 13
  • Location: chidlow

Posted 15 December 2013 - 11:32 AM

34 in my cherry shrimp tank yesterday, put a fan in the fishroom and unplugged all heaters. Didn't lose any shrimp or the panchax though.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users