78 replies to this topic

[Labcat]

I believe in the KISS principle.  The simplest and cheapest cooling is evaporative. All it needs is a breeze blowing across the surface of your tank and the water vapour takes the heat away.  A 12V computer cooling fan is ideal, and all it takes is 5W even for a big tank like my 700. Leave the hood on, air in one end, it blows along the surface and exhausts out the other.

[JackMack]

Best part about computer fans is that you can wire them to just about any old phone charger.

[Mononoke]

Yeah, I went looking for some last week in the CBD (that's where I work), couldn't find any!! I remember when Dick Smith was a REAL electronics store... probably shouldve made the effort to get up to Altronics or even Jaycar in Northbridge. Ended up getting a couple of little 18W ones from Retravision... quite nice solid little things for only $15, but not as efficient or compact as the computer fans.

[JackMack]

Just go and strip some computers on roadside collection

[Mononoke]

Good thought... we've got one in our area in a couple of weeks so I'll keep an eye out.

[Bombshocked]

29C Atm In My Highest Tank Its Also The Closest To The Roof

[Fox]

So what did everyone's temps get to today?
FW Shed tanks got to 30c, SW inside got to 26c.

Just checked the outside temp still 36c
Gonna be a warm on tmrw again.
Might time to do some water changes.
So what did everyone's temps get to today?
FW Shed tanks got to 30c, SW inside got to 26c.

Just checked the outside temp still 36c
Gonna be a warm on tmrw again.
Might time to do some water changes.

[Bermont]

ive got a lot of spare computer fans laying about, i had some hooked up to a computer power supply and just bypassed the power switch on it, ive got some brushless fans that pump out enough air to lift themselves off the ground lol

Edited by slink, 12 January 2014 - 07:46 AM.
Removed certain language

[malawiman85]

crept up to 26 in my garage.

Edited by malawiman85, 12 January 2014 - 01:51 AM.

[sandgroper]

Inside got to 28, the shed aircon died and the tanks have climb to 32 doing a water change tonight. No loses, touch wood.

[Bombshocked]

Is Your Shed Underground MM85 I Hit Those 30 C Had To Do Tap Water Changes Back Down To 28c

[malawiman85]

My tanks got to 27 today... Really happy with that.

Aircon from my house blows into the garage... Keeps things civilised.

[Auzziebuddy]

Went to a guys house last night to pick up a fish. He hadn't been in to his garage and wouldn't have if I didn't need to pick up a fish.
Ehiem heater had failed, was 37 degrees in tank. Quite a few dead. Was surprised how many were still hanging in there. Gave him a hand to drain tank straight away and refill to get temp down.
Heart breaking.

[werdna]

That is why you turn heaters off in summer...

[Auzziebuddy]

Because they fail???

[sandgroper]

Every time you look at your fish you should get in a habit of looking at the temperature, it only takes a millisecond.

[Mononoke]

Went to a guys house last night to pick up a fish. He hadn't been in to his garage and wouldn't have if I didn't need to pick up a fish.
Ehiem heater had failed, was 37 degrees in tank. Quite a few dead. Was surprised how many were still hanging in there. Gave him a hand to drain tank straight away and refill to get temp down.
Heart breaking.

I always get shivers when I hear these sorts of stories... it must be a horrible way to die.

[Labcat]

An up-date on my 'geothermal cooling' experiment. I was pretty sure it is having an effect, but just to be sure tried turning it off on Sunday evening to see what happens. By Monday afternoon the temp had gone up from 27 to 29 degrees. I turned it back on again, and the first water to come back up was at around 24-25 and within 40 minutes the tank was back to 28. Then by the next day it was peaking at 27 again. Outside temp was in the mid to high thirties.

From this I am reasonably convinced that it wouldn't take much more than my hand-dug small scale poly-pipe coils to effectively cool any outside tanks (in the shade) here in Perth. Well it's working already, but a bit more a bit deeper would be better.

As I fish enthusiast, now I will lay pipes down for my tank(s) at the first opportunity were I to be landscaping or building anything in the future.

[malawiman85]

Sounds good!

My garage tanks are getting up to 28/29 today. Thats the hottest mine have been. Not too bad.