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In another forum Frank and I were discussing a 26gal Octagon Flat Back tank I have set up. I hope to be the last week or 2 of cycling, but the problem is tank temp I have no heater in the tank, but temp is running at 83 degrees. I looked at the light bulb new 15w 6700k grow 2 light. Frank seid look for hot spot on light check ballist. Did that and even replaced light fixture completely with a brand new one. It is the factory hood and I have removed the clear plastic on back to let heat escape. room tempture in that room is a 76 to 78 degrees during the day. I have the run timer set for 8hrs, it is planted so I not sure about less time and besides what the point of have a tank if you can enjoy looking at it. I don't see spending 300.00 plus on a chiller for 26gal tank. Any thoughts or help with this problem please enlighten me. Oh yeah I tried 2 different themometers (I think that how you spell it) and get the same reading.

HELP

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Is the temperature constant? By that I mean does it maintain the temperature at 83 degrees even when the light is off, or does the temperature then drop? If you leave the light off for a couple of days does the tank drop the temperature down to what the room is?

If it doesn't and the temperature reading is still 83 degrees, then I would say it's the thermometer(s) giving a false reading even though you have tried 2 different ones.

What type of filter do you have on the tank? I guess it could be a possiblity that if the filter motor was semi-overheating it could be causing the water temperature to rise.

Don't know if that will help much, but just a couple of ideas.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Themp is constant only drops 2 degress at night. I have replaced the themometer again and will watch it. I'm also watching the room temp but that only is effected at night whenthe wife runs it at 65. The filter I'm using is a new cascade 700 with a Uv sterilizer and a UGF with aqua clear 20. I beginnignto feel it is the design of the tank oxtagon flat back (3 panal face). Has anyone else had this problem. You must also understand that I have several tanks and been doing this hobby since the early 80's so I have looked into all the simple things. I will look at the filter today to see if the motor is heating up and I do thank you for your suggestion. I have no Ideal were this heat is comming from I'm thinking of breaking it down and moving it to another room. My thought there is room temp. but it generally at 78 except at night, as per wifes demands.

Any thoughts on this is problem is and will be excepted will great graditude.

Thank You
Dj Richie Rich

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

You said that you have several tanks, I'm assuming that they are not located in the same room as this one, am I correct?

Why I ask is I operate my business out of my home and as such have a home office. This office consistantly stays anywheres from 5 to 8 degrees warmer than any other in the home and as such helps the tanks and vice versa heat up. I have determined that this is caused by several factors which include 2 computers running 24 hours a day, several printers, and numerous other electronic gizmo's all giving off heat, add to this 3 aquariums, 1 - 55 gallon, 1 - 45 gallon and 1 - ten gallon and you can understand why. Do you have a similar situation?

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Yes, this tank is in a very large room, that is alittle warm, I think because of the windows in it(may be time to retint the windows). I put a themometer in the room but it is only showing a 2degree change from the tank room and that room has 2tanks 2computer and all the other items that go along with it. I thought maybe the room was hotter but we are talking 76 to 78 tank degrees in tank room to 81 to 83 tank degrees in family room. It has to be a room temp thing but I not sure why such a higher temp in the tank. Like I seid maybe we will have to move the tank but I working on the wife tring to get her into aquariums. I want to turn my garage into a hatchery for hard to find fish,and it would be alot easier if she was into it as much as me. So far it working I have her doing water changes and I pretty sure she wants to start her own tank. So if I move it she out of the loop.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Understand, the wife thing is important. Good luck with getting her as involved as you as my wife really has nothing to do with any of my tanks, but then again I don't have anything to do with any of her hobbies either.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

We have only been married for 7 yrs now. So I guess we are still tring to spend as much time as we can with each other. I have my own entertainment/sound reinforcment company and I work late nights and raise the two boys and she works a college and going after her masters. So, anytime we get together is not that much so I guess we do things jsut to be together. God knows I do not enjoy her hobby but we are together.

Anyway, I took the filter apart couldn't find excess heat there,however I just got a shippment of some galaxy fish today (they weren't to be shipped for another two weeks) and I had to use the tank until their new tank gets made. I notice that with power head on UGF it was to much current for them they looked like salmon swimming up stream. So I turn the powerheads off, and low and behold after 20mins or so temp dropped 2 degrees. My guess is a power head is making excess heat. Now I have to make sure it doesn't drop to quickly.

thanks

/:'

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Sounds like you may have found the problem, or at least a partial cause. Hopefully, that is what's causing it and you will have it solved. Good luck.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I need to lower the temp. more. Do you think a small fan blowing on 3/8" tubing will drop temp.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

I kind of doubt it, however a small fan blowing across the surface of the water will. If the top is totally covered, it still may help as it will help to pull any heat away that the light is producing.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I was thinking I have a thin 3/8 pipe and if I use the coupling I have and make it go up and down the screen of the fan and hold it in place with zip ties and install this on the return line. I wish I could show you a diagram. You don't think that will work. I only need a 3degrees to get it at 76 degrees.

ex airforce ever stationed at Eglin

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Hi,
You can create your own radiator with a small fan
and a shelf from a small oven using plastic hose
and a power head. Run the hose into and out of the
grids on a oven shelf taking care to not pull the
hose too tight. Use as many feet as you feel
comfortable with. Support the assembled grid
vertically and aim a fan at the radiator so the air
passes over and through the assembly. Place a sponge
filter on the intake of the power head, and connect
the pump to the plastic hose so the output of the
pump drives the water through the home made radiator
and then back into the tank at the opposite end from
the pump. Depending upon how much tubing you use and
how close you pack the tubes you should be able to
really cool down the water.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

ex airforce ever stationed at Eglin

No, other than overseas in the Mediterranean area, all of my assignments (other than schools) were in the western and southwestern U.S..

I can picture what you would like to do with the fan, and I imagine that would work as well as Frank's suggestion. 3 degrees isn't much so it should be fairly simple to do so.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Something else to consider, although Franks idea seems simple enough, is to simply lower the tank a few degrees and stock for that temperature. While 83 is fairly high, it's not all that high. I know Adams large african tank in the lounge room has been up to 29C 84F the past few days.
My tanks back in the states, I chose fish that could handle temps from 68 to upper 70's to handle temp changes between summer and winter.

Another idea, you mentioned the windows, do you leave the curtains closed during the day? Or at least when the sun is shining directly towards the tank?
Yes powerheads will add heat. Is the powerhead anywhere near the thermometer? It might be causing a false reading. You can try setting the powerhead on a timer and let it run for a bit every now and then rather then constantly.

Franks plans for a DIY cooler seem a great idea though, would be good to see pics.

^_^

There is a story that goes with the location of this tank. Tring to get the wife more interested in the hobby. ie more money and less complaning. Oh there is that thing we need to spend time together and not just talking about life the kids and bills. She works full time at college and gettting her masters and blah blah. You get it we are both very busy with our life we have to try and make time where ever for each others. So go with her and carry her equipment and set it up for her and she watchs the fish with me and starting to help with stuff.

Anyway, I don't do curtains. To much dust for me but I have the windows tinted with reflective tint and use blinds. The tank is not close to any windows but it in a large family room. However the room temp right now is 76 and the tankread 79.7 degrees. I turned off the power heads and it droped from 83 to that and sometimes I seen it at 78.5 degrees. Not bad liveable but I need it to run about 74 to 76 degrees.

Frank, do you think that hooking up to the canister filter will work. do you think it would be a flow problem.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Hi Rich,
I had not thought about using the output from a canister
filter. I was suggesting an auxiliary system that would
not interfere with the other tank systems.

You could try it, but you would be adding quite a bit
of resistance to the flow with the bends in the hose and
the length of the hose. It might be too much for the filter
and slow the flow down so far that the efficiency of the
filter and the bacteria in it might suffer.

I think I'd be inclined to not use it.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--