Tank temperature

[Izzyf]

I’m having difficulty keeping my tank temperature consistent.

It was averaging 21-23 degrees however where I live has had a heat wave and the temperature is now averaging 28 degrees.

I have tried turning off the lights/using one light, installed an air stone and left the lid off. If I use a desk fan it does cool it by about 2 degrees but as I can’t leave it on constantly I’m at a bit of a loss. I’m new to fishkeeping so I am unsure what I should do. 

Does anyone have any suggestions, as I was looking to keep a common goldfish but my concern is that it would be too warm and cause ammonia spikes. 

[beastie]

I also make my own ice and dump it in the tank and or use the fan and put it on top of the tank. But, I keep fish that handle the temps I have most of the year. In one part of the house I have a tank and in summer I dont open the drapes to not have sun or too warm air in and I do cold water replacement. But all fish there can tolerate up to 26C. In other room where I know is hot, I keep shrimp that can survive up to 30C and endlers, which are indestructible.

There are several ways for the surface fans and the surface agitations to cool down the tank, but rule of thumb is, check the average temps in each month in your room and get a fish that will like that range

Edited June 20, 2023 by beastie
typo

[Flumpweesel]

What temp is your room?  Cooling the room will help and probably help you to. 

Keep sunlight off the tank, and small water changes will help drop the temp.

Last summer my Shrimp tank ( smallest tank in warmest spot) got over 30C I just popped an ice pack in the filter flow to chill it down during the hottest parts of the day.  Most fish cope fine with temperature swings they are a natural thing as long as the water stays well oxygenated they should be fine sweating things out with you.  That is the main thing with temp warm water doesn't hold as much O2 as cold so that air line was the best thing you could have done. 

I don't let a bit of warm weather put you off goldfish they can handle and quite enjoy the odd warm day  how often do you see them basking in the sunshine in ponds. 

[JettsPapa]

I keep goldfish outside in cattle troughs to control algae and mosquito larvae.  Here in southeast Texas it's not uncommon for us to have multiple consecutive days with the afternoon temperature over 100 F, with it not getting much below 80 F at night.  The troughs are in full sun, and the fish do just fine.

I know goldfish are often referred to as cool water fish, but I believe that mostly just means that they don't need to be in heated tanks the way tropical fish do.

[Biotope Biologist]

Interestingly the way people think of goldfish temperatures is wrong. It does not cause ammonia spikes. 
 

Warmer waters increases the metabolism of goldfish. Which I have had goldfish in both colder water and tropical waters… they are constantly eating regardless. So the increased rate of digestion may cause ammonia spikes if the aquarium is not properly cycled, but increasing from a lot of waste to a bit more than a lot of waste is not a huge increase in my eyes.

[redfish]

I recently bought some blackout/thermal curtains to help reduce the heat in my office with some of our tanks.  So far, the difference has been impressive with the heat reduction.

[Izzyf]

@beastiewhat fish do you keep?  I haven’t tried using ice but I can give it a go. My worry is if I’m away I can’t leave the fan on constantly so I worry about the temperature when I’m away. 

@Flumpweesel The fish tank is actually kept in an office so I can’t say what the room temperature is however the room does have air conditioning and I’ve noticed even when it’s on the tank doesn’t necessarily cool down even if I remove the lid completely but it is out of direct sunlight. How natural is a temperature swing? As I was concerned that I had fish before and as the temperature went from 23 to 28 the sudden rise caused them stress and/or reduced the oxygen in the tank. If I do a water change and it brings the temperature back down I’m worried if it just goes back up again it will stress them out too much! My worry is also it I’m away how I can control the temperature if I’m on holiday.  Thanks so much 

@JettsPapa are those just common goldfish? 

 

[JettsPapa]

On 6/20/2023 at 12:08 PM, Izzyf said:

@JettsPapa are those just common goldfish? 

Yes.