Cooling period for Gymnogeophagus

[dent20]

In the interest of trying to make sure my Gymnogeophagus are healthy and continue breeding, I've been looking into options to give them a cooling period. My tanks are in my basement and there is really no where I can put them where the water temperature will naturally drop.

All of the chillers I've seen are rather expensive and I've also seen a lot of DIY suggestions. I'm just wondering though how effective it would be to use frozen jugs/bottles, for example. Has anyone tried any DIY options for cooling their aquarium water?

 

[lizardboy]

I just use rainwater for my tanks, and that's naturally ppretty cold this time of the year lol

 

[Ihsnshaik]

Unplug the heaters it will naturally cool down the tank slowly to room temp. I did this for treatment one time where i needed temps to go to 70. It went to 80 to 70 in 24 hours.

 

[dogofwar]

I keep my Uruguayan fish on the bottom racks in my basement fishroom. Gets down to low-60s or even 50s depending on the outside temp.

I also do cold water changes in the winter. It gets COLD in Uruguay in the winter and the fish need it to recharge and get ready for spring.

Matt

 

[duanes]

I used the same technique as dogofwar, on or near the floor and without heaters.
And also kept them in the same kiddie pool on the basement floor used for over wintering koi and goldfish. Temps would sometimes get below 50'F on the floor, and they did fine.
In the coldest months I would not feed at all.

 

[dent20]

Thanks for the suggestions. There is no heater in the tank now, so it already falls, but I'd like to make sure it's getting down to around 50-60.

 

[NHKG]

I use PC fans, that blow on water surface. You can get temperature 10F cooler. Easy to make and for free. I found all materials at mine home.
Frozen bottles didn't work at mine tank and are too laborious.

 

[neutrino]

I use PC fans, that blow on water surface. You can get temperature 10F cooler. Easy to make and for free. I found all materials at mine home.
Frozen bottles didn't work at mine tank and are too laborious.

I researched this years ago and the physics favors evaporating air over melting ice.

To keep it somple, evaporating one gram of water loses approximately 540 calories of heat according to various sources. Conversion of one gram of ice to water requires only 80 calories of heat according to various sources (apparently, the energy difference of water is much greater between a gas and a liquid than between liquid and solid).

To put it in meaningful terms for a fish tank: One gallon of water equals 3785 grams. Evaporate 3785 grams (multiply by 540) equals over 2 million calories of heat removed. If you replaced that gallon with cool water you'd further cool your water.

In other words, physics aside, for every gallon of water lost to evaporation you lose a lot of heat, in addition to the simple loss of heat to the room. You just don't notice it with a heater going in your tank.