How do I cool down my tank?

[R1_Ridah]

If it's just your GATF in the tank 88 Deg is nothing. just make sure it's well aerated. Only draw back is the need to feed more often as it's metabolism will be working faster. You'll probably get an increase in growth with steady feeding over the summer months.

You may just do more damage trying to cool the tank than just letting it be.

 

[West1]

If it's just your GATF in the tank 88 Deg is nothing. just make sure it's well aerated. Only draw back is the need to feed more often as it's metabolism will be working faster. You'll probably get an increase in growth with steady feeding over the summer months.

You may just do more damage trying to cool the tank than just letting it be.

So what temp would be in the HOT range for a GATF?
Possibly Armatus too (if I deside to go all the way with both in the same tank)

 

[brianp]

If it's just your GATF in the tank 88 Deg is nothing. just make sure it's well aerated. Only draw back is the need to feed more often as it's metabolism will be working faster. You'll probably get an increase in growth with steady feeding over the summer months.

You may just do more damage trying to cool the tank than just letting it be.

These are solid logical points, but from personal experience, I don't think it's good to subject your fish to elevated temperatures and to me, 88F sounds quite warm. The above point about aeration is particulalry important, since warmer water will hold less oxygen. You should be moving that water like hell when it hits 84-85F. Also, when you perform a water change and shut off your pump filters, you MUST have a submersible pump running inside the tank to circulate the water so that your fish do not become anoxic. In a 300 gallon tank, I would recommend something in the neighborhood of 900 gph, pointing straight up.

 

[West1]

These are solid logical points, but from personal experience, I don't think it's good to subject your fish to elevated temperatures and to me, 88F sounds quite warm. The above point about aeration is particulalry important, since warmer water will hold less oxygen. You should be moving that water like hell when it hits 84-85F. Also, when you perform a water change and shut off your pump filters, you MUST have a submersible pump running inside the tank to circulate the water so that your fish do not become anoxic. In a 300 gallon tank, I would recommend something in the neighborhood of 900 gph, pointing straight up.

In my 300, I have a 4750gph pump breaking the surface for 2'+ of air bubbles
A lot of air

 

[R1_Ridah]

These are solid logical points, but from personal experience, I don't think it's good to subject your fish to elevated temperatures and to me, 88F sounds quite warm. The above point about aeration is particulalry important, since warmer water will hold less oxygen. You should be moving that water like hell when it hits 84-85F. Also, when you perform a water change and shut off your pump filters, you MUST have a submersible pump running inside the tank to circulate the water so that your fish do not become anoxic. In a 300 gallon tank, I would recommend something in the neighborhood of 900 gph, pointing straight up.

I am also talking from personal experience. I live in the SanFernando Valley where the temp is always about 15 Degrees hotter from where Westone is located. My tank has always been close to if not hotter than what Westone had posted and I was able to grow my GATF from 5" to 15" through the course of time. Not to mention about a dozen Vitattus as well. Where I've had other fish suffer from the heat my GATF was fine. That is why I asked if he specifically had only the GATF in there.

Is high recommended? of course not. But if certain fish can tolerate warmer waters why go through the hassle of cooling it off when it is not needed and in the end could just make it worst?

 

[OnceLoyal]

Forget the bottles man.... Well, you could add them too, but thats more maint. I had the same prob on my 220 in my garage. As we speak the drywall and isulation is almsost finished so my AC will be in by Wed. FAN!!!!! Run a fan across the surface. The evap will cool things by around 4 degrees. You will be amazed. It evaps about uhhhh........2-4 gallons a day I think?? Probably more like 2. It's works for me though......... GL to ya...
Oh, btw I am just using a little piece of crap fn. Run a nice big one (walmart sepcial 20$ or so) and I am sure it will take a good 5 away!!

 

[BigJ]

We need pic's!!

 

[WalterMelon]

For a DIY chiller you could buy one of these

It's a thermoelectric cooler. It takes 13VDC @ 5Amps. It uses peltier junctions to move heat from one side to the other... One side gets cold the other gets hot. The one pictured here is from an electric cooler.

To use one of these I would snake some tubing through the cold side and run your tank water through that... Also I'd stick a cooling fan on the hot side. The total size on one of these is 5"x5"x3.8". More than small enough to fit under an aquarium stand.

If I ever run into problems with my tanks over heating I'm just going to get one of these babies. Best part is... no moving parts to break-down

 

[West1]

Here goes some pics of the Aeration of my tank.

Im pretty skitish about a fan directly hitting the water cause then I would have to take off the tops that cover the holes (dont want my GATF to jump out)

The pic just has the big air bubbles that can not see all the little bubbles floating around
Tank is 8x30"x2