Heat wave here in the uk my tank temps are hitting 33c water coming out of my tap 29c lost some otto algae eaters think the heat was too much for them had them 4 years tried ice packs but within a hour temps back up hoping for cooler weather.
tank temp
- Thread starter bathawk
- Start date
Wow...in Britain...who would have seen this coming?
Are window air conditioners a "thing" over there? A small unit could easily keep a fishroom comfortable in the hottest weather; just plug into a standard receptacle, as long as there's nothing else substantial on that circuit.
Are window air conditioners a "thing" over there? A small unit could easily keep a fishroom comfortable in the hottest weather; just plug into a standard receptacle, as long as there's nothing else substantial on that circuit.
As climate change continues to make seasonal earth temps rise, it will probably be necessary for most aquarists "without" air conditioners to buy chillers for use, at least parts of the year.
Here in Panama chillers are commonplace for aquarists with gold fish, and koi, because 90"+ F temps are quite common most of the year.
So far my Panamanian species biotopes have not required them, and I keep my tanks outside.
but ..... I can no longer keep some of my favorite species without them, (i.e.Gymnogeophagus) it just wouldn't be practical.
My wife (who is from the UK tells me hardly any private residences there have AC units.
I am on my second AC unit since I moved here 7 years ago.
Here in Panama chillers are commonplace for aquarists with gold fish, and koi, because 90"+ F temps are quite common most of the year.
So far my Panamanian species biotopes have not required them, and I keep my tanks outside.
but ..... I can no longer keep some of my favorite species without them, (i.e.Gymnogeophagus) it just wouldn't be practical.
My wife (who is from the UK tells me hardly any private residences there have AC units.
I am on my second AC unit since I moved here 7 years ago.
The two day mega heatwave has subsided now where I am (Lancashire). In my latest seven years in the hobby, and all the years previous to that in my first stint a couple of decades ago, I have never ever had to worry about the indoor ambient temps getting anywhere near my heater settings, let alone surpass them.
But the past couple of days indoor temps have been nudging 30°C, my heaters are set at 25 ish! The thermometers on my tanks peaked at about 28-29°C, so nothing too troublesome.
And no, I bet there are very few, if any at all, residential homes with air conditioning in them over here. Air conditioning and United Kingdom are words that you'd never ever expect to utter in the same breath, lol.
But the past couple of days indoor temps have been nudging 30°C, my heaters are set at 25 ish! The thermometers on my tanks peaked at about 28-29°C, so nothing too troublesome.
And no, I bet there are very few, if any at all, residential homes with air conditioning in them over here. Air conditioning and United Kingdom are words that you'd never ever expect to utter in the same breath, lol.
My marine tank is at 32 in my living room even today with the inside temp at 25. I have 2l pop bottles in the freezer on rotation, 5 is enough to have one in the tank all the time.
Unfortunately with tight lids, bright lights and multiple pumps, everything heats the water.
Air con is something we are gonna have to seriously look at, and a unit that can heat in winter and chill in summer would be ideal both for my house and my fish house albeit cheap electricity is becoming a thing of the past and at 40p per kWh, keeping fish generally is becoming a challenge financially.
Unfortunately with tight lids, bright lights and multiple pumps, everything heats the water.
Air con is something we are gonna have to seriously look at, and a unit that can heat in winter and chill in summer would be ideal both for my house and my fish house albeit cheap electricity is becoming a thing of the past and at 40p per kWh, keeping fish generally is becoming a challenge financially.
That's right not many houses in the uk have air conditioning there are portable units . I did have a chiller a while back but sold it. I have 7 tanks so 7 chillers would be out of the question as we also have these massive energy bills coming this year.
This is one of the reasons, I like sumps.
When I lived in the states I could filter 7 similar species tanks up to about 500 gallons , using one reasonably sized pump, one or 2 heaters, or if needed 1 reasonable sized chiller.
I Believe the norms we have been used to in the past , are becomming less and less applicable.
Where I used to live in the US we might get 2 or 3 days in the 90sF per summer and most middle class people didn't have AC, so far and not even Aug.this year its up to 9, and AC units are flying off the shelf..
Last edited:
I used to laugh at people...who live in Winterpeg, Manitoba...who simply had to have A/C. Really? For what, the three days per year we actually have hot weather?
Well, now...only a decade later...we had 30 consecutive days last year that the temperature topped 30C. These poor delicate arctic pansies, who shrug off temps and windchills that would send Kalifornia surfer dudes crying for their mothers, just can't take the heat.
I grew up in much-warmer southern Ontario, which could and did get quite warm. I'll be honest: I still don't see the need for A/C; the basement fishroom virtually never goes above 21C, and usually a couple degrees cooler than that. And, of course, beer tastes best on a deck or patio at the end of a hot summer day. Bring it on!
Now, a question about chillers: these are refrigeration units that cool the water directly, correct? So each separate tank or tank system requires its own separate unit?
Surely, it would be cheaper...or as cheap...to simply cool the fishroom with an A/C unit? Plus, you have the added benefit of a cool comfortable room to relax in.
Am I missing something here? It's happened before...
Well, now...only a decade later...we had 30 consecutive days last year that the temperature topped 30C. These poor delicate arctic pansies, who shrug off temps and windchills that would send Kalifornia surfer dudes crying for their mothers, just can't take the heat.
I grew up in much-warmer southern Ontario, which could and did get quite warm. I'll be honest: I still don't see the need for A/C; the basement fishroom virtually never goes above 21C, and usually a couple degrees cooler than that. And, of course, beer tastes best on a deck or patio at the end of a hot summer day. Bring it on!
Now, a question about chillers: these are refrigeration units that cool the water directly, correct? So each separate tank or tank system requires its own separate unit?
Surely, it would be cheaper...or as cheap...to simply cool the fishroom with an A/C unit? Plus, you have the added benefit of a cool comfortable room to relax in.
Am I missing something here? It's happened before...
The financial constraints of the hobby are worrying. They are, as mentioned, going crazy, with no end in sight. My decision has already been made, thanks partly due to our useless energy providers over the past 24 months or so.
I'm downsizing, plain and simple, it's not even a hard decision. My little hex tank has already been stripped down, and I stripped my 120g down today. All my fish are now in my 360g, and in time as the fish die off, they will not be replaced.
I won't be getting rid of my 360 just yet though because I have a lot of fish in there that are long term commitments, especially my pack of clowns. I'm not giving up on them.
You might say, "well Esox doesn't have that many tanks compared to other hobbyists, surely the cost isn't that bad."
This is true, but glaring billing mistakes have been made by my energy suppliers over the past couple of years. It all came to light just recently. We owe them a lot of back pay at a time when costs are going up as it is.
And it has also come to light that my electricity bill, thanks to multiple pumps, heaters, powerheads and lights has meant that our household is currently using THREE times the national average in electricity!!
Our gas usage is virtually non existent thanks to my shrewd wood burner purchase last November. But electricity is a nightmare.
Eventually, a few years down the line, my 360 will go to, and when it does, I'm done! I've come out of the hobby before, and I'll do it again.
It's ironic really that I started a thread not long ago regarding reptile keepers getting rid of their stock to reptile adoption/care facilities because of ongoing costs of keeping the animals. I wondered how long it would be before us hobbyists would be following suit, I didn't think i'd be one of the first! Lol.
When I lived in WI, Dec, Jan, Feb, and sometimes Mar, the energy bill on my fish house, would average $400 per month (I admit the shack was poorly insulated) double the summer heating costs.
But of course that was before I retired. I could not handle those costs today on a fixed income.
I believe Eso is right though, keeping fish in the future the costs will only go up, and may become prohibitive.
One of the reasons I moved to Panama. The general cost of living is less, and for fish, No heaters, I don't use artificial lighting, and only keep Panamanian species that can handle life in these conditions.
But of course that was before I retired. I could not handle those costs today on a fixed income.
I believe Eso is right though, keeping fish in the future the costs will only go up, and may become prohibitive.
One of the reasons I moved to Panama. The general cost of living is less, and for fish, No heaters, I don't use artificial lighting, and only keep Panamanian species that can handle life in these conditions.
Last edited: