Weird temperature question

[4D3]

Equipment like lighting, pumps and other devices can all generate heat which can raise your tank temperature...but of course, with all your experience you already know that. Sunlight can do the same, even nearby non-aquarium-related devices can have an effect. A sump in an enclosed stand may be a couple degrees warmer than the desired temperature.

Regardless of how expensive your equipment is, or how vast your experience may be, the simple fact is that the situation you describe is either a result of inaccurate temperature measurement...heat being generated by some source other than the tank heater...or a defective heater. There is no mysterious magic involved.

Your username rings a bell. That typically means that you fall into one of three categories:

A. You are a poster who displays a great deal of knowledge and who shares it with others in a helpful manner.

B. You are exceptionally entertaining, perhaps due in part to some exceptional tank or fish species you maintain.

C. You've proven in the past to be a jerk.


Maybe we should have a poll?

OK, i pulled the heater and put it into a different tank which is empty with nothing other than a wave maker, it holds steady st 26.5.

I just tested the underside of my lighting at that 28.5 degrees......

It seems you are correct.... The increased ambient temperature is allowing my lighting to come into play.

In lower ambient temp, the lights must not be powerful/hot enough to heat the air gap between the lighting and water..... With the warmer ambient, the air gap is heating to the temp of the led and in turn heating the water column.

Same is true for the spider, i tested the heat from the lights on that and the internal temp is matching the temp of the lights.

Thanks for that, I never thought of the lights....

Cheers for that

(You probably recognise me from all 3 A, B and C...... )

 

[4D3]

Equipment like lighting, pumps and other devices can all generate heat which can raise your tank temperature...but of course, with all your experience you already know that. Sunlight can do the same, even nearby non-aquarium-related devices can have an effect. A sump in an enclosed stand may be a couple degrees warmer than the desired temperature.

Regardless of how expensive your equipment is, or how vast your experience may be, the simple fact is that the situation you describe is either a result of inaccurate temperature measurement...heat being generated by some source other than the tank heater...or a defective heater. There is no mysterious magic involved.

Your username rings a bell. That typically means that you fall into one of three categories:

A. You are a poster who displays a great deal of knowledge and who shares it with others in a helpful manner.

B. You are exceptionally entertaining, perhaps due in part to some exceptional tank or fish species you maintain.

C. You've proven in the past to be a jerk.


Maybe we should have a poll?

Hi,

I pulled the heater, put it in a separate tank with nothing but a wave maker and it holds steady at 26.5.

I tested the underside of my lighting and it is 28.5.......

It seems you were correct, with colder ambient temps the lighting isn't hot/powerful enough to heat the air gap.

It seems the higher ambient temps is allowing the air gap to heat, in turn heating the water column. As a side note I tested the lighting on the spider tanks, they are also 29 degrees.

So well done sir, you found the issue, apparently about 25 degrees ambient and above allows my lighting to come into play...... I never had this issue in Australia since the ambient was always 25+ 24/7 365........In UK these fluctuation between 10-25 degrees seem to be the problem... If it's constantly below 20,then everything works as is in UK, if constantly above 25,then everything works as is in Australia...... In UK with a bouncy ambient temp it makes a difference.

I never thought there would be a "Danger Zone" where your equipment acts weird like this.....

Thanks for that