# Tank too hot!



## ilovemyplaties (May 3, 2012)

I have a fifteen gal and a ten gal. Both are maintained at 74 degree water but summer is approaching at lately around 4-8 my tank gets up to 83 degrees. Yeah platies can handle it but some of them hide and don't swim as much. My loach has been laying down weird and i notice they only do that when the water is at 80 degrees. My plants are starting to die too so im not just concerned about the fish. I really need to lower the temperature! I have a water machine that adjusts water to their ph level so i was thinking about making ice cubes with that water. Im afraid that it will shock their system though! Besides doing water changes does anyone know how to lower the tank without buying a cooler?


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## arch aquatics (Feb 28, 2012)

fill 1 liter bottles with water and freeze them.

float frozen bottles in tank and it will help greatly.

Axolotls have problems with heat and this is what we do for them in the summer.

with a little practice you will know how long they take to melt and how many degrees each bottle will lower your tank temp


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

I live in the desert. My tanks are around 85 degrees all summer long. Use evaporative cooling by running a small fan over the water or some variation on that.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Fishpunk said:


> I live in the desert. My tanks are around 85 degrees all summer long. Use evaporative cooling by running a small fan over the water or some variation on that.


it hit 58 today in Anchorage today...just perfect! Off topic I know.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you have a HOB filter you can drop the water level a bit and let it make a waterfall. Increasing evaporation will increase cooling. This question comes up every summer, use the advanced search to find an old thread for more ideas.


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## ilovemyplaties (May 3, 2012)

Thank you everyone!


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

grogan said:


> it hit 58 today in Anchorage today...just perfect! Off topic I know.


Nice. Forecast is for 112F here today. That's outside, not in my tanks.


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