|
What can I do if
my aquarium gets too hot in the summer?
The best answer is to keep
your room at a comfortable temperature with air conditioning.
Ambient room temperature has a tremendous impact on aquarium
temperature.
Remember: Never unplug your
heater if it is functioning correctly. Doing so can cause
temperature fluctuation, which can be more of a problem than a
slightly elevated temperature.
To determine if your heater is the
source of the problem, grasp it while it is underwater. If
your aquarium temperature is too warm and your heater feels like
it is actively heating, then the thermostat is not working and
telling the heater when to shut off. You should replace
your heater immediately. Do not wait until tomorrow
because the temperature fluctuation without a heater over the
course of several hours can stress your fish and it may be
fatal.
Before deciding to actively change the
aquarium temperature, make sure that the fish are truly
distressed. If they are swimming around normally, don't
worry too much. Correct the problem gradually.
Whatever your course of action, never
attempt to change the aquarium temperature too rapidly. If
it is too hot, allow the cooling process to take place slowly
until it is at the correct temperature. If it is
dangerously high and your fish are swimming strangely, you may
try to put ice cubes in plastic bags and float them in the
aquarium. However, be careful to keep an eye on the
temperature so that it does not drop too quickly once it is in a
safer range.
Temperature fluctuation commonly leads
to outbreaks of ick. This is seen often in spring and fall
when house temperatures are fluctuating and heaters are stressed
to keep up.
For continual problems with too much
heat caused by pumps, lights, and direct sunlight, try putting a
fan where it will blow directly over the water and if you have a
sump, try leaving the doors of the stand open. If you have
lids, leave them open or remove them. Never turn off your
pumps!
Remember that the most common
heat-related emergency is due to heater thermostats that have
broken. We cannot stress this enough: REPLACE YOUR HEATER
ONCE A YEAR! This may sound expensive, but it is usually
less expensive than replacing all of your fish after your tank
wipes out from a heater cooking everything.
|
