The hot sun is heating the apartment, and with it your aquarium. Not all of its inhabitants will like such tropics. Therefore, the owner will have to think about how to cool the water in the aquarium before his pets begin to get sick of overheating. In fact, there are many ways to do this. If you think and come up with imagination, you can find new, original solutions. However, let's talk about everything in order.
Measuring instruments
This is a necessity that is often neglected by novice aquarists. If you have heat-loving fish or ordinary guppies that normally survive with temperatures ranging from 15 to 30 degrees, then you can sleep peacefully. But barbs and goldfish will cease to eat as soon as the water temperature rises above 27. And tropical beauties feel good at temperatures from 24 to 26 degrees. This is not to mention snails and aquarium plants that do not tolerate overheating at all. Thus, before you think about how to cool the water in the aquarium, you must definitely install a thermometer.
Temperature Above Critical
The alarm should be started when the thermometer has risen above 26 degrees. In this case, you need to urgently decide how to cool the water in the aquarium. At the same time, if there are a huge number of heating devices, of all shapes and sizes, then with coolers everything is very modest. There are practically no special offers on the market that could make life easier for the inhabitants of your home reservoir.
First of all, mothers need to think about how to lower the temperature in the room in which the aquarium stands. All methods are suitable for this. The ideal solution would be a modern climate control system or air conditioning. In this case, you no longer have to worry about the temperature of the water, except to heat it for the most heat-loving inhabitants. And if there is no air conditioning in the room, and the sun is burning mercilessly?
Close windows
Since it is quite difficult to cool the water in the aquarium, we will try to create favorable conditions for this. First of all, you can recall the blackout curtains with which windows are hung. This allows you to avoid heating the water in the aquarium in direct sunlight. However, the air temperature in the room is still growing, which means that the water will also heat up.
In this case, shielding films on windows and on the aquarium itself become a good solution. The shiny material that covers the inside of the cooler bags is perfect for this. Such a screen allows you to protect your room and domestic flowers from overheating, and at the same time maintains normal conditions for the life of fish.
Remember the school physics course
Speaking about how to cool the water in the aquarium in the summer, you need to remember, due to what cooling can occur? That's right, due to evaporation. To use this mechanism, you need to wrap the aquarium with a dense, wet cloth. As it dries, it will need to be moistened again. Evaporation will cool the walls of the aquarium, and you will achieve the desired effect.
Aquarium cover
When figuring out how to cool water in an aquarium, don't forget about the easiest way. Open the lid and increase evaporation. Due to this, the water temperature will begin to decline sharply. If you are worried that the fish may jump out, then tighten the top with a thin cloth or gauze.
The second point is the aquarium lights. In extreme heat, you must turn them off, as they themselves heat the water.
Size matters
Indeed, if we talk about how to cool the water in the aquarium in the heat, then the question immediately arises of what volume is involved. A small container in the sun literally boils, and this happens quite quickly. However, it is much easier to cool the water in it. If we are talking about a capacity of many hundreds of liters, then such a colossus is more difficult to heat, but the reverse process will also be more difficult.
The temperature in large aquariums is much more stable. Here, its inhabitants have the opportunity to go into the bottom layers, which do not warm up so much, and wait out the intense heat. Therefore, if you do not have an air conditioner, then choose an aquarium with a volume of at least 300-500 liters.
Frequent water change
In the bathroom, the temperature is usually much lower than in all others. In the heat here you should have several buckets of water for standing up all the time. The rest of the principle is clear. We pour hot water from the aquarium and add fresh. However, a sharp change can harm your underwater inhabitants. Therefore, it is advisable to partially replace, at 10-15%. If possible, then such a procedure can be performed every hour.
Aeration of water as a way to reduce temperature
Why are so many experienced aquarists so worried about how to cool water quickly in an aquarium? First of all, because with an increase in water temperature, the amount of oxygen dissolved in it decreases sharply. That is, aeration on hot days is very necessary and important. You can use some tricks. For example, move the filter closer to the surface of the water so that it creates movement. If you have an external filter installed, install a flute that spills water above the surface of the water. With the lid open, this will enhance gas exchange and cool the water.
Technology on the verge of fiction
In fact, today there are already systems for monitoring the life support of the aquarium. They are engaged not only in heating water, controlling its hardness and softness, but can also cool if necessary. This happens with the help of special tanks that come in contact with copper tubes filled with freon. Water passing through them becomes cold. But such systems are too expensive to be popular.
Aquarists usually go out of their position much easier. They remove the lamps from the lid of the aquarium and install fans in their place. You can simply take a home fan and direct it to the surface of the water.
Ice cubes
How do we make cool tea in the summer? We throw ice at it and enjoy its taste. The same principle can be adopted if the question arose of how to cool the water in the aquarium yourself. If you have a small aquarium, then just freeze the cubes and throw them into the vessel. The temperature drops quickly enough, but you need to watch, because soon the water will heat up again.
If the aquarium is large, this method is not suitable. You will need a few kilograms of ice to normalize the temperature of the water. Why not? We take plastic bags or plastic bottles (2 liters), fill it with water and freeze. Now carefully place this vessel on the bottom of the aquarium and observe the temperature. Remember that a large volume of ice lowers the temperature very quickly and dramatically, so be prepared to stop the experiment. This is the most effective way. In addition, he can help out if you leave for a long time, and the street is very hot. Then throw an ice pack, close the curtains and go about your business.
We use a filter
If you have an internal filter installed, then it can become an assistant. Since it’s easiest to cool the water in the aquarium with your own hands using ice, you freeze the cubes in the freezer and then open your filter. From it you need to remove the washcloth and what it is attached to. Instead, ice is laid in the container. The water in this case cools very quickly, so it is important to monitor the temperature and turn off the filter as needed. Do not forget that beneficial bacteria live in the washcloth. It must be left to swim in the aquarium, otherwise you can dry it and they will die.
To summarize
As you can see, there are really many ways. You can choose one of them or use a whole range of measures. It depends primarily on how hot it is outside. If one day there was a heat and a breeze rose, then, most likely, none of the described will be useful to you. But if the heat is not the first week and the whole house is red-hot, like an oven, then you will have to show wonders of ingenuity, so that your fish can endure this summer normally.