Axie tank set up. London UK: Room temp 22° Tank 24.3° ??

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rvm987

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Hi,

I'm in the process of setting up my tank to get my Axolotl next week. The weather isn't particulary warm(ish); however, both my new (cheapo - £2 amazon ) digital thermometer and my glass with the mercury grains at the base thermometer are showing the temperature between 23.5 to 24.5°, the room thermostat says 22°.

Have I got two dodgy thermometers or does this seem right? I thought the temperature should be 2° less than room temperature?

Its a 125litre Fluval tank with a U4 filter, caribsea black sand, one cave hideaway, and a few plants at the moment.

Can anyone offer any advice please? Recommend another thermometer? Whether I should get an air pump/stone? (but axies hate water flow?)
It seems rather strange- I anticipated using ice bottles and the 4 fan unit I'm awaiting delivery of when its a hot day, but this is cardi weather?!

If I cant get it down to 18° (max) then I won't be able to get my axie :-(
 
It could be all about placement.

Do you have the tank near a window where its getting sunlight? Is it backed up against an appliance that generates heat? Is it near a heater vent?
 
Hi Crystal,

Thanks for replying!

Yep, the tank is next to a window, but the curtains are kept half drawn plus the window is north facing and half facing the side of the house- I don't think it would make a difference if I moved it, but I'm not sure? I'm on the 2nd floor of a house too and of course, heat rises.

It's 25 degrees room temperature at the moment [2 in the morning] and the tank is showing as 25.2 degrees. I placed the [not so] silent air pump in it today hoping that would reduce the temperature, but it hasn't made any difference.

Have you seen the youtube video where someone is using one of those silver heat reflective car screen shields around his tank? I haven't heard of anyone else doing that though, but I thought it's worth a try maybe?

I was looking at chillers again- but the cost, the noise, and the drilling a hole in the tank really doesn't appeal!!

Hopefully, my fan unit will arrive tomorrow so I can see how much reduction that gives me.
 
It's possible that residual heat is coming through the glass of the window, I know it's been a warm summer most places, but not sure about UK.

One of those car reflectors could help deflect heat away if you put it between the tank and the window itself I bet. I know I keep my tank on an inside wall, even over a air condition vent and it keeps about 68 degrees F.
 
You can also try putting a fan so it's blowing across the water. I've got 3 on my tank for the summer and when the humidity reaches 40 outside, his tank still hits 19.
 
What about your aquarium light? Most of them gave out lots of heat even the LED still give out quite a lot. During summer time I shut all of them off completely , 4 fan unit I assume that those are the aquarium fan yes?
 
I have the same problem with heat and my tanks. I have 3.. I live on a third floor apartment. One is in the bedroom two are in the living room. It could literally be the placement in the room and the room itself. My bedroom one even on a hot day will get no hotter than 19 degrees (has one clip on desk fan over the surface of the water) and that has my fish in (typical).
My two in my lounge (150L and a 100L) are my axolotl tanks and I've had serious heat issues. Fluxes between 18-27 degrees!!!! I literally dread every summer now (moved out in winter so didn't know I'd have this problem), I have bought loads of desk fans off amazon (£5 each!!! Bargain) and I clip them everywhere I can on the tanks. They usually have two each one each end and it only makes a two degree or so difference.. You can use ice bottles as well but they again make a temporary degree difference.
I've lost two axolotls due to the heat. It's devastating. So for now the rest of this hot weather, they each have a big tub (like 50L tub) and they each have a fan pointing on them (with some strategic placing and clipping skills ahha!) and then we water change 100% of the water every 2/3 days. We have no other option. It's unsightly but they're cooler so that's all that matters.
My LED lights don't give out any heat, but you shouldn't really have lights on an axolotl tank for long periods of time anyway. We only used to turn ours on to observe the lotls!


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Thanks everyone for your replies.

A week on - I've moved the tank away from the window but no difference.
Not using lights on the tank either.
Tried a 4 unit Boyo cooling fan - no difference.
It's now cold [ish] in London, but my tank is still 20.5 - 21 degrees!!!!

Sooooo..... I'm now deliberating whether to get a water chiller - a Hailea 150a seems the cheapest one [well, not that cheap at £270!!] but it looks like its either that or no axies for me.

Has anyone any advice on the Hailea 150a please? Apparently the noise is no worse than a standard fridge - but on watching a You Tube video that doesn't seem to be the case.
I've been to three big aquarium shops nearby and not one of them sells any kind of chiller - "Our axolotls are at 25 degrees- They are fine" [??!!] - Even Pets at Home that like to sell you anything at an expensive price don't sell them!

So it looks like its going to be an internet purchase, which I hate doing when I've no idea what I'm getting!

So yes, if anyone knows anything about them - please can you advise?
 
I don't know about the chillers.. but if you don't wanna fork out a fortune then honestly? Just putting your axolotls on the floor in a big tub each and doing every other day water changes works. That's what we are doing until summer is over here in the UK. Had to recycle their tank, starting from today so 6 weeks time and they can go back in and hopefully it'll be cooler by then!


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I know! I've been thinking I must be mad even considering it. I did try the box thing though-just a 24litre one- on the floor and it still was 24 degrees!! I swear there is freakish temperature in this building! ;-) Mind you I think that was after 3days and before was about 22 degrees, so yep, change the water daily. I'll try again with a 45L box I have plus try it with the central heating on and see what I can get. Do you keep yours in boxes only in Summer?
 
When I had my axolotl 4 years ago, it was on the end of the worktop where the kitchen went into the dining room. I made a cooler that took it down to 18 - 19 deg C from in the 20's. I used two computer fans in the hood. The tank was a 2.5ft . I had to cut two circles in the hood and fit the fans so one was blowing in and one blowing out. These were at either end of the tank. I used a mobile phone power supply to wire the fans up. The fans were positioned on the flat part of the hood so they were parallel to the water. It worked very well, but did not look nice.
 
Thanks, Ian. I've looked through your posts and saw your set up. Looks good! I'm going to give it a go. The Boyu cooling fan I used made no difference at all, but if I use the pc fans. that will presumably have a bit more whack to them, and incorporate them into the hood like yours, that will also prevent evaporation too.
AND, conveniently enough, I have a Fluval tank with a Roma lid thats split into three sections- so I can just remove the the back section and do a test try in a sheet of plastic before I attack the hood with a drill! :)
Can I ask what fans you used please?
 
Hi, I used computer case fans. The ones fitted to the back of the tower case to extract heat. I wired them up to a power supply. I usually wire them to either a 12v supply or an old mobile phone charger. I cant remember which I used. I think it was a 12v as they were quite fast.

I found the link today to my old post. I cant remember what happened to the tank but the lid was thrown away. I gave the axie to a lovely axie owner on here, but cant remember who. I delivered it to Birmingham, or somewhere around there, I think.
The link for others interested in doing the self cooler.
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...general-discussion/85854-tank-lower-temp.html
 
rvm987 said:
I know! I've been thinking I must be mad even considering it. I did try the box thing though-just a 24litre one- on the floor and it still was 24 degrees!! I swear there is freakish temperature in this building! ;-) Mind you I think that was after 3days and before was about 22 degrees, so yep, change the water daily. I'll try again with a 45L box I have plus try it with the central heating on and see what I can get. Do you keep yours in boxes only in Summer?
Click to expand...



Yeah, or when we are expecting a hot week or whatever.
I put the tubs somewhere I can attach clip on fans near by (where there's a ridge on something).
The clip on fans I use are just clip on desk fans they're £5 on Amazon!!! I have 5 lol. They're great really works in keeping the tubs chilled. I know it's unsightly but hey! Gotta do what you gotta do ?


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