Question: Axolotl temperature concern

[Painisme]

Hello!

I am obsessed with Axolotls. It's a true story. I have read researched and stared at photos of them all over the net, However I live in Florida and although I have air conditioning I am concerned about the health risks of high temperatures.The people at my aquarium store have informed me they will order me an axoltl but that i will most likely need a chiller which is not a feasible option considering the cost.My house is normally 75-sometimes 77-78 in the really hot months but my aquarium tank has never spiked higher that 74, my question is with water bottle cooling and putting the tank under a fan or air vent do you think it is possible to take care of axolotls?

thankyou very much.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

I really don't think a chiller is needed. With help from some of the methods in this article you should be just fine, heck if all else fails just put them in the fridge until the heat comes down.

 

[kinkyoto]

Try the mini fans. They can be pretty efficient.

 

[coichards]

The air tempreture is usally a little higher than the tank water temp.

I think you should be okay without a chiller but use some methods in the link...

 

[Painisme]

thanks I feel better .

 

[Darkmaverick]

When using fans, it is more effective in a warm but dry type environment. In very humid regions, fans will not be able to help much in evaporative cooling.

 

[Niitro iLLusioN]

My tank stays at around 22 degrees Celsius and I have had absolutely no problems with my axolotl, I simply use a usb fan and it is fine.

 

[KCKme]

Live in SE Texas - have the same issues. For a smaller tank, fans do pretty well, though you will need to have one on at all times. The aquarium fans I've looked at and have all have to be off for some period of time. The answer is a timer, just hook up the fans to timer(s). The ideas in the links are very good, I've used a combination of suggestions and got the temps down to about 65F-66F steady. Also for smaller tanks (up to 30/40 gallons) you could use a thermoelectric chiller, they are more cost friendly than the bigger chillers and used in conjuction with fans can get the temps down to 62F-64F. With these you will want a temperature controller, be sure to get the one that is rated for 45F-65F degrees (amazon only carries the 65F-85F degree unit).

 

[Cacique]

I just wanted to point out the whole "water in a fish tank stays cooler than the room thing" is just a myth, it's not true. I live in FL but these past days have been a bit weird, changing 10 degrees at a time back and forth. When it gets warm all of a sudden, sure the tank is cooler than the rest of the house. If the temperature has been stable and it's cold enough to have the heat/space heaters on, then it all depends. The water in the tank will hold heat more, so it can easily be warmer than the room in a situation like this. Just get a thermometer and check the temperature occasionally rather than relying on the room temperature.

 

[LSuzuki]

Florida is a special case, being so humid. "Cooler than room temperature" applies when evaporative cooling can overcome other heat sources (from filters, lights, etc.) If it is very humid, not much evaporation will occur.

So, I wouldn't call it a myth, since it is based on a well-understood phenomena, but it isn't true for everyone in every situation. Having a thermometer is a good idea regardless.

Bottom line, if you have your tank in a warm humid place, evaporative cooling will not lower temperature much, and your tank could run higher than room temperature if there are other heat sources affecting the tank.