Need some reassurance please!

C

Critter Mom

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I need a tank fan to cool the temperature of my Cynops Orientalis tank down. (At least I think so...) :confused: I don't want them to get blown away or blow my plants around, but I need something for my planted 10 gallon tank. I have the water filled about halfway because I have the river rocks and aquarium gravel sloped up on one side to the top of the water level so they have shallow pools with some rocks above water level. Only a little is actually above the water. Then there is an upside down pot with a sculpted feature made to look like a natural wood formation on top with a tunnel underneath. I have mondo grass, kyoto grass, yellow ribbon plants, and peacock fern in the shallow end that are doing quite well, as long as they are not submerged. In the deeper end I have anubias nana blooming, and Amazon swords which have daughter plants that are trying to plant their roots.

The newts seem healthy and have been for months. I just don't see them in the water much but soaking in the shallows. I try putting them in the deeper end and they struggle like they are drowning and get to something to cling to quickly. I have the two little ones that will take turns now when I do that exploring but the big one is NOT interested at all and would prefer to be held, so I return her to the rocks sometimes because she looks pitiful clinging to the side of the tank. The tank has a Tetra Whisper in-tank Filter 3i made for a 3-5 gallon tank. It is like a gentle waterfall. I like it because it keeps the water crystal clear and the filter is disposable. I have had a little problem with brown algae but I wipe it off frequently. I removed plant leaves that had the beginnings of the red algae that look black and is hard to remove. So far that has not come back. I believe I have been cycling the tank for about 2 months now. I am going to buy a thorough water test kit to make sure I have done it correctly. I use dechlorinated water for all changes.

I use a screen top with a basking type lamp about 6 inches or so above the tank over the deep back corner (directly above the ambient air thermometer). The light bulb is a 13W Repti Glo 2.0 Compact. It is marketed on the package front as a UVB, but on the side it says "full spectrum terrarium lamp" and mentions having UVA as well. High Colour Rendering Index of 98 (CRI) -6700K

I have a 50W Daylight Spot I could use that is just UVA, but one of the things it boasts is that it increases ambient air temperature. I thought that would not be the one to use right now! Plus, I thought the other bulb was helping with the plant growth somehow.

The ambient air temperature has been hovering between 76-80 degrees F, but that is right below the lamp. The water temperature is between 68-74 degrees F. I know this is too warm that is why I need the fan! (Or, do I need to invest in a "chiller"?) I have been running the air conditioner constantly, even on 60 degree F days. I don't know what else to do! Am I doing everything correctly? Any suggestions? Sorry it's lengthy, but I new I had to get everything out there to know if I am doing this right.:eek:

Thank you,
Critter Mom
 
It sounds like your doing a great job. Here are some suggestions. The light you have seems to produce heat, even 6" away to pushing heat toward your tank. I say if it isn't a Fluorescent light, ditch the light all together until the temps drop. I think it is still undetermined that UVB is hurtful to newts/salamanders but I wouldn’t risk it. The light is mainly for you and your plants, the newts could care less. Indirect light will do just fine. I think that is the biggest problem.

The second thing I would do is consider ditching the filter, even a small internal can increase temp a couple of degree in the tank. Your little newts won’t produce enough waste to harm your water quality in a short amount of time. If the tank is planted that will filter the tank naturally. Using a air pump will circulate the water, increase evaporation and drop the temp if you want alittle move movement.

As far as the fan goes, you can put it pointing at the tank, so the breeze goes over the top of the tank which pull heat away. You don't want the fan blowing directly into the tank if you little buddies that are out of the water alot. Maybe consider increasing the water level, the less amount of water the more it will fluctuate. Personally I saw this temps and did not have a problem, I think you are right to be caution and be changing things to get the temps cooler but I don't think you need to worry that much or go extreme.

I hope this helps!

Mitch
 
If your newts are staying terrestrial, you really don't want to use a fan. It is likely to suck too much moisture out of the newts' skin. I would recommend moving the lamp higher up away from the lid, or just stop using it entirely. If the water temp is only reaching a max of 74F, I think that's just fine.
 
Half a ten gallon is too little water volume for your newts, specially considering that the gravel slope is taking a large volume of water. Your newts spending all the time in the shallows might be caused by a problem with water quality, which is directly in relation to the water volume.

I trully recomend increasing the water volume. Get rid of the slope, get rid of the gravel. Just leave a thin layer of substrate and fill the tank with water. Your newts will most definitely apreciate it.
It will also help with the temperature issues, as the greater the volume of water, the better it retains it´s temperature. It will also alow you to use a fan safely inc ase you still need it.
 
Thanks everyone. I have a filter which is a bubble type filter. The motor is up and away from the tank, so I would prefer to keep it in there. The plants shed some debris and I have had the throw away filter clog with split pea soup looking stuff... olive green and slimy. I am trying to keep up with the brown algae (diatoms?) too, which may actually be on the filter too.

For the lighting, I may switch out the tank top with the crabarium top and see if it works out better. The crab's fluorescent light is built into the hood type top that I would be putting on the newt tank. I would have to cut a hole in the back of the crab tank topper for the filter's bubble cord, but that is no big deal. I would also have to keep the trap door taped shut when not in use, but I was having to do that with the hermit crabs, since I have a dare devil that likes to get on the underside of the tank hood every now and then!:lol:

Do you think that an aquarium hood with fluorescent light would give enough air circulation to the newt tank? Without adding more water, the humidity level in the air is already 62% with the screen top on. If I add more water, I will have to add more rocks for the 'shallow end' plants. I hope the tank can support all that weight on one end!

The other concern is if the crabs will be ok, but they seem to be on the humid side and have been using a heater, so maybe they will prefer the switch? Then I could probably give the heater a rest. They are mostly nocturnal too. I guess there is one way to find out if the switch in tops and lighting works, and if they are not humid enough, I can use the Saran Wrap trick I guess over the crabs' new screen.:happy:

Thank you so much for reading this and taking the time out to reply,
Critter Mom
 
azhael said:
Half a ten gallon is too little water volume for your newts, specially considering that the gravel slope is taking a large volume of water. Your newts spending all the time in the shallows might be caused by a problem with water quality, which is directly in relation to the water volume.

I trully recomend increasing the water volume. Get rid of the slope, get rid of the gravel. Just leave a thin layer of substrate and fill the tank with water. Your newts will most definitely apreciate it.
It will also help with the temperature issues, as the greater the volume of water, the better it retains it´s temperature. It will also alow you to use a fan safely inc ase you still need it.
Click to expand...

I believe I was still typing my lengthy response and talking to my husband on the phone when you responded.:eek: Thank you! I guess I will have to find a better use for my shallow water plants then. I thought it might come to this. They should be suited well for pots if I water them well.

Should I take out their upside down pot and the island on it? It only takes up maybe one quarter of the surface area of the water. When I had it there before, they clung to it like they were stranded from a shipwreck.:pirate: If I add water though... I may end up covering it almost completely! Don't they need something to rest on? How do I feed them crickets now if the crickets are going to drown?

Boy, I wish someone was still selling java moss and java fern. The underwater plants they sell here look all fish eaten, covered with snails, and sad (unless I want to keep going with the two kinds I already have).
 
I don't think that a hood-type lid with a built-in fluorescent would improve things much. The ReptiGlo light is a compact fluorescent, right? So the fluorescent tube on the hood will produce a similar amount of heat. And the solid lid will raise the temp a couple of degrees due to less evaporation. I still think your best bet it just to stop using the light and stick with the screen lid.

I think Azhael is assuming that your island is made with a gravel slope. If it is made with rocks on top of a pot, yes, you do need to keep that.
 
Jennewt said:
I don't think that a hood-type lid with a built-in fluorescent would improve things much. The ReptiGlo light is a compact fluorescent, right? So the fluorescent tube on the hood will produce a similar amount of heat. And the solid lid will raise the temp a couple of degrees due to less evaporation. I still think your best bet it just to stop using the light and stick with the screen lid.

I think Azhael is assuming that your island is made with a gravel slope. If it is made with rocks on top of a pot, yes, you do need to keep that.
Click to expand...

I wonder if the plants are going to die without any light though? I would hate to invest in the plants to have them die?

I do have the pot with the statuary on it made for fish tanks that looks like wood and rocks with painted on moss with a tunnel, on top of the pot. (It looks pretty realistic and I have had it for over a year.) I have a ton of rocks piled up around it for a slope for the puddles the newts sit in and the bog plants to have a place to rest in.
 
I would ditch the light since in my opinion it is offering nothing except heat and light for you to view the tank. 13 watts on a 10 gallon is certainly extremely low light. And to be honest I am not sure about that bulb. That may be fine on a amphib or reptile tank but not really for a planted tank. Low light is in the 1.5 watt per gallon typically. But on small tanks that doesn't necessarily translate either. There is a whole discussion to be had on this topic for another time. But anyways I would turn the light off and then think about a replacement down the road.

I am confused about the statement of shallow water plants??? Anubias nana, and Amazon swords are aquatic plants. The anubias for sure is an aquatic plant. Sure it can be grown terrestrially, but it also has a completely emersed form as well. When you take it fully aquatic it may die back and look like its checking out...but just be patient it is just adapting to being emersed. Do you have the scientific name for the Amazon sword? If your sword is Echinodorus amazonicus, then it is a true aquatic plant.

Best way to beat the algae problem is to work it in combination with reducing excess feedings/waste, water changes, and plant more plants. You need to put the plants in a position to outcompete the algae for the nutrients.

Anyways good luck!
 
merk199 said:
I would ditch the light since in my opinion it is offering nothing except heat and light for you to view the tank. 13 watts on a 10 gallon is certainly extremely low light. And to be honest I am not sure about that bulb. That may be fine on a amphib or reptile tank but not really for a planted tank. Low light is in the 1.5 watt per gallon typically. But on small tanks that doesn't necessarily translate either. There is a whole discussion to be had on this topic for another time. But anyways I would turn the light off and then think about a replacement down the road.

I am confused about the statement of shallow water plants??? Anubias nana, and Amazon swords are aquatic plants. The anubias for sure is an aquatic plant. Sure it can be grown terrestrially, but it also has a completely emersed form as well. When you take it fully aquatic it may die back and look like its checking out...but just be patient it is just adapting to being emersed. Do you have the scientific name for the Amazon sword? If your sword is Echinodorus amazonicus, then it is a true aquatic plant.

Best way to beat the algae problem is to work it in combination with reducing excess feedings/waste, water changes, and plant more plants. You need to put the plants in a position to outcompete the algae for the nutrients.

Anyways good luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much!

What I call "shallow water plants" are really bog plants.

They are: kyoto grass, mondo grass, also called fountain plant Ophiopogon japonica (just about the same thing as kyoto grass which I also have, but bigger), peacock fern selaginella wildenowii, and yellow stripe plant dracaena sanderiana which is similar to 'lucky bamboo'.

The ones I have in the deeper water that I intend to keep in the tank once I take the gravel mostly out are:

Amazon sword ecinodorus brevipedicellatus
Anubias nana

and if I can get other true aquatic plants that are not snail infested, overtaken with algae, or half-eaten by fish or snails, I would like to add those too. The selection I have to choose from in my area is really poor. I can get the above two, but I don't want redundancy in my tank. That is why I placed an ad here for java fern, java moss, or elodea or any others that members can help me with.

Thanks, :happy:
Critter Mom
 
I have had the light off on the newt tank for about 9 hours or so. The tank next to it has had the light off for about 7 hours. That one is the crabarium.

I have noticed that the newt tank has had no significant drop in temperature and the room temperature is the same (76 degrees F). The newt tank ambient air temp is 78 F, and the water temp is 74 F. It must be that the light does not put out that much heat to make much of a difference? I do notice that it feels slightly warm just underneath it but beyond that, not really. Maybe I should go ahead and leave it on.

I am definitely going to have to increase the water volume in the tank and take most of the gravel and river rocks out to help keep the temperature low and help with the water quality. Maybe I will float a small cork log in there. I REALLY need more aquatic plants to keep the water quality nice and give them cover! I hope someone can help me out in the "wanted" section as the plants here are not acceptable for the most part.

Thank you,
Critter Mom
 
I did take for granted there was a slope, sorry. Still i assure you ,you won´t regret getting rid of the gravel/stones and increasing the water volume. You should fill the tank up to 3-4cm from the rim....the more water, the better. A piece of floating cork bark should be more than enough for them to rest on if they choose to. Make sure you have a 100% scape proof lid though hehe.

With the increase of water, and using good ventilation, temps should be more stable. Also if you manage to cool it down by say, using frozen bottles, it will retain the cold a lot longer.
 
Critter Mom said:
I REALLY appreciate the link! Do you happen to know which size I might need? I don't care about a few dollars' difference. I just don't need to be creating waves, but I need it to be effective too.



Thank you so much,
Critter Mom
Click to expand...
I think the smallest one they have will be best so it doesn't make waves. I've never used them I just move my caudates to my basement.
 
I have had their light off for 24 hours now and I have noticed no difference in the temperature. Can plants grow in the dark?

I will be taking the excess gravel out and filling the tank almost up to the rim with water. I have to keep about 3 or 4 inches from the top for the filter. It is a bubble type with the motor on a shelf above and next to the tank. I hope to find more plants soon or it will look rather bare!

They seem to like the setup and it is really thriving, so it is a shame I have to dismantle it. The other bog plants I planted in dirt before, and they have died already.:( The temp is 78 F ambient air, and 64 F water temp, whether or not the light is on (it stays pretty much the same). The air in my apartment fluctuates between 74-77 F. The other day I did have a couple newts venture into the deeper area and explore. I had to put them there first though while I was cleaning. The bigger newt panicked and came back ashore. She practically ran on water!:wacko:

(This would be so much easier if I lived where I had a basement. You would think it would be cooler where I live, being on the bottom floor apartment!:rolleyes:)
 
I have finally done it! I set up the tank properly by taking most of the gravel and river rocks out, adding back in their decoration, adding another Anubias nana, and a rather large Hornwort and a small one, and by filling the tank most of the way to the top with dechlorinated water, and the newts are all huddled on the cork like a shipwreck. Before I put the cork in, they went exploring a little bit, but mostly huddled up between the filter and the wall. Sometimes they floated on the Hornwort but did not seem to like it when it moved or went under the water. I thought they would act more like...NEWTS.:rolleyes: Oh well. Maybe the small snails will be snacks..or will act like actual snails!
 
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