here's a twist: keeping temp down in FRESHwater tank

[salt creepette]

I am having a problem keeping the temp in my 29g community tank down during the day. it has two maxijet 400's for water movement and a NO 18watt light, and the heater is turned all the way down. I cant figure it out! daytime temps get to eighty and I know my two dojo loaches are mad at me cuz they just sit real still in the front of the tank and glare at me as they fan themselves with ltheir ittle pectoral fins. please help.

(the house temp. is by no means freezing...or hot...but Im nice and comfortable.)

[salt creepette]

oh by the way in the morning right before lights on, temp's at 75. can a NO light be creating that much heat? it didnt used to do this..........


......BEFORE I changed the bulb! ah HAH! so do I need to get a chiller, or what?!

[Deborah]

Did you put a different kind of bulb in the light? If so I'd just get the kind of bulb you had before when the temperature was ok.

[salt creepette]

I got a bulb that is for use with plants. it doesnt have any more wattage and its got a much less yellow cast to it. any suggestions for a good brand of bulb to use? my current one is the 20watt 18K aquaglo by hagen.

[Deborah]

I'm stumped. I'd think that all 18 watt bulbs would give off about the same heat. And I didn't know you had plants so you'd want to keep the plant light, of course.

Have you tested the daytime temp with the light left off? Maybe something else is contributing to the heat rise.

[salt creepette]

well, i have one plant; its those cheap bulbs you get in a package at wal mart. nothing i am terribly attatched to. and its not like 18 watts of NO light is going to do them a world of good

but I havent tested leaving the light off, i guess I could try that. weird, huh?!