CavySanctuary

FishMaster · Mon Feb 06, 2006 2:06 am Cool your tank in hot weather

I had a problem this past summer. My tank temperatures hit the mid eighties. My fish are sub-tropical for the most part and prefer temperatures around 72 degrees. I tried freezing water bottles and putting them in the tank to cool it down. It didnt't work. Then I came up with this idea.

Items you'll need:

2--> 4 inch cooling fans for a computer
2--> portable air conditioner window mounts
Black tape
Wire
Battery charger for a r/c car

I wired the fans in series as well. I had to cut down the fan housings. Squares don't fit in round holes. This setup cooled the tank 5 degrees in one hour. The temperature levelled off around 74 degrees. I ran the fans all day and shut them off in the evening.

HHfrog · Tue Feb 07, 2006 1:51 pm

Awesome idea.

If anyone is going to try this though, make sure that the fans you use can accomodate the voltage and amperage of the battery you are using. A rechargeable R/C car battery is not the only kind you can use, you can also use regular alkaline batteries. To keep safe and keep your nifty system working, make sure it all runs smooth.

FishMaster · Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:49 am

I didn't use the batteries. I used the actual charger itself. The 9.6 volt charger provided less voltage and current than what the fans were capable of. Less current, less voltage no problem.