How to Lower the Temperature of my Aquarium: Best Options

When summer approaches or there are large fluctuations in the ambient temperature of the place where we live or maintain our aquarium, a serious problem can appear in the correct maintenance of an aquarium caused by not knowing/being able to control the temperature of the water in our aquarium.

For this reason and to help you solve this big problem, in this post we share the most effective solutions and the reasons why you should have a stable temperature in your aquarium.

How can I get the temperature of my aquarium to lower?

The temperature of the aquarium is one of the most important factors to take into account since the different species that we keep must be in their optimal range of degrees, which is defined by the water temperature existing in their natural habitat.

Regardless of whether it is a freshwater aquarium or a marine aquarium, we must be able to maintain temperature control and prevent the increase in heat outside our aquariums from influencing the day-to-day life of our habitat and development. of the species we keep.

As you can see, summer not only brings good things like being able to enjoy nature outdoors or take a dip in the beach or pool.

For us, as aquarists, it brings a big problem under our arms that, if not remedied, can lead to serious consequences like the ones we present below. But don’t worry, everything has a solution and after the storm, calm comes, so let’s solve the problem you may be having right now.

Before delving into the article, we leave you here a series of highly recommended products in case what you are looking for is an effective and quick solution and you do not have much time to inform yourself. Of course, we recommend that you read this entire post for better knowledge.

Problems that arise from not controlling the temperature of an aquarium

The uncontrolled variation of temperature in an aquarium is not an aspect that we should overlook. As you will see below, it gives rise to serious problems that can negatively influence the correct development and evolution of our freshwater or marine aquarium.

• Changes in the metabolism of species

The increase in temperatures produces an acceleration of metabolism in most species of fish, so in those that already have a short life expectancy, this life expectancy may be even more reduced.

• Oxygen deficiency in aquarium water

The higher the temperature, the less oxygen in the aquarium, so either you take measures to control the degrees in your aquarium or… put in an aerator or oxygenator as soon as you can!

• Greater propensity for the appearance of unwanted diseases

Fluctuations in temperature give rise to the appearance of different diseases in aquariums. The best known is the ICH or white point which, although as a general rule, is caused by a very sudden fluctuation in the degrees of your aquariums, mainly due to water changes carried out in a hurry or incorrectly.

• Difficulty feeding our fish and invertebrates correctly

If the temperature rises excessively, certain species may appear more overwhelmed and tired so they will hardly be active. If we also take into account that oxygen levels decrease, one of the most important points for the correct maintenance of our pets, feeding, will be greatly hindered.

What you should never do to lower the temperature of an aquarium!

We will be brief and concise so that it is very clear:

1. Pour colder water
2. Add ice to the aquarium

These are the most common mistakes that we have seen in our time maintaining aquariums and the consequence is the death of the fish in most cases.

Ways to lower the aquarium temperature

And now, below, we present the main ways to correctly combat the rise in temperature in our aquariums.

1. Modify filtration

This is of great importance since with the increase in temperature in our aquarium, there is a notable decrease in oxygen levels. Therefore, a quick solution within everyone’s reach is to raise the flute of the aquarium filter or make small modifications so that there is a greater impact of the water outlet on the surface.

Many filters do not have these water outlets, so if you want to adapt yours, we share one that is great for the price and that suited us very well in its day. Make sure it is compatible with your filter!

2. Remove the aquarium cover

Air condensation and lack of ventilation is closely related to the problem mentioned in the previous point, and that is that if the air is concentrated between the lid of the aquarium and the surface and there is no proper ventilation, the temperature will still tend to rise further. temperature and, in addition, we will also suffer from greater evaporation.

Therefore, removing the lid of the aquarium or lifting it in some way so that there is greater ventilation is another remedy that can help us control the temperature.

The two previous methods are quick solutions that will help us, perhaps, to reduce a few degrees of temperature but they will not give us the necessary peace of mind to stop dealing with or worrying about the big problem that an uncontrolled rise unrelated to the operation of the aquarium represents.

Therefore, in the following points we present two products that will allow you to leave behind all the headaches that rising temperatures cause us aquarists.

3. Aquarium fans

Thanks to these efficient products, we can achieve a decrease in the temperature of our aquarium of about 2-4 ºC. Its operation is very simple and has great benefits if we automate it and configure it according to the needs of our aquarium.

The aquarium fans preferred by aquarists. Top sales

Without a doubt, it is one of the best options available on the market and, furthermore, it does not entail a large financial outlay since there are different options and at more than affordable prices.

You should know that the possibility of connecting aquarium fans to a temperature control system exists and is highly recommended , thus forgetting about having to activate it manually and, failing that, automating the activation of the fan when an increase occurs. of the temperature.

As we say, the ideal is to use a programmer that turns on the fans when the aquarium water reaches X ºC and turns them off when the temperature has decreased to the desired degrees. This way you ensure that your aquarium will always remain in the exact range required by the fish, corals, plants or invertebrates you keep.

4. Aquarium coolers

Finally, there is also the possibility of using an aquarium refrigerator. It is one of the most used methods for temperature control in aquariums that require a large investment, such as marine or reef aquariums in which significant expenditure has been made on corals, species and equipment.

An investment, an expense, money, pets, that can be lost overnight due to the inability to correctly control the temperature of your aquarium.

Read Also: How to Increase Plant Growth in Planted Tanks

Although at first glance the price of an aquarium cooler may seem very high, as we say, it is the safest way to guarantee that a large investment aquarium does not go to waste during the hottest times of the year.