I wonder if anyone here has come across this phenomenon.
I have noticed that the power head in my zebra tank, which is set to the venturi mode causes the temperature in the tank to fluctuate. The temperature is constantly going up and down, as much as 1 degree centigrade sometimes. When the power head is switched off the tank's temperature stabilises at 29 degrees centigrade. Would the solution be to add an additional heater to the tank? Heating is currently being provided by an Eheim thermo filter.
Chill Factor
Hi Rob,
By breather do you mean Trickle filter. I have one of those lying around that I've yet to use. I may put it on the new tank that's in the pipeline. The eheim thermo filter currently on the zebra tank is just the regular one that has the heating element in the bottom of the canister.
I have the exact same model running on the community tank and the temp is static on that tank, mind you I haven't got a power head in there.
I've tried swapping out the thermo control unit and temp probe with the other filter as they are identical. It still happens so I guess that I've eliminated faulty equipment.
I suspect that the eheim just can't cope with the cooling effect of the power head. I think I may have to put a heater in the tank, much as I don't want to do this. Any ideas anyone?
By breather do you mean Trickle filter. I have one of those lying around that I've yet to use. I may put it on the new tank that's in the pipeline. The eheim thermo filter currently on the zebra tank is just the regular one that has the heating element in the bottom of the canister.
I have the exact same model running on the community tank and the temp is static on that tank, mind you I haven't got a power head in there.
I've tried swapping out the thermo control unit and temp probe with the other filter as they are identical. It still happens so I guess that I've eliminated faulty equipment.
I suspect that the eheim just can't cope with the cooling effect of the power head. I think I may have to put a heater in the tank, much as I don't want to do this. Any ideas anyone?
Adam you might try putting a valve on the airline for the powerhead venturi to keep it from getting maximum air flow. That will slow down the cooling, but still allow good aeration. The temperature fluctuation isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean it's working your heater too hard and it can't keep up. I assume your house temperature fluctuates from day to night? Otherwise I guess I'm missing the point of why it fluctuates.
Barbie
Barbie
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Is the temp probe for the filter near the power head? If it is it may be getting confussing signals for the temp. I have a 2128 and the temp never drops or rises by more than 0.1 degree. Have you just started to notice this lately btw? Its possable that its just due to us having to use our heating again and that the temp in the house is now fluctuating by a bigger ammount.
The tank is about 6ft from a radiator which I suspected as the culprit early on so it was switched off. The temperature probe is not near the power head it's directly above the filter intake, could this be the problem?
I think it's been fluctuating since I set the tank up, I didn't pay too much attention to it until I put some fish in. I think that the central heating may also be a contributing factor.
I think you might have something there Ewee, because the temperature fluctuates too quickly. Surely water is not capable of losing heat that quickly. I'll reposition the temperature probe tonight to see if it helps.
I think it's been fluctuating since I set the tank up, I didn't pay too much attention to it until I put some fish in. I think that the central heating may also be a contributing factor.
I think you might have something there Ewee, because the temperature fluctuates too quickly. Surely water is not capable of losing heat that quickly. I'll reposition the temperature probe tonight to see if it helps.
Hi Barbie,Barbie wrote:Adam you might try putting a valve on the airline for the powerhead venturi to keep it from getting maximum air flow.
The power head I've got in the tank has a control valve on it which is only turned up half way. I don't really want to turn it down any more if I can help it, I'm worried about reducing the dissolved O2 levels too much. I have noticed that by turning it down the zebras will begin to breathe more rapidly after a while. I suspect that you are right in saying that my heater is finding it difficult to keep up with the cooling effect that the power head is creating. The house temperature does fluctuate quite a bit, this of course is not helping the situation. I think I'll have to get a second heater in order to stabilise the tank's temperature.
