putting a tank outside....

cory dawg

cory dawg

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Mar 12, 2006
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I currently have a 20 gallon tank that has been running outside with some gravel and java moss. It has 2 filters running on it and an air wand. I live in New Jersey so the days are very warm right now but the evenings cool off to about 55 to 65 degrees. I have a heater in the tank as well. I know that the tank can't sit directly out in the sunlight because the water would come to a boil....I was just wondering if even when it's hot and humid during the day....95 degrees and above will the tank be ok even if it's place in the shade?
 
I agree. 95* will kill most fish. Even if you keep the tank in the shade, the water temperature will be equal to the outdoor ambient temperature, which like you said, can get really hot.
 
Wow... hmm I'm trying to absorb that, and all I'm getting so far is that my mom's bird bath and fountains, despite being only an inch deep... in near 100 degree temperatures plus outrageous humidity and full sun day in and day out... does not come to a BOIL. It evaporates yes, but boiling? Isn't boiling temps like 320 degrees?

My thoughts on this is that in the shade, with the lid off, and a fan blowing across the top might keep it in the 85-90s region. You'd have to try it of course. And topping off quite a bit, like I have to refill my mom's birdbath every other day.
 
cory dawg said:
I currently have a 20 gallon tank that has been running outside with some gravel and java moss. It has 2 filters running on it and an air wand. I live in New Jersey so the days are very warm right now but the evenings cool off to about 55 to 65 degrees. I have a heater in the tank as well. I know that the tank can't sit directly out in the sunlight because the water would come to a boil....I was just wondering if even when it's hot and humid during the day....95 degrees and above will the tank be ok even if it's place in the shade?
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If you have a well, you can try a continually water flow system for the outdoor tank. All you have to do is just let the well water flow bit by bit in the tank.
 
Boiling is 220 :)
I have a 55g outdoors in a covered patio area with 2 sarasa goldfish. Highest water temps have been 95. Lowest temps have been 35. They are fine and happy.
Now people will come back and say they are 'stressed' which I disagree with.
I have kept parakeets that I have been told have a lifespan of 8 years, outdoors in 25 degrees, snow on the ground, and highs of 100 degrees for OVER 16 YEARS. :)
 
I think that a 20 gallon is just too small. A bigger tank might help slow the temp swings enough for some of the tougher smaller fish. Of course you might consider a terrarium/palludarium setup with land and water and then some newts or frogs or salamanders. That might be a good idea.
 
We had a really hot spell last summer and I put ice cubes in ziplocks and floated them in the tank to keep the temps down. Had to replace them frequently but it worked.
I conditioned the water before I froze it in case of leaks.
 
when I said my tank "com,es to a boil" I hope people knew that was an exageration. It does get warm though. I only have some plants in it and no fish. I would like to find a nice shaded spot outside to put the tank...I know a 20 gallon may be to small. It might have to be a larger tank so the temp. of the water is easier to regulate.
 
cory dawg said:
when I said my tank "com,es to a boil" I hope people knew that was an exageration. It does get warm though. I only have some plants in it and no fish. I would like to find a nice shaded spot outside to put the tank...I know a 20 gallon may be to small. It might have to be a larger tank so the temp. of the water is easier to regulate.
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I'm more worried about the fact that two people here don't know the boiling temperature of water, and one is correcting the other with erroneous information. :eek3: The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_point#Intermolecular_interactions
 
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