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When you sweat and a breeze blows across your skin, it feels cool right? *goosebumps*
Well, the same applies to your fishtanks. If you place a fan to blow across the surface of your tank, you can actually reduce the temperature up to 7-10 degrees, given the right circumstances. This also helps increase aeration by causing a ripple and the fact that at lower temps, oxygen is more available.
The fans that work the best are the little clip on fans that ar made of mostly plastic. Make sure its VERY secure before you walk away. two on a 55 gallon tank would only pull 30 watts and should help reduce heat by at least 5 degrees F. You can use one for smaller tanks.
The way this works:
Tankwater is constantly trying to evaporate. If there is no wind to move evaporated water from near the surface, more water will not be able to evaporate. This is called stagnation. This stagnant, moist, airpocket actually acts like a greenhouse effect to trap in heat and can raise temps. If you set a fan to blow across the surface, the moist stagnant air near the surface is replaced with dryer air and allows for more, and constant, evaporation. As water is evaporating, the water left behind in the tank is left cooler. Just like when sweat evaporates from our skin...... ;)
Hope this helps someone this summer! :D
Paul
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