concern - living in very cold cottage

[kaz]

The heating in my cottage has not been working over this very cold period (last night it was -15 degrees).

I am beginning to get concerned that my tanks are getting to too low temperatures. I have left the lights on for 24hrs and have turned up the heaters, but am worried it is still not enough.

Unfortuantely I am snowed in and cannot buy more heaters etc. I have been able to direct my own halogen heaters towards the tanks (from a safe distance)

The thermometer on the main tank reads 20 on one side but is not registering on the other (the minimum reading is 19 degrees). This is during the daytime - how much will it drop (will it drop?) overnight?

Any suggestions or information will be received with the utmost thanks.

Cheers everyone
Kaz

[Diana]

Wrap the tanks with thick towels or blankets. This will help them keep whatever heat they can get. Make sure the wrap does not interfere with the ventilation from the lights, and does not touch the water.

If you can warm the water on a stove, or have hot water then fill several small bottles (1 liter to 2 liter, depending on the size of the tank) and float the hot water bottles in the tanks. Use several in each tank and rotate them for more even heat.

You could even warm the tank water on a stove, but do small amounts so that it will not warm the tank too much at any one time. Using the hot water bottles is better, the heating is slower.

[kaz]

Great Diana
I have done the towels around the tanks already - i even used some bubble wrap!

Thank you so much for the tip about the bottles of warm water in the tank -excellent - I will get straight to that.

Thanks again

Kaz

[FishyLady]

Hope you manage to keep them warm, I know how worrying this can be!!

Val

[kaz]

Thank you

Towels, bubble wrap and have found spare heater - plus have increased time the light is on and it has seemed to do the trick!

Yey. whew.

You can really see the difference in their behaviour in the lower temperatures, poor lil dudes

Thanks for advice

Kaz

[Diana]

Keep a sharp eye open for Ich. For some reason fish under stress from cold seem to come down with Ich pretty easily.