A scorcher in Phoenix - This could be a learning moment

[Robert Rowe]

Pretty hot today 117 Deg F, I understand.

My system has been running between 74 and 80 over the last week or so but today the surface temp of my 700 gallon open top shaded tank hit 86(Corrected was 88) Deg F.(no UV contact). I am surprised, I expected 85 or 86 tops. I placed a fan to blow over the surface tonight and tomorrow to see how much it might impact tomorrows High.

It would be nice to see how the rest of the Phoenix group made out today.

[Jim Troyer]

Hey Bob since we are documenting. 

I am keeping track of my second system, a 700 gallon Jacuzzi covered in 40% shade cloth.  The jacuzzi is half in the ground (18") and half out (18") it has a couple inches of spray foam insulation on it but I don't think it makes much of a difference.  The thermometer is setting on the ground next to the fish tank, the water probe is submerged about 18" down.  The pump runs 15 minutes every hour for 6 hours total.  There are no air bubblers.  Everything seems normal, in fact the water clarity is clearer today than last week and I have added two 12-14" tilapia into this system in the last several days for a total of 40 fish ranging from ~13"  to ~4".

Here are the readings for the last two days :

date   lo h2o   hi h2o   lo amb  hi amb

6/27    74.5        83          74         105

6/28    79.5        83.8       75.4      109.2

the ambient lo temps certainly are affected by evaporation cooling from the system.

I'll continue to update over the next few days. 

[Samson J. Loo]

Now I am thinking that I should bury my tank to keep up with the heat waves. How does it fair with our cooler season? My only concern is the fact that I get irrigation every two weeks so I am not sure how much that would impact the FT temp, if any at all.
 
Jim Troyer said:

Hey Bob since we are documenting. 

I am keeping track of my second system, a 700 gallon Jacuzzi covered in 40% shade cloth.  The jacuzzi is half in the ground (18") and half out (18") it has a couple inches of spray foam insulation on it but I don't think it makes much of a difference.  The thermometer is setting on the ground next to the fish tank, the water probe is submerged about 18" down.  The pump runs 15 minutes every hour for 6 hours total.  There are no air bubblers.  Everything seems normal, in fact the water clarity is clearer today than last week and I have added two 12-14" tilapia into this system in the last several days for a total of 40 fish ranging from ~13"  to ~4".

Here are the readings for the last two days :

date   lo h2o   hi h2o   lo amb  hi amb

6/27    74.5        83          74         105

6/28    79.5        83.8       75.4      109.2

the ambient lo temps certainly are affected by evaporation cooling from the system.

I'll continue to update over the next few days. 

[Jim Troyer]

@ Samson

Now I am thinking that I should bury my tank to keep up with the heat waves. How does it fair with our cooler season? My only concern is the fact that I get irrigation every two weeks so I am not sure how much that would impact the FT temp, if any at all.

The best part about burying your FT is the winter temps.  The fish are fine at 85 f but  they don't like <60 at all.  Not sure about the irrigation, would seem like you could just make a berm and keep the water away in the cooler months, it would be nice this time of year to cool the tank I would think.

Any other observations out there?

[Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr.]

Air temp 117F. Water temp 80F. Red chard recovering. Lost a feaf or two. All else well.

[Robert Rowe]

@ Dr Brooks - Do you have a current photo of your AP Sys? I am baffled by your 80 Deg F water temp.

[Robert Rowe]

Jim - I think your ambient temperature should be outside any influence of your system but in the shade.

Jim Troyer said:

Hey Bob since we are documenting. 

I am keeping track of my second system, a 700 gallon Jacuzzi covered in 40% shade cloth.  The jacuzzi is half in the ground (18") and half out (18") it has a couple inches of spray foam insulation on it but I don't think it makes much of a difference.  The thermometer is setting on the ground next to the fish tank, the water probe is submerged about 18" down.  The pump runs 15 minutes every hour for 6 hours total.  There are no air bubblers.  Everything seems normal, in fact the water clarity is clearer today than last week and I have added two 12-14" tilapia into this system in the last several days for a total of 40 fish ranging from ~13"  to ~4".

Here are the readings for the last two days :

date   lo h2o   hi h2o   lo amb  hi amb

6/27    74.5        83          74         105

6/28    79.5        83.8       75.4      109.2

the ambient lo temps certainly are affected by evaporation cooling from the system.

I'll continue to update over the next few days. 

[Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr.]

Likely plants shading nearly 100% of the water surface combined with a huge evaporative cooling effect from evapotranspiration from the plants combined with low humidity (7%). P.S. The weather channel is calling it for 122 today.

[Andrew Coscia]

water temp 95 deg.F Plants and fish are growing out of control.