What is the Best Temperature?

So your tank is almost ready, you have added the gravel and filled it with water. You now need to use the thermostat to set your freshwater aquarium temperature.   What temperature should that be?   Most freshwater aquariums do best somewhere between 73 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 28 Celsius).   Depending on whether you live in Alaska or LA will dictate the best freshwater aquarium temperature.    The reason being that you want to avoid freshwater aquarium temperature fluctuations as far as possible.   So in a cool climate 75 degrees Fahrenheit is favourite and in a warm climate 80 degrees Fahrenheit would be best.   This has the effect of minimising the impact of ambient temperature changes on the freshwater aquarium temperature.

You should be aware that a higher water temperature reduces the water’s oxygen holding capacity and so greater aeration is required.   It is also worth mentioning that an acrylic tank is a much better insulator than a glass tank and a reasonable tight fitting lid will also reduce temperature fluctuations.

Generally speaking it is sudden temperature changes that kill fish rather than the actual temperature you set.      Sudden changes greatly affect the wellbeing of your fish making them poorly, prone to disease and could kill them.   Large scale freshwater aquarium temperature changes in less than 24 hours cause a number of fish problems including at worst the ‘shakes’ or ‘shimmies’, ichthyophthritis (ick), fungus and at best a general decline in health.

What Size Heater?

The required heater size (in watts) will depend upon how many gallons of water that needs to be heated and the temperature difference between the room and the water.   A good rule of thumb is to calculate on the basis of requiring 2 watts to raise each gallon of water through 5 degrees.   Because of their high temperature differentials, large tanks mayv need two heaters.   In this case they should be positioned at each end of the tank.

You should never use a higher wattage heater than calculated according to the formula above.   There are two reasons for this; firstly, you do not want the effect of the heater as it cycles with the thermostat to cause a rapid rise in temperature of the water and secondly, if the thermostat should fail you do not want the fish to fry.

What kinds of heaters are there?

There are three kinds of heater, all work well.

1.   Immersible heaters.    These are inexpensive and easily found so they are the most common.    They dangle into the water hanging on the back or side of the tank.   A temperature control is kept dry above the water’s surface.   Their downside is that they can be considered an eyesore, a lot of people prefer the heater to be hidden.

2.   Submersible heaters.   As the name suggests these are completely immersed in the aquarium water.   They are easily placed out of sight behind plants and rocks, this is on of their big advantages.   These types of heaters maintain a more consistent tank temperature and are considered to be more reliable.   They’re easy to use and slimline so they don’t stand out in the aquarium, they cost more than the immersible variety but are not expensive.

3.   Filter heaters.   These are a really good option because they keep the freshwater aquarium temperature even throughout the tank.   As the water passes through a filter it is heated.   They are more expensive than other heaters, but they are filter units as well.   The greatest advantage of this kind of heater is that you cannot see it because it is outside the aquarium and therefore takes up no space!

Don’t Forget a Themometer!

One final word, make sure you have a good thermometer in your tank. Before use chack that its calibrations are correct. Every day after that you should regularly check the reading. The best time is to glance at it as you feed your fish. That way you will be aware of any freshwater aquarium temperature problems before they have a chance of affecting the long term health of your fish.

Conclusion

So That’s it.   The actual freshwater aquarium temperature depends upon where you live but whatever it is it should be tightly comtrolled by your thermostat.   A stable temperature is much more important than the actual freshwater aquarium temperature selected.

Tagged with:

Filed under: Pet Product News

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!