# Fish for ambient temp ~80 degrees



## saguaro48 (May 6, 2012)

Last aquarium was 40 years ago in the northeast. Now, living in the southwest, we have our room temperature set at 80* for 5 to 6 months of the year and while very comfortable for us, I'm wondering about keeping an aquarium easily. I do not want to get involved with hiding another piece of equipment (chiller.) I anticipate an aquarium of 29 to 39 gallons. I'm wondering if there is a list of fish that prefer the range of temps 79 to 82? Thanks for any suggestions.

Bruce Monte
Casa Grande AZ


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

There are several species that require warmer than normal tank temperatures, and there are many that will not be healthy at such temperatures. If you check fish species in our profiles [second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page] you will find the temperature range for each species included in the data. The other parameters of GH and pH are obviously crucial too, so knowing your tap water GH and pH will help you narrow down the suitable species.

When reviewing the temperature range, remember that fish generally do best at the mid-range given. At the higher end they may manage, but their physiology is faster at warmer temperatures since these affect digestion, their homesostasis, immune systems, etc., so it is best not to push the envelope so to speak.

And, welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.:wave:

Byron.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

If I'm not mistaken, the water temperature will be a several degrees lower than room temperature.. If your room is 80F the water will probably be around 75-77F.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## saguaro48 (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for pointing out the Fish Profiles in this site. They are great. I'll have to check out what the tank temperature is once I set it up and it stabilizes. In the meantime, I can read the profiles pages.

Bruce Monte
Casa Grande AZ


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## AbbeysDad (Mar 28, 2011)

I guess 80 feels cool when it's 100+ outside, but I think I'd set the room for 78F (or even 76F) and nearly any fish would be fine.
What is the room temperature the rest of the year (winter)? Cooler so you need a heater?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Olympia said:


> If I'm not mistaken, the water temperature will be a several degrees lower than room temperature.. If your room is 80F the water will probably be around 75-77F.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



All of my tanks are unheated and they run warmer than the ambient air temp due to the filters and lights.

The water in a tank will never be cooler than the air, assuming a constant air temp. Heat flows from hot to cold, to form an equilibrium - second law of thermodynamics.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

-sigh- I guess the betta people just say that to scare people into buying heaters. My bad.
Is your room 80F all through the night?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Hahaha, don't trust betta people  In all seriousness though, there are plenty of scare tactics to get people to do the right thing. It's a shame, because the right thing shouldn't need to be dressed up. "a fish's stomach is the size of it's eye" is another one. I am a professional fisherman, and I assure you that that is incorrect and have pics to prove it. That's something straight out of the betta community, and while it is a good rule (though incorrect basis) for bettas, it is not applicable to community tanks or most others.

Noooo, I could not sleep if it were that warm  I have a weather station I use to monitor air temps in the rooms with tanks. I try to keep the house in the low to mid 70's, which puts the tanks in the mid to upper 70's.

Most people keep their tanks unnecessarily warm. It is not a foregone conclusion that a tropical tank needs to be 80 degrees.


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

jaysee said:


> Hahaha, don't trust betta people


:thumbsup:

That really gave me a chuckle, but only because it's true ;-)

There are a lot of well intentioned people over there, but some of the things I hear...

I like to waltz into plant topics and contradict all the people saying you must have enriched or soil substrates to grown plants :twisted:


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Temperature variation is not a bad thing if it is done correctly. Many forget that the water temperature in tropical waters usually varies from a high during the day to a low during the night, and this variation can be several degrees. The fish are adapted to this. But this is not the same as major sudden fluctuations which is very stressful.

So if for example the tank ran 78-79F during the day, and lowered to 75-76F during the night, it would be fine. I have read that some aquarists hook up dual heaters on timers to achieve this. I've never done this myself, but it does have merit.

Byron.


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