Heater really necessary?

[callistra]

Yes and 85 is too hot so if you have to keep your house that hot get a fan for the room so it stays cooler.

[Aus]

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama

So we have to be waterkeepers primarily, and fishkeepers as a pleasant side effect.

That's an awesome way to think of it. Thanks for that.

[Arctic Mama]

It totally changed my perception of aquaria when I heard that. All the sudden the menial tasks of keeping fish were THE key, and a joy, instead of a chore. And it also made fish health a lot more straightforward for me. The little fishies can take care of themselves, their bodies self-regulate for the most part. What they need help with in captivity is me creating a stable, healthy environment for them to thrive.

It's pretty much my aquaria maxim, now. I am a waterkeeper, and I keep the water for the health and happiness of the organisms in it.

[Hallyx]

There was a young man on this forum, whom I haven't heard from in a long time, whose signature line was:

"I don't keep fish. I keep water. Water keeps fish."

(That's from memory and is word-for-word.)

[scootshoot]

Depends on climate. In summer I just unplug the heaters, all my tanks can get as high as 85+ F.

[Jnguy073]

Originally Posted by callistra

Yes and 85 is too hot so if you have to keep your house that hot get a fan for the room so it stays cooler.

85degrees F is not that hot, Betta's, since they are tropical fishes usually love water parameters of 23 to 30 degrees C or 75 to 86 degrees F. Since they are tropical fishes being 86 would not do any harm, however it will affect your other fishes since at warmer waters the nitrogen cycle increases and the o2 in the water starts to cycle out faster. [basically drowning your fish slowly].

My tank is 84degrees F, with an air pump and live plants. My fish love it at 83/86 degrees depending on my room temperature.

All fishes have their own temperatures they like the best, and many tropical fishes would love to be in waters above 80 and below 88. Just make sure to have a good air flow, air pump or lots of live plants to produce sufficient oxygen for non-labyrinth breathers.

[callistra]

82 is max for a betta for long term care. Some bettas can tolerate higher temps better than others, but they're too hot (much like deeping them at 73 instead of 76 which is too cold) and it increases their metabolism and shortens their life to keep them too hot.

[Olympia]

I know my friend has to keep his discus at 30C and the glass is warm to the touch..
Low temps slow growth, lengthening the life, but make fish have weak immune systems. High temps speed growth, shorten life spans, and improve immunity.. This is why we aim for a middle temp, to get a good middle range for these factors.