Temperature control

[duluoz]

What methods do you consider safe/ unsafe to raise/lower your aquarium temperature?

I'd been doing a bit of reading, since my aquarium temp. is a bit high, and wondered what the rest of you thought about the issue.

[flyingxchanges]

What is the temp of your tank and what kind of fish do you have?

78-80 is ideal for bettas.

Also, are you using a heater? If there is no heater your only option to make the water temp cooler is to lower the ambient room temp.

EDIT: The best thing to do is keep the temp consistant. You don't want to be having drastic temp changes, high or low, because this can shock your fish

[MrVampire181]

Do you have a heater? It shouldn't be fluctuating much at all.

In my fish room I use two space heaters so I really have no use for individual heaters in tanks. It stays no less than 78F but can sometimes reach over 90F. Generally since it's slow the fish don't mind but I still like to try and keep it at 84F.

[duluoz]

I try to keep it around 80. I think I just poured water that was too hot in the tank during the water change yesterday. It's at 86 now.

I've heard people say 90 is about a dangerous level to have the water at.

[Micho]

Originally Posted by duluoz

I try to keep it around 80. I think I just poured water that was too hot in the tank during the water change yesterday. It's at 86 now.

I've heard people say 90 is about a dangerous level to have the water at.

Do you have a heater?

. . . Yes dumping too hot of water into your tank is dangerous, you'll make Betta soup. Right now 86F is a bit too hot.

Optimum range of temperature is 76F ~ 82F.

[duluoz]

oh, yeah. I have a heater. I took it out in case it had been malfunctioning, since I don't know for sure what the problem is.

Any advice on how to lower the temp?

[Micho]

Originally Posted by duluoz

oh, yeah. I have a heater. I took it out in case it had been malfunctioning, since I don't know for sure what the problem is.

Any advice on how to lower the temp?

Put the heater back in, I'm assuming it's a pre-set heater so set the temperature to around 78F.

And just leave the tank, it should cool down by itself, I wouldn't recommend any other way. Putting ice cubes is bad idea, because it's not de-chlorinated ice cubes, also I think it'll change the temperature too fast and might cause a shock to the fish in the tank.

[flyingxchanges]

Leave your fish in the tank and let it change slowly.

Or you could take your fish out, cup him, put ice in a ziplock bag and float it in your tank. Then float your fish in the tank to get used to the new temp for 15ish minutes then put him in.

Honestly, I'd just let the water change itself and then put the heater back in and keep it 78 or 80

[duluoz]

Groovy. Thanks a lot for the advice. I'll definetely follow it.