What should be the temperature in the fish tank?

Aquarium fish are one of the most convenient pets, as it is quite easy to look after them, and in return you can admire the inhabitants of the aquarium, relax and calm your nerves. In order for different fish to comfortably live in captivity, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for them, which are primarily to maintain the optimum temperature of the water, where the pets spend their whole lives. If the values ​​are incorrect, the fish can hurt, behave aggressively and even die, therefore it is so important to monitor these indicators and be able to regulate them.

Fish are cold-blooded, but the temperature of the water where they live may be different. Aquarium fish very significantly tolerate any changes in their habitat, so you should pay special attention to this. In nature, fish can live in water with low temperature, approaching zero, as well as in very hot, reaching up to 70 degrees. If you sharply violate the temperature environment of any of the species, the consequences can be irreversible.

In cold water, fish begins to slow down metabolism, they become inactive, calm, rarely breathe. In warm water, the behavior is completely different: the fish are active, move a lot and consume oxygen. If the temperature range goes beyond the usual mode, then problems begin. With a sharp cooling, the immunity of the fish weakens, they become susceptible to any diseases and viruses. With severe warming, the inhabitants of the aquatic environment begin to fuss, swim uneasily, look for oxygen, which is not enough, and float to the surface of the water to get it from the air.

The benefits of adhering to the regime will be a calm behavior of pets and a long life, and any violations of the habitat will cause them irreparable harm.

In order for the fish in the aquarium to live comfortably, it will not be enough to buy beautiful decorative figures, provide lighting and plant algae. One of the most important criteria for a normal life is timely nutrition and ensuring the optimum temperature level of water.

Due to the fact that there are a lot of varieties of aquarium fish, and they all have their own preferences regarding living conditions, it is worthwhile to carefully select roommates so that they converge in character and can freely swim in water of a certain temperature.

• Swordsmen - These are fish whose origins are in Central America; therefore, the optimum temperature range for them is + 22–25 degrees. These fish can withstand a drop in temperature to +15 degrees and a rise to +29, all other fluctuations will be dangerous for them.

• Guppy They live around the world, and the most comfortable temperature for them ranges from + 23–27 degrees. The minimum temperature for normal life can be +14 degrees, but only for a short period, and the maximum - up to +32 degrees. If the guppies are in cool water, their body weight increases, but the immune system suffers.

• Danio - The recommended temperature for these fish is + 21–25 degrees. The lower limit is +15 degrees, and the upper limit is +31. A successful spawning requires a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius.

• Neons - fish from South Africa, where the average water temperature varies between + 20-25 degrees. The most suitable mark for this species is considered to be +21 degrees, if you increase it to +27, then the life of neons will immediately decrease by 4 times. The lower limit for these fish is +17 degrees, the upper - +29.

• Angelfish - immigrants from South America, accustomed to dwell in waters with temperatures from +24 to +29 degrees. The optimal indicator for this type will be +25 degrees, the lower threshold is +24, and the upper - +30 degrees. During spawning, it is better to raise the temperature to +27 degrees.

It is normal that each species of fish has its own preferences regarding the acceptable temperature of the water in which they can comfortably exist. To choose the right fish for one aquarium, you should learn more about the habitat of each species, which will help table of temperature indicators of the most famous fish.

Since most of the representatives live in a tropical climate, the average temperature of the water in the aquarium during the year should be within + 22–26 degrees of heat. A strong decrease in the environment of the fish is considered unacceptable and may cause the extinction of the entire population, and an increase above the upper threshold should be carried out if necessary and gradually in order to prepare the fish.

To create comfortable living conditions for fish, you must be able to track and determine the temperature of the water. To make it as convenient as possible, it is best to purchase a specialized thermometer or thermometer for the aquarium, which can have several varieties.

• Mercury device made of glass - it’s convenient to work with it, it accurately shows the increase or decrease in temperature, is easy to operate and is inexpensive. The main disadvantage is the death of the contents of the aquarium if the thermometer breaks.
• Adhesive thermometer in the form of a strip. This is a liquid crystal device that needs to be placed from the outside of the aquarium, which leads to inaccurate data on the indicators of the temperature of the aquatic environment, over time, the degree scale begins to fade.
• Alcohol-filled thermometer - It is considered a budget option, convenient and inexpensive, but with a short service life, because after some time the readings will be inaccurate.
• Electronic measuring instruments They are the most convenient and multifunctional, they show accurate data, monitor any temperature changes and notify about them. The only drawback of such a thermometer is its considerable cost.

In order to provide fish with the necessary water temperature in winter and summer, you need to know what measures are effective to lower and increase this indicator. With untimely or incorrect actions, there is a risk not only not to help the fish, but also to harm them. In order to properly control the heating or cooling of water relative to the ambient temperature, it is necessary to have certain devices and options that are able to normalize the situation as soon as possible.

If there is a need to increase the temperature indicators of moisture in the aquarium, you must perform the following steps.

• Use a heating pad, which is located in different parts of the aquarium for uniform heating. Due to the possibility of setting the intensity of heating, you can act more accurately, without fear of overheating the water and harm the fish.
• Use plain boiled warm water. It is important to add no more than 10% of the new fluid and do it gradually. You need to raise the temperature by no more than 2 degrees at a time. It is worth adding heated water with a frequency of 15–20 minutes, not more often.
• Heat the water in the aquarium with a plastic bottle, where the heated liquid is poured. This option is similar to the previous one, but safer, as the aquatic environment does not change, which means that the fish are comfortable in it and do not need to adapt. In addition, when warm water is added directly to the aquarium, there is a risk of getting into the fish, and this will very badly affect their well-being and condition, while the bottle does not directly contact the water inhabitants and is completely safe. You can adjust the temperature by heating the water in the bottle to a particular temperature, and when you reach the desired performance inside the aquarium, simply remove it.
• In an emergency, when the fish are very frozen and need to be activated, you can pour one tablespoon of brandy or vodka into the water. In this case, you need to have stored water in reserve, since after awakening the inhabitants in the aquarium, it will be necessary to replace part of the water. Such a manipulation should be done several times so that all residual alcohol is removed.

In addition to raising the temperature of the water, a frequent problem is the need to reduce it, especially in a hot climate or in a stuffy room. For such cases, there are also options.

• Using a plastic bottle in which the water is cooled in the refrigerator to a certain level to set the desired degree of cooling inside the aquarium. Do not immediately use ice, as this is too sharp a temperature difference that will negatively affect the fish.They can be helped exclusively by smoothly lowering the temperature of the water, bringing it to the desired levels.
• In hot weather, you should often use a compressor that fills the water with air bubbles, thanks to which the fish have something to breathe. A compressor alone will not cool the water, so measures to lower the temperature will still be needed, but until the situation stabilizes, the inhabitants of the aquarium will feel good.
• If the compressor is broken or has not yet been purchased, it is possible to enrich water with oxygen using hydrogen peroxide, which needs only a spoon, based on a capacity of 100 liters. An additional positive effect will also be the disinfection of the contents of the aquarium and the destruction of any parasites living there.

High temperatures are very harmful for aquarium fish, as their physical condition worsens, it becomes harder to breathe, in addition, any nitrates and harmful substances in warm water become much more dangerous, therefore, it is so important to be able to timely and correctly lower the temperature indicators of the fish habitat. A sharp drop in the readings on the thermometer in the aquarium will also not go in vain, but in this case, the fish slow down their metabolism and can wait for a while until the owner corrects the situation.

You can find the best temperature for aquarium fish in the video below.