Cold Cichlids in So Cal!!!

[balton777]

^^
Great idea. I've often thought about keeping tanks in the garage but it gets so cold here in winter.

 

[hailmike]

i'd say the space heater and tank isolation ideas are your best bet. a couple weeks back it was 6 degrees f* with wind chill. sometimes it sucks working on a boat

 

[Guapote]

As all you know, we are having some "extreme" low temperatures in Los Angeles. I like many of you keep tanks in my garage. I have never had issues keeping my fish warm in the winter. My Tanks all vary fom 50 to 215 gallons, and I use 200 watt to 250 watt heaters. In the coldest of winters, in previouse years, the water temp. would be maybe 78 Degrees F*, i heater setting was 80*F. I had ALL my heaters set at 79*F after this summer, and yesterday, I was supprised to see the water as cold as 70*F !!! I immediatly raisded the settings to 84, in hopes this will help? Aside from raising setting or buying 300 watt heaters, what is everyone else in SoCal experiancing?? Any other suggestions? Will raising setting to 90*F on a 200 watt heater raise temp. to a safe level, so my cichlids survive? For all those not familiar with SoCal weather, please understand, that the temperature never drops gto low 40's, normally when very cold, it drops to mid-low 50's, but even that is not common. There really has never been a need for high power heaters. Helpful info please!!!

I feel your pain Joe. I am maintaining temps but at the cost of my electricity bill. My wife is going to crap her pants when she see's this months bill

I'm gonna blame it on the Christmas Lights

 

[House 64]

Heres a pic of what my insulated tank looks like.

I've actually done this same thing with the sheets of styrofoam from Home Depot.... in theory it seemed like it would help but I'm not sure if it did.....

Joe, I've seen your garage and correct me if I'm wrong but isn't your garage unfinished? It's just exposed studs correct without insulation or drywall?

 

[Hooligan]

I've actually done this same thing with the sheets of styrofoam from Home Depot.... in theory it seemed like it would help but I'm not sure if it did.....

Joe, I've seen your garage and correct me if I'm wrong but isn't your garage unfinished? It's just exposed studs correct without insulation or drywall?

Well, I know this works is because when my tank was bare without the insulation it was dippin into the very low 70's...actually 71degree. Since the addition of the insulation around the top, back and both sides, the temp went up 3 degrees and maintaining at 74degrees. Note that I only have 1 250watt stealth heater set at 85degrees. I know the temp in my tank would of gone lower below 70 if I hadnt insulated my garage.

 

[Spaz]

Well, I know this works is because when my tank was bare without the insulation it was dippin into the very low 70's...actually 71degree. Since the addition of the insulation around the top, back and both sides, the temp went up 3 degrees and maintaining at 74degrees. Note that I only have 1 250watt stealth heater set at 85degrees. I know the temp in my tank would of gone lower below 70 if I hadnt insulated my garage.

I have also done something similar to this with thin pink foam insulation. In addition to attaching it to the sides i built a rectangular cover for the top that extends 8" down on the sides because the heat rises.

 

[masterg07]

i live in massachusetts and i never keep a heater on my fish tanks
water temp ranges from 61* in the winter to 70* in the summer
i have all kinds of cichlids and all kinds of comunity fish and they all look very happy and active.
so if your watter temp is a little low i wouldn worry about it, unless you have very expensive fish, other than that you are ok

 

[lucy42083]

i live in massachusetts and i never keep a heater on my fish tanks
water temp ranges from 61* in the winter to 70* in the summer
i have all kinds of cichlids and all kinds of comunity fish and they all look very happy and active.
so if your watter temp is a little low i wouldn worry about it, unless you have very expensive fish, other than that you are ok

Most cichlids should be in water around 78-80 degrees, 61 to 70 is way too cold to keep them at for an extended period of time. I have no idea what you mean by "looking happy and active" - can we please see some pics? How big are you fish? How many years have you owned them in these conditions? How are their colors? Just because they are alive and swimming around does not mean they are comfortable or healthy, and many cichlids are long-lived fish, just because you've kept them for a couple of years in this situation does not mean they will live out their full potential.

I mean seriously, go spend less than $50 on a few heaters, and your fish will be much healthier, and again I'd like to see pics - I guarantee they will look a lot better too. It kind of gets to me when people own, apparently as you do, a whole lot of fish, but just can't be bothered to spend a couple bucks on a heater.

I guess since you say if you had expensive fish you would use a heater, that you have no problem losing your inexpensive fish because the water is too cold? Because heck, you can just go out and keep buying another and another? How many fish have died in your tanks in the past few months? Again, how many fish have you kept for several years living well and healthy in those conditions, and can we see pics of your tanks?

 

[Spaz]

Most cichlids should be in water around 78-80 degrees, 61 to 70 is way too cold to keep them at for an extended period of time. I have no idea what you mean by "looking happy and active" - can we please see some pics? How big are you fish? How many years have you owned them in these conditions? How are their colors? Just because they are alive and swimming around does not mean they are comfortable or healthy, and many cichlids are long-lived fish, just because you've kept them for a couple of years in this situation does not mean they will live out their full potential.

I mean seriously, go spend less than $50 on a few heaters, and your fish will be much healthier, and again I'd like to see pics - I guarantee they will look a lot better too. It kind of gets to me when people own, apparently as you do, a whole lot of fish, but just can't be bothered to spend a couple bucks on a heater.

I guess since you say if you had expensive fish you would use a heater, that you have no problem losing your inexpensive fish because the water is too cold? Because heck, you can just go out and keep buying another and another? How many fish have died in your tanks in the past few months? Again, how many fish have you kept for several years living well and healthy in those conditions, and can we see pics of your tanks?

I agree! that's cruel!

 

[JoeFatFish]

I'm near the beach, so the big puddle of water a few blocks away helps maintain air temp. a bit higher than inland Los Angeles, which keeps Westside temps almost 10 degrees higher than rest of Los Angeles, in the winter, and cooler in summer. It is called convection.