Matching Tank Temp During Water Changes

[devder1]

Yep. Close to 50% weekly (estimate anyway, see pic on first page). I have some juvie's in my 220g and I have always been in the habit large water changes when I have small fish or grow outs to compensate for more frequent feeding..

Your tank is far larger then mine but I am trying to put some size on them before they move to my 300g that is going on drip soon, I am selling my 220g when all the fish move..

yeah 50% a week gets old, but once you get in the habit its good, actually i didnt do one this weekend yet, too busy

 

[Confidence]

I estimate with my finger, not like it needs to be right on

 

[bob965]

You realize the water temperature in a fish's natural habitat can change by a few degrees just from swimming from the bottom to the surface, right? Precise temperature matching is not critical. If it feels like the same temperature to your hand, it's close enough. If a fish is stressed during water changes, it's because of the splashing/hoses/hands in the water near it, not a temperature difference of 1.79 degrees.

 

[JK47]

You realize the water temperature in a fish's natural habitat can change by a few degrees just from swimming from the bottom to the surface, right? Precise temperature matching is not critical. If it feels like the same temperature to your hand, it's close enough. If a fish is stressed during water changes, it's because of the splashing/hoses/hands in the water near it, not a temperature difference of 1.79 degrees.

Respectfully, I didn't ask if changing the temp hurts my fish, I asked if others had different ideas for controlling temp. I have a vested interest in doing so. My bad for not clarifing my intent on the question.

I am 100% aware of that. In addition to what you said above, most of my fish are SA cichlids that are triggered to spawn during the rainy season. i.e. lowering the water temp a min of 2-4 degrees or so within minutes to mimic rainfall. I have a couple species I am working with I want to control the temps to replicate conditions in the future and trigger them to spawn more frequently or at all with my maps... I have a species of Satanoperca that I cannot for the life of me even get to court one another much less spawn.

 

[rhodes_96]

Get hold of a container that can hold 20-30% of the tanks capacity. Fill with water and use an aquarium heater set to your desired temperature that is suitable for the specified volumne of the container. Prepare water and heater for approx 24hours before you add to the tank. Add conditioner and water pump into the container, Mix water with pump for the time it takes a 1x turnover of the water. Pump into tank, job done.

 

[Industrial]

Temperatures do fluctuate in the wild, but fish tend not to swim to the bottom then to the surface in 2-3 minutes unless something is wrong.

While large water changes with cold water do make some fish spawn it does cause stress and on a regular basis will shorten the life of the fish. Anything but consistency ideal water causes stress.

 

[Confidence]

Temperatures do fluctuate in the wild, but fish tend not to swim to the bottom then to the surface in 2-3 minutes unless something is wrong.

While large water changes with cold water do make some fish spawn it does cause stress and on a regular basis will shorten the life of the fish. Anything but consistency ideal water causes stress.

you are very wrong, in Minnesota its hot and humid in the summers 90+ in the air and 80 F + on water surface game fish stay at bottom and only come to top to catch bugs at surface, so they do tend to swim from top to bottom quite often being they cannot stand the high temps of the surface.

 

[JK47]

Temperatures do fluctuate in the wild, but fish tend not to swim to the bottom then to the surface in 2-3 minutes unless something is wrong.

While large water changes with cold water do make some fish spawn it does cause stress and on a regular basis will shorten the life of the fish. Anything but consistency ideal water causes stress.

Can you please provide a link or document that says a fish spawning will shorten it's life cycle? Happy/healthy SA cichlids breed, bottom line or something is wrong. The rainy season in the amazon lowers them temp. That is the cycle of my fishes natural habitat. Ma nature isnt shortening any life span, neither am I.

 

[Michiba54]

Can you please provide a link or document that says a fish spawning will shorten it's life cycle? Happy/healthy SA cichlids breed, bottom line or something is wrong. The rainy season in the amazon lowers them temp. That is the cycle of my fishes natural habitat. Ma nature isnt shortening any life span, neither am I.

Heya JK47, I don't think they ment spawning will shorten it's life cycle, but instead changing water that is too hot/cold could lead to stress in some fish an a untimely death.

That is how I interpreted it at least...

 

[Industrial]

Can you please provide a link or document that says a fish spawning will shorten it's life cycle? Happy/healthy SA cichlids breed, bottom line or something is wrong. The rainy season in the amazon lowers them temp. That is the cycle of my fishes natural habitat. Ma nature isnt shortening any life span, neither am I.

I do not have any links, but I do know livebearers kept in tanks with the opposite sex tend to live shorter lives than those that aren't constantly breeding. The same thing goes with bettas. I've researched this over a year ago and I don't feel like combing through "guppy breeding" pages on the web for stuff with useful information.

I don't think breeding occasionally shortens a fish's lifespan, but when kept in breeding conditions 24/7 it will. If SA cichlids breed without any sort of changes (large water changes that are different temperatures or certain diets) then that is a different story.

If they breed after large water changes with cold water and are fed a diet of only protein then they are not kept in optimal conditions health wise and will lead to quicker aging.

Heya JK47, I don't think they ment spawning will shorten it's life cycle, but instead changing water that is too hot/cold could lead to stress in some fish an a untimely death.

That is how I interpreted it at least...

That is one point I was making, also if always spawning, fish use all their energy in breeding or some fish care more about their fry than themselves. The parents need breaks.