My tank is getting really warm during these HOT Georgia summer days! Its bc its sitting in front of a window and its the only place I have to put it. The windows have blinds, but it still gets up to about 84-85F bc we have been right around 100 deegrees every single day around here for the past month(even set new record for Georgia). Its a 55 Gallon and has a couple of CA & SA cichs in it. So far nothing has died but my question is this just too hot for these fish to withstand? It reaches 84-85 for about 6-7 hours a day, normally btwn Noon & 6PM, until it goes back down when it gets a little cooler at night.
Tank Getting Too Hot?
- Thread starter Ahli1500
- Start date
I have heard about the torture you guys have been dealing with. I talked to my uncle last night, lives in atlanta, and he said I am literally going to die of this heat. He said you guys just got your first rain in a month last night. Anyways your tanks is fine at 85 degrees. Anything above that I would get worried though. If you want to get it down a fan or air conditioning will help ALOT. Just point it at the tank and your good. Or float bottles of ice in the tank. You can spend the money and buy a chiller.
These fish see water temps around 90 in some places, probably even warmer. Heck my dads fishing pond has water temp of 85 right now so I know CA/SA Cichlids can handle it..
When I first got my small cichla, I kept the water temp up in the 88-90 degree range feeding heavy feedings to make them grow faster. There were also several CA/SA cichlids in that tank as well. No problems and they grew like crazy..
When I first got my small cichla, I kept the water temp up in the 88-90 degree range feeding heavy feedings to make them grow faster. There were also several CA/SA cichlids in that tank as well. No problems and they grew like crazy..
I've kept my tanks at that temp constantly for a month while treating diseases and parasites. CA and SA cichlids don't mind it as long as it is a gradual increase they should be fine. This might actually make your fish a little more active.
It's not the temperature you need to worry about, it's the amount of DO (dissolved oxygen) in the water. The warmer water gets the less DO is available to fish. Like everyone said, temps in excess of 90 degrees are not harmful (short term), but you need to keep the DO levels fairly high.
Just add some more airation and they'll be fine. When I lived in Hawaii my tanks would top out around 90 degrees, no problem (lots of DO!).
Just add some more airation and they'll be fine. When I lived in Hawaii my tanks would top out around 90 degrees, no problem (lots of DO!).
we keep our tanks a little on the warm side too.. i like them between 82-86 degrees, and we run foam filters with an airstone in all of the tanks for the extra filtration and in case of power outages they can all be put on battery powered airpumps.