Should I Turn My Heater Up?

[yabadaba]

I'm still relatively new to fishkeeping so just wanted to run this idea past you more experienced guys

I normally have my heater set to kick in at 25°C meaning that in more 'normal' weather the water temperature stays pretty much around that mark, but because of the recent heatwave I'm finding the water temp is up to about 26.7°C by the evening. So, I was thinking it might make sense to actually turn the heater up to raise the low point so that the daily fluctuation is not that great. What do you think...makes sense or no real need?

 

[ellena]

You mean have it at say 27c so it stays at that all the time? Seems a bit mad to be heating a tank more in this weather. A change of less than 2 degrees over a day can't be that bad?

 

[yabadaba]

You mean have it at say 27c so it stays at that all the time? Seems a bit mad to be heating a tank more in this weather. A change of less than 2 degrees over a day can't be that bad?

No, what I mean is to have it set so that the heater kicks in at say 26°C, so that the temperature won't fluctuate so much from it's coolest overnight to when it's reached it's max at the end of a long hot day. Still cooler than what the weather is causing it to heat up to though.

 

[saltynay]

Fish like a daily fluctuation in temperature its natural to have it..... What fish species are we dealing with as some are more sensitive then others to such fluctuations.

 

[yabadaba]

Fish like a daily fluctuation in temperature its natural to have it..... What fish species are we dealing with as some are more sensitive then others to such fluctuations.

Hi there, I've got:

3 Peppered Cory
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Otocinclus
1 Red Tail Black Shark
2 Clown Loach
1 Hillstream Loach (nearly forgot him as he keps a low profile!)

I figured that some fluctuation must be natural for fish, but there's so much advice given about what temperatures are right for different species that I was getting a little worried at seeing the temperature rise so much recently. I chose 25°C as the default temperature as this seems to be within the acceptable range for all the fish I have now. I used to have it a bit higher but reduced it when I added the Corys.

 

[saltynay]

I keep my corys at 28C peak of the day and 25C at night, I have 1 black, 1 peppered, 2 albinos and they are fine at these temps I have seen no indicators of stress or discomfort. I wouldn't worry about a 2-3C fluctuation, I have some guppy fry that I keep outside and they experience daily fluctuations of 23C to 12C and they are growing faster then the ones inside at which has mucch more steady temps.

 

[yabadaba]

Okay thanks for that, I'll leave my heater setting alone then.