Tank Temp

D

daniellehaagen

AC Members
Oct 30, 2006
58
0
0
47
Honolulu, Hawaii
I was just wondering what my tank temp should be at? I have a ten gallon tank with two guppies and one unknown (it looks like a minnow), oh and one inch long algae eater (not sure what kind he is). The tank temp has been pretty consistant through the summer (around 76-78 degrees), but now that winter is here I'm afraid it's going to be too cold for them. I have a heater that I'm not using from my 55 gal tank I can use (would this work?).

P.S. Are guppies a schooling fish? Thanks!!
 
I was also wondering what is the best hiding places for algae eaters. Right now we have a hollow log and another log with a small hiding space (this is his favorite space). I was also wondering if I should be supplementing his diet with anything, such as the discs I see at the store?
 
daniellehaagen said:
I was just wondering what my tank temp should be at? I have a ten gallon tank with two guppies and one unknown (it looks like a minnow), oh and one inch long algae eater (not sure what kind he is). The tank temp has been pretty consistant through the summer (around 76-78 degrees), but now that winter is here I'm afraid it's going to be too cold for them. I have a heater that I'm not using from my 55 gal tank I can use (would this work?).

P.S. Are guppies a schooling fish? Thanks!!
Click to expand...

76-78 F is usually a good place to start, unless the "minnow looking" fish is something unusual. Keep a close eye on your algae eater, as there are several types of plecos that will grow quite large (most, in fact). If you think your tank will drop below 74, I would definitely use a heater. I WOULD NOT, however, use a 55gallon tank heater in a 10 gallon tank- it would be too powerful. heaters for 10 gallon tanks are fairly inexpensive (usually under $10). Guppies aren't considered "schooling" fish, but they like to have friends of the same species.
:)
 
Thank you so much! We have had our algae eater for about 5 or 6 months and he really hasn't grown too much if any. When we got him the LFS said he wouldn't get much bigger (but we all know how much they know). He never comes out so I can't get a good look at him and honestly I forgot what he looks like. I'll try to get a picture. Thanks again.
 
temp appears to be in line for you.

I would checkon the species of the 'minnow' just for reference.

the 'algae eater' if it's about 1' you may have an otoconclus catfish..very god algae eater and only get to be 1-1.75" ..there are several species of oto's and they vary a bit in size..the largest I know of is less than 2"

you can google the species of check out planet catfish.
if you have a heater for the tank you shouldn't worry too much about temp..if you rely on the 'environment' even in a house..you may get a bit of a fluctation in temp..but that varies a lot with where you live..ie warmer climates tend to have less of a variation in internal house temp.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure he is a minnow after looking at some pictures but it's hard to say exactly what kind. Our algae eater isn't a otoconclus catfish, but I will definitely try to figure it out. Should I be supplementing his diet with anything special? I just feel bad for the poor guy because all he does is hide in a rock all day. I guess that's what they do huh? Sorry I don't know too much about "algae eaters" and the different species. Is it possible that I"m stunting his growth by keeping him a 10 gallon tank? Would he do better in a 55 gallon tank with 3 small goldfish (1 oranda, and 2 assorted fantails)?
 
I think I found my answer to supplementing my "algae eaters" diet. I'm pretty sure I have some type of pleco. I'm guessing one of the smaller types, because he has hardly grown in the last 6 months. I just ran out to try some fruits and veggies in the tank. I'll start experimenting with different foods for him and see what happens. I hate thinking that he has been hungry this whole time. It's so sad that the sales clerks don't give us this info when we purchase our pets. Maybe I should still move him into the other tank? Any thoughts anyone? Thanks!
 
are you sure the minnow isn't a plain female guppy? often they are just grey-ish.

plecos are tropical, and the cooler goldfish temperatures are not suitable. they shouldn't really be put together, and your 55g will eventually be overstocked with the 3 goldfish anyway. find out exactly what kind of plec you have, even the small ones get big (4-6 inches). if you have something like a clown pleco, they really like to hide and *need* wood in their diet. they grow quite slowly, however.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the pictures! I'm pretty sure it's a clown pleco. What kind of wood do they need and how can I purchase it? I have a piece of driftwood in there from the pet store. Is this okay? I put a piece of papaya in there last night and when I checked this morning he was latched on to it. Now my problem is the water has turned very cloudy, and I'm pretty sure it's because of the fruit. I'll have to try vaccuming the gravel I guess. Maybe someone can look at the pictures I've taken and tell me if my minnow is truly a minnow or not. Thanks, hope this link works :)

my fishies
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom