Why do you think fish like to be around the thermometer?

kimmisc

kimmisc

is in your closet.
Mar 12, 2007
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Florence, SC
I started wondering this, wondering if they wanted to be warmer, so I looked up the temp range again that they're suppose to live in, and my tank temp is at the high end of that range.... between 79-80F. They aren't sick. They like to hover around it at night. LiveAquaria lists their ideal temp range as 64-82F. That's quite a wide range. What do you keep your temperature at?
 
I'm at 78*. Only my Black Molly hangs around the heater at night. Not sure why.
 
Recently my 4 inch Vampire Shrimp decided that the heater was a great spot to perch and fan for food, really funny looking watching him try and get up there, and surprising he manages to hold on some how. The way the filter is set up the current runs directly into the heater on the other side of the tank, very clever I think.
 
I think its due to the 'aclimatization' affect...I come from Mid Northern England (bloody freezing) and have now lived on the Gold Coast, Australia for many years...even after the first summer...when winter came around...i froze my brass monkeys off!...I was used to 15-20 deg C being a HOT summers day back in the 'old blighty' ... within a year or two of emigrating with 35-40 deg C summers, when 'winter' came around I was freezing my *** off at 12-15 deg C (back home I would have shorts on at that temp)... I think its a sign that your heater set up is not working too well...the temp will fluctuate in the tank due to the 'cheap' nature of the thermostats in aquaria heaters and poor water flow (is your heater stuck behind your pump in a low flow area or in the full stream of the water coming out the jet)
Having high water flow around the heater will provide a much more constant heat in the tank and your fish will not hang around the heater to avoid the colder areas (note i said 'colder' and not cold areas as 'cold' is subject to your aclimatization where warmer/colder is an instant sensation)
 
Mgamer20o0 said:
all the fish or just one or two?
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Maybe about half of them. The others huddle down behind the driftwood.

Re: current, the entire tank gets a good bit of circulation. 29gal with 2 hob filters running. That's another reason it surprises me they try to rest there rather than a cave where they won't have to fan their fins so much to stay in place. :)
 
kimmisc said:
I started wondering this, wondering if they wanted to be warmer

You mean they hang around the heater right. I'd get another thermometer and check your temp again. Maybe your tank is actually a little chilly and you don't know it.
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PLace your heater on the opposite side of the tank (near the bottom) and this will read your "cold spot" in the tank. Tank circulation should eliminate most fo the cold-spots, but there is always areas of temperature variations.

My tank reads 83-84 at the opposite end, and 88-89 near the heater FYI
 
ct-death said:
PLace your heater on the opposite side of the tank (near the bottom) and this will read your "cold spot" in the tank. Tank circulation should eliminate most fo the cold-spots, but there is always areas of temperature variations.

My tank reads 83-84 at the opposite end, and 88-89 near the heater FYI
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It is already at the opposite end. I'm gonna move it by the heater and see what temperature it is over there. :)
 
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