Re: NANFA-- Temps

Ty Hall (tyhall_at_mia.net)
Sat, 25 Oct 2003 09:12:48 -0500

I think in a lot of cases it's not so much the overall temperature as it is how
quickly the temperature of the water changes. If a tank is cooled or heated
slowly, then the fish have a chance to adapt. If it changes quickly, then the fish
do not adapt and can and become weak. Which leads to illness and death.

It's the same with us warm blooded types. Take a 50 degree day in Feburary. People
are running around with no coats, thinking it's warm. The same temp in July and
everyone is wearing a coat complaining about the cold.

The way I explain it to most people is that the heaters in their tanks aren't
there as much to heat the water as they are to stabilize the temp and prevent
sudden changes.

I agree with you Moon, that most homes are plenty warm to suit the average
"tropical" fish. But given the small size of a typical home aquarium (<20g) and
the fact that the temp in a house can have a 10+ degree range over the course of a
24 hour period, you can quickly see how this rapid warm/cold cycle can weaken the
fish. For more sensitive fish, this can quickly spell death. Even hardier fish
will have a greatly shortened life span. A larger tank can lessen the impact of
the temp change as it does not change as fast as a smaller one.

Ty
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