# Aquarium Temperature at 80 degrees F



## Stephen

Hi all,

We bought an 55 gal aquarium and it's been cycling for two days. The temperature is between 80 and 82 deg. F. and there's no heater in the tank. Don't plan to add fish for a few weeks.

Are there any fresh water fish that can sustain these temperatures ? Everything I've read thus far indicates that an ideal tank temperature would be in mid to upper 70s.

Thanks for any direciton,
Stephen


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## phil_pl

my tanks have always been kept in the 79-82 degree range except for in the winter when we drop the temperature in the housr


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## meili.harrison

Most of my tanks are 78 - 82. You can house lots of different fish, many of them are fine with that temp. It's difficult to list all types, but most tropical fish are fine. Depends on what kind of biotype / set up you are looking to make in that tank.


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## Chickadee

I agree that most fish can be sustained quite well in these temps but the problem is not in the temperatures but in the fluctuations when they occur. So I also agree that when the temps cool off in the Fall and Winter you will need a heater or you will face the dreaded Cool Water disease processes like Ich, Velvet and Fin Rot problems as well as the chance of digestive problems with the fish who have touchy digestive systems as the temperature of the water determines the fish's metabolic rate and if they are touchy it affects the ability of the fish to digest its food and can cause it a lot of problems or even kill it. So if you buy fish that get along in this temperature range you need to keep it in this range all year round and realize that while it is fine now, as the yearly cool down happens that tank is going to need to be heated especially at night or you will have a problem. If you install a heater and the tank is warmer than it needs to be the heater will not run so it is not drawing on the power and causing a draw on your bill so it is just an insurance policy so to speak, but one that truly pays dividends as the cost of a good heater is sometimes less than the cost of one or two fish. 

Rose


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## meili.harrison

Yes, definitely agree, if you go with tropical fish, you will need a heater. Didn't realize that you may be contemplating not getting a heater I guess


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## Shotgun

my tanks usually run 79-82 degrees. If its REALLY hot outside, it can sometimes get up to 85 degrees, and at that time, I chill the water. During the winder, it can slide down to about 77 degrees.


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## Cichlidman

80 to 82 is ideal for most cichlids. I must agree when the water is warmer it helps reduce risk of some illnesses. I also agree even in Texas you will need a heater in the late fall and winter months. Good fish keeping.


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## jrodriguez

not where im from...its 80 degrees on christmas most of the time


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## Cichlidman

The key phrase is most of the time.. I lived in Dallas 15 years and I remember both extremes. You must live around Brownsville.


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## Oldman

You will need to be careful what fish you choose. There are plenty of fish that will do well at over 80F but there are almost no cories that do well at such high temperatures. Many if not most livebearers do far better in the low to mid 70s but can survive short periods of 80 before becoming sick. They also grow faster at 80 but tend to die young at that temperature. It sounds like the cichlid keepers have chimed in to say that you can keep those things in the low 80s well enough so there are some choices. 
The main problem with high temperatures is not the temperature. Most fish can survive some rather wide temperature ranges with no harm. The issue becomes oxygen. Warm water does not contain as much oxygen, it has to do with saturation of the gas in water, so if a fish is well adapted to lower temperatures, it cannot thrive in high temperature low oxygen conditions although it could swim past a warm water spot in nature and not have a problem.


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## Cichlidman

Oldman, 

Look at the amount of filtration I run. I also run sponge filters with pwerheads and airstones. I move my water enough that there is no problem with oxygen. I run my tanks at 78 to 82. Oldman, I have lost fish as everyone that keeps them do. There is nothing wrong with keeping cichlids. I don't lose fish due to being to stupid to keep oxygen in my water. I breed and raise cichlids. Think about where cichlids come from. Central and South America pretty warm waters. Afrrica, I think fairly warm water. I live in South central Tennessee and my heaters very seldom kick on this time of year. In November they will be on and off all the time. That said, forgive me for getting upset, I do have Plenty of oxygen in my tanks.


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## Oldman

I do not disagree with the temperature readings of cichlid keepers, I do not keep many cichlids so have very little opinion on them. I do keep lots of livebearers and several kinds of cories. Most cories do not tolerate water at 80F very well at all and many livebearers also suffer at higher temperatures. I keep many different livebearers whose native location is Mexico so I am aware of the needs of those fish and do my homework fairly well. Elevation has a lot more to do with water temperature than the North / South location of a habitat. Most of my Mexican livebearers cannot tolerate water over 75F for more than a short time because their native waters are at quite a high elevation where the water is naturally cool. Coastal rivers would be quite another matter but it is not the natural habitat for these fish. 
Huge amounts of filtration can only accomplish saturation conditions for oxygen and it is the saturation concentration that changes with temperature. Good circulation can get your tank water very close to saturation but no amount of circulation will take the oxygen any higher than that maximum amount. If you put cool water fish into high temperature water, you will have more than just an occasional loss.


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## Dmaaaaax

I keep my tank between 80-86F. Keep a heater in it and adjust it to the temp you want so that if it goes below that mark it comes back on. Keep in mind that some heaters cannot heat past 80 or so, and get the right size for a 55g tank.

I keep Discus, various tetras, and cory cats mostly...which are all from the Amazon initially. As Oldman said the one thing to watch for with higher temperature is oxygen. Have a nice surface current and you should be fine.Temperatures above 80 is actually the preferred treatment for common protozoan diseases such as Ich and Velvet.

When adding new water however, do NOT add warm water...especially in the winter time. This water is actually heated to 105 or so and is completely void of oxygen.


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## Nicole85

the temp in my new salt water tank was up to 84 and i was worried...instead of buying a $500 chiller...i pulled an old a/c out of the closet and put it in the window near the tank... the temp is like 78 in the tank now...i run it during the day and it cools that room off nice nice. why wouldnt you get a heater...they are pretty cheap when you consider freezin your fishes butt off after spending all that money on a neat home for them. just my 2cents lol...who always says that


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## Cichlidman

Nicole85 said:


> the temp in my new salt water tank was up to 84 and i was worried...instead of buying a $500 chiller...i pulled an old a/c out of the closet and put it in the window near the tank... the temp is like 78 in the tank now...i run it during the day and it cools that room off nice nice. why wouldnt you get a heater...they are pretty cheap when you consider freezin your fishes butt off after spending all that money on a neat home for them. just my 2cents lol...who always says that


Nicole, you have all those Cichlids in a single tank?


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## Cichlidman

Gosh I used to live in the Colony. Just to the south of Denton.


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## Nicole85

yes i do...


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