hpiguy
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
- Messages
- 421
Currently the temp in my 55 and my 29 is 61-63 degrees, the same temp as the house. I keep it cool in here in Winter. It goes to about an average of 74 in summer and fluctuates anywhere from 73 to 80 in one day.
I stopped heating in the summer as always, and then never turned them back on, so they slowly dropped in temp, it was not instant.
I stopped heating over a year ago and let the tanks adjust themselves. Lighting is a 4 foot shop light with daylight bulbs on the 55, and stock hood on the 29 with aftermarket daylight bulb. They give off minimal heat. I do grow plants in the 55.
I filter with larger than needed HOB filters, using floss mat. Only occasionally using carbon.
I keep giant danios (my favorite species), bamboo shrimp, amano shrimp, three spot gouramis, corydoras, zebra danios, upside down catfishes, harlequin rasboras, black skirt tetras and cherry barbs between the two tanks. The small fish are in the 29, the largers in the 55.
I have zero fish health issues. Nothing. They grow to normal home aquarium sizes, the same ones that would breed on occasion when I heated the tanks still breed now.
As listed, I do not keep delicate or particularly sensitive species. These are all regular abundant and robust fish anyone can buy at any fish store.
I do have heaters in both tanks, but now they are only there in case the furnace broke or something catastrophic caused the house temp to drop below 60.
According to some, my fish should have been sick and dead a year ago. It can't just be 'luck'.
My opinion is that yes, these are 'tropical' species of fish but likely have never lived a day in the tropics, being likely mostly captive bred. I think they can easily be acclimated to reasonably lower temps. The three local fish stores keep all their tanks at 70-74 which means I'm keeping them from 7-10 degrees cooler for part of the year.
I'm saving $30 month on electric heat for the tanks in winter.
Discuss...
I stopped heating in the summer as always, and then never turned them back on, so they slowly dropped in temp, it was not instant.
I stopped heating over a year ago and let the tanks adjust themselves. Lighting is a 4 foot shop light with daylight bulbs on the 55, and stock hood on the 29 with aftermarket daylight bulb. They give off minimal heat. I do grow plants in the 55.
I filter with larger than needed HOB filters, using floss mat. Only occasionally using carbon.
I keep giant danios (my favorite species), bamboo shrimp, amano shrimp, three spot gouramis, corydoras, zebra danios, upside down catfishes, harlequin rasboras, black skirt tetras and cherry barbs between the two tanks. The small fish are in the 29, the largers in the 55.
I have zero fish health issues. Nothing. They grow to normal home aquarium sizes, the same ones that would breed on occasion when I heated the tanks still breed now.
As listed, I do not keep delicate or particularly sensitive species. These are all regular abundant and robust fish anyone can buy at any fish store.
I do have heaters in both tanks, but now they are only there in case the furnace broke or something catastrophic caused the house temp to drop below 60.
According to some, my fish should have been sick and dead a year ago. It can't just be 'luck'.
My opinion is that yes, these are 'tropical' species of fish but likely have never lived a day in the tropics, being likely mostly captive bred. I think they can easily be acclimated to reasonably lower temps. The three local fish stores keep all their tanks at 70-74 which means I'm keeping them from 7-10 degrees cooler for part of the year.
I'm saving $30 month on electric heat for the tanks in winter.
Discuss...