EdgarMedina1010
Aquarium Advice Freak
What's the best temp. for 6 neon tetras , 3 platy's ... also for 3 white clouds and a pleco...thanks
these are at two different tanks...DepotFish said:I agree, you shouldn't mix coldwater clouds and platies with warm water neons
EdgarMedina1010 said:these are at two different tanks...DepotFish said:I agree, you shouldn't mix coldwater clouds and platies with warm water neons
Voodoo Chilli said:The platys would tolerate the cooler water and the white clouds would prefer it, but I wouldn't keep neons in anything lower than the 79-82F range.
hc8719 said:i heard warmer temps accelerate your fishes lifespan, ive been trying to stay at 76 for mine
Not all fish from "tropical" SA come from warm waters. The last time I kept neons, they were in an unheated tank, and they did fine. They grew to full size, and flourished. Cardinals, on the other hand, do come from warm waters, and 80F is the right temp for them. There are more than a few fish that come from cooler waters, including many of the coryadoras species. With every degree that the temp goes up in a tank, so does the risk of problems, from low oxygen, to increased bacterial pathogens. IME keeping the fish at the low end of their preferred range leads to fewer problems in the long run. It also saves on energy consumption, and when you have multiple tanks, that is a factor. Five of my tanks are heated, and five aren't. All the tanks with livebearers are unheated, and all fish are flourishing at around 70F, with fluctuations to a low of 66F on hot days, and a high of 73F, on cool days. So, while your experience may differ, the fish in the original post will all do well at lower temps.Voodoo Chilli said:Neons are a tropical fish from the tropical waters of South America. That means warmer water. I know several discus hobbyists who keep neons in their tanks, which run in the 80-86F range; the neons seem rather happy to me. I've kept them in ram tanks running anywhere from 80-83F. No problems there, other than that acclimation trouble at the very beginning.