What temperature should be in the aquarium and how to maintain it? Find out what should be the temperature in the aquarium. The optimum temperature in the aquarium for catfish.

Water is more than just the source of life. Which fish will live in the aquarium and how long will depend on its properties. Simple in composition, water is actually a very complex chemical element.

Aquarium owners don't need to know everything Chemical properties, it is enough to understand some of them. For example, aquarists need such characteristics of water as hardness, the presence of gases dissolved in it, temperature, salinity and the degree of concentration of waste products.

Water temperature value for aquarium animals

The temperature of the water in the aquarium is a vital condition for the existence of the inhabitants. From what is temperature environment, the course of all processes of development of fish and plants depends. For determining temperature regime there are special aquarium thermometers. They measure not only how much the water has warmed up, but also how many degrees it can differ in the lower and top layer... There should be no difference in temperature difference.

If there is such a difference, it is necessary to take measures to restore the balance, since the differences can be detrimental to the fish.

The dependence of aquarium fish on water temperature

Body temperature in fish is not constant. It is very dependent on the environment. The higher the heat readings, the faster speed metabolism and the faster the fish grows.

Each type of fish has its own temperature at which they feel most comfortable. Even exceeding the optimal temperature conditions significantly affects aquarium fish kah.

In an aquarium, especially if it is of a small volume, and there are many living organisms themselves, an increase in temperature leads to a decrease in oxygen in water. Increased life processes in fish lead to an increase in oxygen consumption. All this affects the state of the water: it becomes cloudy, the smell of ammonia appears, and oxygen starvation occurs in living organisms. In this case, even an air aerator does not help.

V natural conditions aquarium fish live in tropical waters, where it is always warm. The temperature drops are not as great as in our latitudes and are 2-3 degrees. Therefore, there is a lower and upper temperature limit for fish. To make the fish comfortable they are acclimatized in quarantine. For a couple of days at a high water temperature, if it does not differ from their usual environment or one or two degrees higher, the fish gets used to a new place of residence. If the temperature regime is lower, then acclimatization may take longer, sometimes up to several weeks.

There is no definite temperature value for everyone, because fish are divided into warm water and cold water.

The warm-water type of fish lives in a temperature range of 18 to 20 degrees. But they can also exist at seventeen degrees of water in the aquarium. These fish require a large aquarium, if you have a pair, then they need at least 40 liters, for two pairs, respectively, there should be 80 liters. With all this, planting and supply of oxygen to the aquarium are needed.

The cold water type of fish also needs a good oxygen supply. But on the other hand, they can live at low temperatures (14 degrees), and at elevated water temperatures (25 degrees).

In fact, all this is not an unbreakable rule. For each species there is a certain water temperature, from which you should build on in order to know what temperature should be in the aquarium.

Optimum temperature level for keeping fish in the aquarium

If the fish contained in the aquarium are of the same species, then there will be no problems in keeping them - it is enough to maintain one constant temperature water. Some aquarists want to diversify animal world your aquarium. In this case, you need to pick up fish with one temperature regime. Knowing the following rules may help, especially for beginners:

• it is necessary to populate the aquarium with fish with one common temperature of the environment;
• for pregnant fish and fry that have appeared, it is worth starting a separate aquarium with an increased water temperature;
• per day, the temperature changes in the water in the aquarium cannot deviate from the established norm by more than 2-3 degrees;
• know what the optimal water temperature in the aquarium should be: cold water easier to get sick and in water more elevated temperature the presence of oxygen decreases;
• for temperature control the aquarium must be equipped with a thermometer and a heating system (best with an alert sensor).

Ways to maintain the temperature in the aquarium

As already mentioned, for a constant temperature value, we use special means... These products are primarily intended for heating the aquarium. Experienced aquarists know how much room temperature affects an aquarium. The rest should remember the ways to change the temperature balance of water in different time of the year:

• not everyone knows that an aquarium refrigerator is used to lower the temperature;
• if the apartment has an air conditioner, then it will maintain the desired mode;
• some amateurs blow a fan over the water surface;
• if there is neither one nor the other, then ice can be used for cooling;
• heating is carried out by a special heater;
• when there is no desire to spend money on the purchase of equipment, you can use a regular heating pad.

Anyway a person decides for himself how he will use to heat or cool water in the aquarium. Using professional devices, there is a guarantee of correct temperature control.

Digital thermometer for aquarium
photo can be enlarged

Among all the factors that ensure health, perhaps the most important is the optimal temperature in the aquarium, and when choosing a place for installing the tank, this aspect must be taken into account.

For all living things, including fish, essential condition existence is the ambient temperature. It affects not only environment, but also on chemical and biological processes in animals and plants.

There are no definite numbers that will satisfy every aquarium, as the temperature depends on factors such as its inhabitants and the chosen maintenance regime. The temperature range for most fish is 20 to 30 ° C, but the optimum temperature should be maintained for each individual type of fish.

So the best range of constant temperature in the aquarium for varies between 24-26 ° C, but some deviations are allowed - 23-28 ° C. Moreover, if the temperature drops below 14 ° C or rises above 33 ° C, then the fish will not survive.

For the temperature in the aquarium, the optimum is in the range from 18 to 28 ° C. However, the catfish is an unpretentious fish, therefore it can easily withstand significant deviations from these limits, but for a short time.

In principle, the temperature in the aquarium has a wide range. The optimum is 22-26 ° C, but they can easily tolerate a decrease in temperature to 18 ° C, but they need to be lowered gradually, without sudden changes.

Optimum temperature in an aquarium for is 24-26 ° С, but since these fish are not demanding enough, they will calmly suffer a temporary decrease to 16 ° С.

Automatic heater for aquarium
photo can be enlarged

It is important to avoid significant (more than 2-4 degrees) temperature fluctuations. Its smooth changes are quite acceptable, but sharp jumps during the day, or even several hours, are extremely undesirable. Meanwhile, this does not happen so rarely, especially with small aquariums with a capacity of less than 60-50 liters. Relatively small volumes cool quickly and heat up quickly. A window that is open for a long time in the cold season can easily cool the room. If there is no heater in the aquarium, then within a few hours of such ventilation, the water in it will noticeably cool down.

It turns out that the fish can also catch a cold. And then "pick up" a bacterial infection or chylodonellosis. If the aquarium does not have a thermometer, such temperature fluctuations can go unnoticed by the owner of the aquarium. It should be noted that a small aquarium is immeasurably smaller than even a small natural reservoir, where changes in water temperature are much slower, since large masses of water are slower and cool down and heat up more slowly. That is why fish are not at all adapted to sudden temperature jumps and these jumps can cause them a lot of stress.

Sometimes it is necessary to carefully monitor not only the water temperature, but also the air temperature above the water. This is especially important when keeping labyrinth fish that regularly capture air from the surface. They are thermophilic enough and can get sick or even die "breathing" air, which is 5 degrees and colder than the water where these fish live. When keeping labyrinth fish, a certain amount of care when ventilating the room is especially necessary.

Overheating can be very dangerous too. Well-fed fish tolerate it worst of all. V warm water contains much less oxygen, and well-fed fish need it especially. Overheating can occur from heating by the sun's rays (if the aquarium is located so that direct sunlight falls on it), from the heat of radiators (if the aquarium is located close to them - this is 50 cm or less), from lamps illuminating the aquarium, especially if lamps powerful, and the aquarium is covered with a blank lid. It is not for nothing that plant lovers who illuminate their aquariums with powerful lamps make additional ventilation holes in the aquarium lids and adapt computer coolers for them. Using a cooler, you can reduce the temperature of the surface layers of water by 1-3 degrees.

Aquarium heaters
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Quite often, you have to change the temperature of the water in the aquarium to ensure a safe existence for your fish. For this, there are special devices. Many aquariums are already initially equipped with special heating pads, thermometers and thermostats, which allow both to lower the temperature in the aquarium, and vice versa, to heat the water. If your aquarium is equipped with a full arsenal of such devices, it will be easy for you to maintain the desired temperature. How do I lower or raise the temperature in my aquarium? It is enough just to follow the readings of the thermometer and, if necessary, adjust the temperature regime.

To maintain the required temperature of the aquarium water, you need to buy two things at the pet store: a thermostat, a heater, and a thermometer with suction cups. The thermostat for an aquarium heater is selected based on the volume of the aquarium, its power must be appropriate. They fix it, as a rule, on the back wall of the aquarium, near c, so that it is completely submerged in the input. When exposing the right temperature on the thermostat scale, at first (6-12 hours), monitor the heating level aquarium water... This is due to the fact that often the scale of the thermostat does not always correspond to the real temperature of heating the water, or the thermostat does not quite fit the volume of the aquarium. The aquarium heater must be completely submerged in water. Do not allow it to be in the switched on state in the air (in whole or in part). This will cause it to overheat quickly.

Alcohol thermometer for aquarium
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When buying a thermometer, you should pay attention to the quality of the suction cups. If they are weak, the thermometer will often fall to the ground. In addition, there are fish that pathologically may not like the thermometer and will deliberately dump it.

Overheating fish is also very dangerous. Aquarium temperatures above 36 ° C are deadly for most types of aquarium fish, but 33 ° C can lead to noticeable trouble. In general, it is not correct to clearly indicate which temperatures are dangerous for fish, and which are not. It depends on factors such as the content of nitrates and nitrites in the water, organic matter, the intensity of aeration of the aquarium, the degree of satiety of fish.

And most importantly, from what water temperature these fish are used to. If aquarium fish of any kind are kept at 21 ° C for a long time, then they are likely to become seriously ill or die, being in water with a temperature of 31 ° C, even if mixing water to bring them to this temperature smoothly for 3-4 hours. In any case, an increase in water temperature by 4 degrees or more in a few hours is a serious danger to fish.

What to do if this suddenly happened? For example, steam heating batteries suddenly started working, and you recklessly placed your aquarium in the immediate vicinity of them, or the thermostat at the heating pad simply broke. It is necessary to increase the aeration of the aquarium to the maximum possible. If the turbine head of your aquarium filter allows air to be sucked in, which is then expelled along with the stream of water, be sure to turn on this mode! Remove the cap from the aquarium and let a plastic bottle of cold water float into the aquarium water. In the first 10 minutes, you can reduce the temperature by 2 degrees, in the next 20 - by another 1.

If the compressor is low-power and does not allow increasing aeration, but there is no pump, or its design does not allow aeration of the water, then continuously shake the surface of the aquarium water at least with your hand. Any mixing of water enriches it with oxygen! If, despite all the measures taken, the fish continue to swim very sluggishly near the surface and breathe heavily, then add pharmaceutical (3%) hydrogen peroxide to the aquarium water at the rate of 20-25 ml per 100 liters.

The temperature of the aquarium water is one of the most important vital signs for fish. Various physiological processes of the inhabitants of the aquarium depend on it, as well as chemical reactions occurring in it. In this regard, it is necessary to carefully monitor the degree of heating and cooling of the water and keep it at a comfortable level. This is especially important because fish are cold-blooded creatures. Their body temperature is equal to the temperature of the water in which they are, they cannot regulate it. Therefore, any changes affect the well-being and health of the fish.

Favorable water temperature in the aquarium for fish

The most comfortable temperature for fish is from +22 to +26 degrees. This mode is suitable for most aquarium inhabitants.

Allowing an increase in the water heating level above +26 degrees and a decrease below +22 is dangerous to the health of pets. The exception is situations when such indicators are suitable for the normal functioning of specific species.

How to measure the temperature of aquarium water

There are special thermometers for measuring the temperature of the aquarium liquid. They are supposed to be placed in the place farthest from the heater, in the middle layer of water.

The most convenient and reliable is an immersion (internal) thermometer, which is attached inside a home pond. He, unlike the outside, measures the temperature of the water, and not the air around the aquarium.

How to warm the water in an aquarium

Sometimes, with the usual ventilation of the room, the owners do not notice that in this way they also cool the contents of the aquarium, which makes its inhabitants feel bad. To quickly correct the situation with hypothermia and maintain an optimal temperature regime, there are several methods:

• The easiest way is to use a heating pad. If there is one at home, you can safely connect and heat the water.
• Another method is to add some hot boiled water to the aquarium. But with this method, you need to be careful, because you can get boiling water on some fish. Also, you can not exceed the amount of boiled water, it should be no more than 10% of the total volume of the aquarium.
• The most extreme way is alcohol. You need to pour some vodka or brandy into the aquarium (1 tbsp. L. Per 100 l). It is better to resort to such measures if the health of the fish is rapidly deteriorating. You also need to remember to rinse the aquarium some time after this technique.
• The least dangerous method for fish with boiled water is with a plastic bottle. It is necessary to pour boiling water into a container and place it in an aquarium, where it will give its heat to the water.

How to cool aquarium water

Overheating of the water, like hypothermia, is dangerous for the health and well-being of the inhabitants of the aquarium. There are many reasons why the water temperature can rise above the prescribed norm: the ingress of direct sun rays, nearby batteries, a broken sensor on a heating pad, etc. Overheating more than +30 degrees is fraught with unpleasant consequences- inhabitants of the reservoir may die. There are several ways to quickly cool the water temperature in a fish tank:

• Use plastic bottle, but in this case you need to fill it with cold water (or ice).
• Cope with the rise in water temperature with a compressor. Increasing the amount of air in the water will allow the fish to breathe easier, so keep this device on at all times.
• You can also use ordinary hydrogen peroxide to make breathing easier for the inhabitants of the aquarium. Only 1 tbsp. l. liquid peroxide per 100 liters of water will enrich it with oxygen and disinfect.

Indicators of a favorable water temperature for different species of fish

The optimum water temperature for each species of aquarium inhabitants is different.

Data for maintaining a comfortable existence of the most popular breeds of aquarium fish:

All life on our planet can exist only in the optimal temperature range. This fully applies to ornamental fish. What temperature should be maintained in a water house? How to create comfortable conditions for different types fish? You need to think about these and other questions even before you start breeding aquarium animals.

The development, life and health of aquatic inhabitants directly depend on the state of the environment. And decorative fish are no exception. The fact is that the chemical and biological processes of their body are closely related to the temperature regime.

For example, heating water only 8-10 degrees above normal causes increased oxygen consumption in fish. And in an excessively warm water environment, the solubility of oxygen molecules decreases.

In some cases, this factor can even lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium. In such situations, they say that the fish suffocated.

This is why professional aquarists recommend not deviating more than 2-4 degrees from the regimen.

Sharp temperature changes are also undesirable, which are possible if the house for aquatic animals is installed incorrectly: by the window on the sunny side, for example.

Optimal temperature conditions

Most often, people keep fish in their home aquariums, whose homeland is in tropical latitudes. The water temperature in such a climate practically does not change and is 20-26 degrees above zero. About the same amount must be maintained in the aquarium by the owners of ornamental domestic fish. True, there may be some mode variations for different species.

So, the climate normal for life must be constantly maintained. This is achieved using special aquarium equipment.

Aquarium water heater

If the aquarium is deep enough, the water at the bottom is somewhat colder than at the surface. It is believed that the temperature difference should not be more than 2 degrees, and ideally the aquatic environment should be homogeneous.

That is why a so-called rod heater is most often used when heating water. This simple device is structurally a hollow glass (or ceramic) rod, inside which a heating element is placed - a nichrome wire.

Using suction cups, the aquarium heater is attached vertically to the tank wall. Most models have an automatic heating control function.

The thermostat for the aquarium is very convenient: there is no need to constantly turn the device on and off.

Such devices are widely represented on the market. Here you can highlight the aquarium heater of the Polish company Aquael or the Chinese product of the XILong brand. Products from these manufacturers are available with or without thermostats (budget option).

Aquarium cooler

Cooling of the aquarium water is often required. Such a need may arise when high temperatures indoor air. For these purposes, special devices have been created - aquarium coolers. They are of two main types: air and water.

Air cooler in essence it is a compact fan with a thermal sensor. It attaches to the top of the rear window and blows cool air over the surface of the aqua, increasing the rate of evaporation of warm water.

After cooling the water, the fan stops working at the command of the temperature sensor. Low power consumption, low level noise during operation contribute to widespread use such chillers in small and shallow aquariums.

As an example: portable cooling fans of the German JBL Cooler series are distinguished by their high reliability and low power consumption. They are all equipped with a thermostat to adjust the operating time.

For large home or office aqua systems, they usually use remote coolers... They are also called aquarium refrigerators. They are truly compact in design. refrigeration units, very effectively cooling the aquarium water that is circulated through their system.

Appliances installed near the aquarium are equipped with two tubes that are lowered into the container. One tube serves to draw in warm water, and the other to release chilled water.

On the aquarium market, such devices are represented by the products of the Italian company Teco, the Chinese series of water refrigerators HAILEA and Resun.

Forced regulation of the temperature of the aquarium water is essential. The choice of suitable heaters and coolers depends on the size of the aquarium, the room temperature and, of course, the budget of the aquarist.

A video on how to organize the cooling of an aquarium with your own hands:

Fish are cold-blooded creatures, the constancy of their vital activity is determined by the temperature of the water in their living space. And if in their usual habitat the fish are not so sensitive to changes in water temperature, in aquariums it is very important to create the optimal regime and conditions for their wards.

What should be the temperature of the water in the aquarium

Water temperature is one of the most important parameters in an aquarium. Before you launch the fish into a new habitat for them, be sure to find out what conditions you need to create for this or that type of fish. Otherwise, the fish will get sick and may die.

As a rule, the optimum temperature for most fish species is 22-26 degrees Celsius.

At the same time, in order to select this indicator, take into account species features inhabitants in your aquarium. Some fish prefer to live in warmer or, conversely, cooler waters. At the same time, sharp and too frequent changes in any case will negatively affect health. aquarium fish.

The temperature of the water in the aquarium directly affects the health and longevity of the aquarium inhabitants.

So, among aquarium fish there are thermophilic species, for the comfort of which the water temperature should be within 27-29 degrees. This temperature regime is ideal for discus, scalar, and other species of tropical fish that live in water bodies. South America, where the year-round air temperature is 25-28 degrees.

There are types of fish that are comfortable in cooler water, with a temperature of 18-22 degrees. Goldfish, neons can exist for a long period of time and for more low temperatures water. Therefore, such fish can be kept in aquariums without heating, but at the same time in such conditions there must be good aeration and sufficient space for a normal existence.

The most hardy fish are cichlids. They can live in warm and cool water, but at the same time, average indicators are optimal for them. The permissible water temperature for this type of aquarium fish is 24-30 degrees.

Thus, for heat-loving fish, a strong decrease in temperature is unacceptable, namely below 18–20 degrees, and for cold-water fish, the water is too warm. The maximum temperature limit is 21-24 degrees.

A sudden change in the temperature of the water in the aquarium can cause shock in the fish, which can be fatal.

When the water overheats, the lifespan of cold-water fish is significantly reduced. In addition, in warm water, the concentration of oxygen decreases, which can cause oxygen starvation, the amount of nitrogenous compounds increases, oxidation processes are disrupted, and metabolic processes in fish are accelerated. The water in the aquarium becomes cloudy, acquires an unpleasant specific odor, and begins to "bloom".

It is also worth noting that changes in the temperature of the water in the aquarium from the established optimum are more easily tolerated by the fish if they change gradually and the water is enriched with oxygen. To create the most comfortable living conditions for the fish, aquarists must constantly monitor the state of the water (pH, temperature).

How to maintain a constant water temperature in your aquarium

To ensure a constant temperature regime, there are special systems and devices on sale in pet stores, which are primarily intended for heating aquarium water. In this case, aquarium refrigerators are used to lower the water temperature, but ordinary ice can also be used.

If an air conditioner is installed in the house, apartment, it will maintain a constant microclimate in the room, the desired temperature regime.

To know the temperature of the water in the aquarium, you need to purchase:

• water thermometer with suction cups (electronic, digital);
• thermostat-heater.

When choosing a thermostat for heating water, consider the volume of the aquarium. Its capacity should be sufficient for full water heating. It is best to attach the thermostat near the aerated filter on the back wall of the tank. There are also models that attach to an external filter. The thermostat must be completely immersed in water, otherwise it will overheat and the system will quickly fail.

When setting the desired temperature during the first 6-12 hours, monitor the temperature indicators, the level of heating of the aquarium water. It so happens that the readings on the thermostat scale do not always correspond to the real water temperature, or the system itself is not suitable for the volume of the aquarium.

What to do in case of severe overheating or cooling of water

V extreme situations that may arise due to the failure of thermoregulation equipment, it is very important to correct the situation as soon as possible. Measures to rescue the inhabitants of the aquarium must be taken immediately, since every second is precious.

When decreasing temperature indicators if there is no spare heater on hand, warm up the cooled water and gradually add it to the tank. Every 15–20 minutes, the temperature should be changed by no more than 2 degrees.

You can add no more than 10% of fresh water from the total volume of the aquarium. In case of insufficient warming, you can raise the water temperature by placing a plastic bottle with hot water.

In critical situations, when the fish are frozen, lie at the bottom and show practically no signs of life, experienced aquarists recommend adding vodka to the water (20-30 ml per 100 liters of water). After the temperature is restored, replace 1/3 of the water in the pond to get rid of alcohol.

The high temperature in the tank is critical for almost all types of fish. The first step is to increase the oxygen concentration in the aquarium. Turn on the aerator and add 20-25 ml of hydrogen peroxide per 100 liters of water. It is affordable pharmacy remedy disinfects water. You can also place a bottle of cold water or ice cubes.

To prevent development infectious diseases, to prevent a decrease in the immunity of fish in case of overheating or hypothermia of the water, add broad-spectrum antibacterial agents to the water.

To maintain the optimal water temperature, do not place the aquarium near heating devices, in rooms with sharp temperature changes, high humidity, as well as on the side of direct sunlight, the compressor must be on most of the time.

Choose heating systems from trusted manufacturers. Thermal pads must have sensors. Constantly monitor the readings of the aquarium thermometer, which should be located in a convenient place in the tank, as well as other parameters aquatic environment.

Knowing what the water temperature should be for aquarium fish, you can create optimal and favorable conditions for your pets.