Heater In House Broken And No Heater On Tank

[pklong]

Please help!  We live in Florida, where it is generally quite warm outside.  We're in the middle of a cold snap (very cold for us) and our heater broke last night.  We finally got the A/C technician out this evening and the whole unit needs to be replaced, so no heat tonight, as well.  We have a 5 gallon tank with no water heater.  In it, we have 1 male betta, 3 neon tetras, and 1 albino cory catfish.  Their water got down to 67 degrees F and stayed there all day.  My husband replaced 2 quarts of water in the tank with warm water to help bring up the temperature (now at 70 degrees F).  How do we keep the tank warm tonight without being able to heat the house, let alone the tank water?  Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[AshleyNZ]

Maybe put boiled water in some type of bag, and sit it on the water? Just an idea, don't know  if it would work... but good luck with your problem

 

[Fishmanic]

once you get your heat back, check all your fish for ich---happened to me after my tank heater quit.  I used a space heater pointed at the tank for 3 days till I got a new heater and brought the tank up to 75 degrees but my tank developed ich and i lost some fish.   

 

[tunagirll]

Your best bet is to grab a large volume container or ideally an esky, get it spotless and fill it with water at the right temperature - add your fish and insulate as much as you can. It will help regulate the temperature for a much longer period and reduce your need to care.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Wrapping the tank with insulation is another option. That will help to keep water at a steady temp for a bit longer.
 
Wrap can be in form of anything insulating like a blanket/duvet for example.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Could you use a space heater in a room?  Would feel nice for your fish and you.

 

[Doomchibi]

What about those little 5-10 hour handwarmers you can buy that you shake up to activate? The packets? You could buy a few of the smaller ones, activate one and stick it in a ziploc bag and drop it in the tank. Just check your tank every few hours or so just to make sure it's not too warm. I have heard of people using them for reptiles and turtle tanks in emergencies so it shouldn't be much different for your fish. I'm thinking it would be better than no heat at all. 
 
Also, unrelated to the heat issue.. you really should get a few more neon tetras, they like to be in larger groups. I don't know much about the cories but I believe it is the same situation for them as well. 
 
Good luck!

 

[DoubleDutch]

I don't know about the betta, but neons and Corydoras Aeneus are perfectly allright with 67F

 

[Doomchibi]

Bettas are tropical and like at a minimum, 78F on the lower end and prefer around 82F. Everything I have been reading say neons prefer a water temperature of no lower than 74F, and a quick search on the Albino cories is showing me the same temperature ranges as the betta. Sure, they may be surviving at 67F but they couldn't possibly be happy at that low of a temperature.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Thought so for the Betta. Lots of (Sub)tropical fish often are kept at too high long term temps, and will have a shorter live. Also different thoughts at different Continents I think. Neon-minimum overhere is 68K and for Corydoras Aeneus Albino Planet Catfish shows 69.8-80.6°F (Long term).
Cooler for some time / at night won't be a problem. Keeping my Aeneus in unheated tanks !!
But the Betta is indeed a problem !!!