Tank temp

[Lamie]

It's summer here and my tank is in a warm room. Iv'e turned the temperature down to 23 degrees celsius but the water temp is still high at 26. Will the temperature of the room be affecting the temp of the tank water? (or is it the heater and I need a new one) thanks

 

[itiwhetu]

Yes, it will. Your heater/ thermostat only stops your tank from getting too cold. As your temperature rises it just switches off and has no effect on your tank temperature.

 

[Lamie]

Yes, it will. Your heater/ thermostat only stops your tank from getting too cold. As your temperature rises it just switches off and has no effect on your tank temperature.

Thank you.

 

[Colin_T]

What sort of fish do you have?

Most tropical fish are fine with warm water for a few months each year. The main thing is for the temperature to go up gradually over a period of weeks or months, and then to come down slowly.

Most of my tanks would sit on 30C+ during summer and then drop to 18C in winter. I set my heaters to 18C, which was as low as I wanted them to get. The fish were fine with the fluctuations because it was gradual.

The main thing with warm water is it holds less oxygen so it's a good idea to increase aeration/ surface turbulence when the water warms up.

 

[FishHobby99]

I’ve had difficulty with the thermostats on some heaters. some don’t do what they claim. Some do & will shut off as the room temp rIses. small gradual dips and temp rises don‘t appear to affect the fish.

 

[GaryE]

I disconnect all heaters during a Canadian summer. The water can get up to the 25-27 range. I found that when outside temperatures fell, heaters left on tended to fail. If I plugged them in as needed, they seemed to work much better, longer and more reliably.
I now rarely use tank heaters, and just heat the room to 22. I've had too many stuck heater disasters. As far as trust goes, aquarium heaters seem to be the mechanical equivalent of politicians.
A lot depends on the fish you like though. Mine thrive in the 22-23 range, and I avoid species that like it hotter.