The optimal temperature in a home aquarium: how it should be, what kind of fish and plants to start

Water is not just a source of life. Which fish and how long they will live in the aquarium depends on its properties. Being simple in its composition, water is actually a very complex chemical element.

Aquarium owners do not need to know all the chemical properties, it is enough to understand some of them. So, 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.

Importance of water temperature for aquarium animals

The temperature of the water in the aquarium is a vital condition for the existence of the inhabitants. The course of all processes of development of fish and plants depends on what the temperature environment is. To determine the temperature regime, there are special aquarium thermometers. They measure not only how warm the water is, but also how degrees it can differ in the lower and upper layers. 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 differences can be detrimental to the fish.

The dependence of aquarium fish on water temperature

Body temperature in fish is not a constant value. It is very dependent on the environment. The higher the heat, the faster the metabolic rate 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.

In an aquarium, especially if it is small in volume, and there are a lot of 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 water: it becomes cloudy, the smell of ammonia appears, oxygen starvation occurs in living organisms. In this case, even an air aerator does not help.

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

There is no specific 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 degree water in an aquarium. These fish require a large aquariumif you have a pair, then they need at least 40 liters, for two pairs, respectively, there should be 80 liters. With all this, planting plants and supplying the aquarium with oxygen are necessary.

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

In fact, all this is not an unbreakable rule. For every kind there is a specific water temperature, from which one should build on in order to know what temperature should be in the aquarium.

The optimal temperature level for keeping fish in an aquarium

If the fish contained in the aquarium of the same species, then there will be no problems in their maintenance – it is enough to maintain one constant temperature water. Some aquarists want to diversify the animal world of their aquarium. In this case, you need to pick up fish with one temperature regime. Help, especially for beginners, may be able to know the following rules:

• it is necessary to populate the aquarium with fish with one common temperature of the habitat;
• for pregnant fish and fry that have appeared, it is worth starting a separate aquarium with a high water temperature;
• per day, 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: in cold water it is easier to get sick and in water at a higher temperature, the presence of oxygen decreases;
• for temperature control the aquarium must be equipped with a thermometer and a heating system (preferably with an alert sensor).

Ways to maintain the temperature in the aquarium

As already mentioned, special means are used for a constant temperature value. These funds are primarily intended for heating the aquarium. How much room temperature affects the aquarium, experienced aquarists know. The rest should remember ways to change the temperature balance of water at different times of the year:

• not everyone knows that an aquarium refrigerator is used to lower the temperature;
• if the apartment has air conditioning, then it will maintain the desired mode;
• some amateurs blow the water surface with a fan;
• 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.

In any case, man decides for himselfhow he will use to heat or cool the water in the aquarium. Using professional devices, there is a guarantee of correct temperature control.