Aquarium Temperature - How to control it

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Nov 1, 2000

Often, one of the more overlooked elements of an aquarium is its temperature. Aquarists are so concerned with water quality and the biological state of the aquarium that they do not always pay much attention to the temperature. In this article I will outline some of the typical hardware that can be used to monitor and control aquarium temperature and briefly describe temporary solutions when such hardware fails.

As most aquarists are aware, stress reduces the natural ability of an aquarium inhabitant to fight off disease and infection. It comes as no surprise that much of an aquarist's job centers around reducing sources of stress in the aquarium. Among other things, temperature of the aquarium can be a source of stress. There are two major temperature situations that aquarists must try and avoid. The first is continual improper water temperature. Generally speaking, most aquarium inhabitants prefer water temperatures around 77°F. Typically, if water temperature increases above 80°F, or below 72°F, disaster is immanent. The second temperature situation to avoid is rapid temperature changes. This is particularly deceiving since it doesn't have to be temperature changes much greater that a few degrees Fahrenheit. This is one of the reasons that new fish are usually introduced into the aquarium by slowly equilibrating their water temperature with that of the aquarium (i.e. you float the bag they come home in at the surface of the aquarium for a while).

So what is out there to make the aquarist's life easier? Luckily, several heating and cooling devices are available. I will begin with heating devices since they are generally what are required. Two main categories of heaters are offered: internal to the aquarium and external to the aquarium. The most common heating elements are those that are internal to the aquarium. These units are generally housed in a glass tube (4" to 12" long), often with a built-in thermostat. Those without the thermostat are used in conjunction with an external thermostat that can often be used to control multiple heating elements. No matter which model you chose to purchase, the most important thing to consider is proper sizing. Heating elements are measured in Watts. Generally speaking, you want about 3 Watts/gallon of aquarium. An additional consideration is proper water circulation. If there is not proper water circulation in an aquarium using a heater, there will be differences in the temperature of the water in different parts of the aquarium. Proper water circulation is also important for the biological stability of your aquarium, so this is something that should not be overlooked. Most often, aquarists opt for a internal heater with a built-in thermostat costing between $20 and $50. Recently external heating devices such as under-aquarium heating elements have been gaining popularity; however, I do not have much experience with these and recommend that if you are interested you make sure to get the proper information before setting up your aquarium (I believe you have to plan ahead for this. Also, if the heater fails I think it can end up being a bit of a pain). A final note that I have for heating elements is that you should always have an additional way to measure the water temperature...never trust the thermostat....it only tells you what temperature the heater is "striving" for. A very common (and cheap) way to measure the water temperature is to use an adhesive strip that attaches to the side of the aquarium. You can find this at your local fish store.

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The copyright of the article Aquarium Temperature - How to control it in Aquariums is owned by Douglas DuHamel. Permission to republish Aquarium Temperature - How to control it in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.