Do I need a thermometer to even out the temperature range or will room conditions be fine for this tank?
Thanks,
AquariumGuy
Edited by Usil, 02 September 2011 - 11:05 AM.
Thermometer or not for natives...
Started by
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, Sep 02 2011 11:04 AM
14 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_Usil_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 11:04 AM
I am putting together a 55 gallon native tank and it will be positioned in my home office. The room has air-conditioning and for the most part is kept between 78 to 83 degrees most of the time and can get to 85/86 for a few hours on hot days outside. The tank will be by a window facing north so it gets a little sun in the morning only. The fish I will raise will be a couple of longears, bluespot and an orange spot.
Do I need a thermometer to even out the temperature range or will room conditions be fine for this tank?
Thanks,
AquariumGuy
Do I need a thermometer to even out the temperature range or will room conditions be fine for this tank?
Thanks,
AquariumGuy
#2
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 11:16 AM
I am putting together a 55 gallon native tank and it will be positioned in my home office. The room has air-conditioning and for the most part is kept between 78 to 83 degrees most of the time and can get to 85/86 for a few hours on hot days outside. The tank will be by a window facing north so it gets a little sun in the morning only. The fish I will raise will be a couple of longears, bluespot and an orange spot.
Do I need a thermometer to even out the temperature range or will room conditions be fine for this tank?
Thanks,
AquariumGuy
No, you do not need a heater or thermostat of any kind... you can have a thermometer if you want
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#3
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 11:19 AM
If the temperature of the water itself reaches 86 F then you might want to make sure you have some method to move the water around. A filter, an air stone, anything, as long as the water is kept moving to keep the dissolved oxygen up.
#4
Guest_Usil_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 11:55 AM
Thanks, I meant a heater. I will have air and water flow.
Usil
Usil
#5
littlen
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 01:47 PM
Usil,
Temperature is not necessarily the issue, but how fast it changes. Most of our natives can survive freezing temps in the winter and temps in the 80's and 90's in the summer. But this is a gradual change. Prolonged exposure to temps that change dramatically in a 24 hour period, day after day, leads to constant stress and significantly increases the risk of disease.
As others mentioned, a heater is not necessary. You may want to throw in a thermometer and record the temps throughout the day to see how much it goes up and down. The few degrees that your tank may change does not sound like a major concern, especially with sunfish. I prefer to keep my fish at a constant temp and raise or lower it slowly to encourage breeding.
Good luck.
Temperature is not necessarily the issue, but how fast it changes. Most of our natives can survive freezing temps in the winter and temps in the 80's and 90's in the summer. But this is a gradual change. Prolonged exposure to temps that change dramatically in a 24 hour period, day after day, leads to constant stress and significantly increases the risk of disease.
As others mentioned, a heater is not necessary. You may want to throw in a thermometer and record the temps throughout the day to see how much it goes up and down. The few degrees that your tank may change does not sound like a major concern, especially with sunfish. I prefer to keep my fish at a constant temp and raise or lower it slowly to encourage breeding.
Good luck.
Nick L.
#6
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 01:51 PM
Prolonged exposure to temps that change dramatically in a 24 hour period, day after day, leads to constant stress and significantly increases the risk of disease.
You may want to throw in a thermometer and record the temps throughout the day to see how much it goes up and down. The few degrees that your tank may change does not sound like a major concern, especially with sunfish.
I wonder what the typical daily temperature fluctuations might be for breeding sunfish the sun in lake shallows? Water is a nice heat sink and temperature stabilizer, but I imagine there must be quite a change in shallow, sunny spots where I often see sunfish nests.
#7
Guest_Usil_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 06:42 PM
I am going to take a thermometer with me on my outings to see what the water temp is at the collecting locations - just for my own information.
AquariumGuy
AquariumGuy
#8
Guest_frogwhacker_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 07:28 PM
I wonder what the typical daily temperature fluctuations might be for breeding sunfish the sun in lake shallows? Water is a nice heat sink and temperature stabilizer, but I imagine there must be quite a change in shallow, sunny spots where I often see sunfish nests.
I've never checked, but I've often wondered what the difference in water temperatures can be at the mouth of those really cold small feeder streams too. I've seen fish of different types hanging out there. I know they're probably waiting on meals, but it sure seems like the temperature difference would be quite a shock. I'll be in the creek within a few days. If I remember, I'll check and see.
Steve.
#9
Guest_keepnatives_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 07:35 PM
These fish while young may be fine together but as they grow the bluespots will suffer and with further growth the orangespots will also. The longears will prove too aggressive in a 55 gallon with orangespots and bluespots.The fish I will raise will be a couple of longears, bluespot and an orange spot.
Thanks,
AquariumGuy
#10
Guest_Usil_*
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Posted 02 September 2011 - 07:44 PM
This may be true. My first choices will be longears and the others not sure on. These are just the varieties that have peaked my interest. Longears will be the predominant fish for the tank if I can get them. And from reading in this forum, there are those that say you need more than 2 or 3 to reduce the hostilities on individuals. Others say this is too many fish so I am left with experimenting which should prove interesting. I am not above extending the selection and culling to get the right mix. I am putting some beefy filtration to the tank to allow for some of the potential issues.
AquariumGuy
AquariumGuy
Edited by Usil, 02 September 2011 - 07:48 PM.
#11
Guest_Yeahson421_*
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Posted 03 September 2011 - 09:22 PM
I've heard that 1 fish per 10 gallons is good for sunfish. So 5-6 longears would work pretty well.
#12
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
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Posted 04 September 2011 - 12:02 AM
I've heard that 1 fish per 10 gallons is good for sunfish. So 5-6 longears would work pretty well.
I think that number is wrong, 3 sunfish in a 55 would be quite aggressive and a bit stressed at times from my experience.
#13
Guest_Yeahson421_*
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Posted 05 September 2011 - 06:31 PM
Where did you get 3 from?I think that number is wrong, 3 sunfish in a 55 would be quite aggressive and a bit stressed at times from my experience.
#14
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
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Posted 05 September 2011 - 08:21 PM
Where did you get 3 from?
Experience. I had a dollar, a pumpkinseed, and a bluegill in a 55. Until the bluegill the pumpkinseed and dollar had the tank divided in half and fought often. (until the big bluegill arrived the dollar bullied everything), after the bluegill the tank was divided between the bluegill on the left, pumpkinseed on the top right, dollar on the bottom right, fights often, and terretories VERY cramped. Whenever I tried adding a fourth sunfish to the mix the others would kill it.
I got the number from experience. More than 3 sunnies in a 55 is having one die.
#15
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Posted 07 September 2011 - 09:42 AM
It depends to some extent on the sunfish in question and the set up of the tank. Some species tend to be more passive than others. In my experience, warmouth are very laid back, while greens and dollars are ferocious, with longears firmly in the middle. Individuals within a species vary as well. Providing plenty of structure helps: more possible territories are made available, and the loser of a scuffle can get out of site of the winner and so reduce the amount of abuse he receives.
Some folks keep sunfish at a higher density to suppress aggression. At some point maintaining a territory becomes impossible and the fish give up. This works with hummingbirds too- if you have one feeder, one male will claim it and chase others away, but keep multiple feeders in sight of one another and no one male will be able to claim the whole group, and so they will coexist peaceably whether they like it or not.
Some folks keep sunfish at a higher density to suppress aggression. At some point maintaining a territory becomes impossible and the fish give up. This works with hummingbirds too- if you have one feeder, one male will claim it and chase others away, but keep multiple feeders in sight of one another and no one male will be able to claim the whole group, and so they will coexist peaceably whether they like it or not.
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