Keeping a steady temp?

I was just wondering how everyone keeps their tanks at a steady temp? I've found in the last couple days it has varied between 79-80.5... I'm not for sure that this is big enough to stress out the fish, but i'd rather it only vary at most 0.5 degrees... right now i have one heater (rated for up to 60 gallon) in the middle back of the tank... two digital thermometers measuring temps at each end of the tank (which can be 0.5-1.0 degree difference!)

Just wondering if this was out of the ordinary and if anyone else has had these problems. I have to keep my tank on the high end of the temp range because I don't want to get a chiller for one month a year and during the day it can push my temps up.

My tank is a 55 G FOWLR.

I just moved a pump so that it blows water directly across the heater, maybe that will ensure a better quality temp?

Thanks for the help!

 

the variation you are experiencing there is nothing to worry about IME
I need a chiller where I live and it comes on at 80 and goes of at 78 thus a 2 degree variation

In nature many of the creatures we keep will experience much greater temp fluctuations than yours are being expossed to

Steve

 

Awesome! One of the books I read said that temperature differences of 1 degree were dangerous... but I thought I would check here since a couple of the things in that book were pretty conservative I've found.

 

Just wondering what you all thought would be the MAX temperature to have the aquarium at. Mine has been known to spike to 82 for about an hour or two in the hottest parts of the day... I am thinking about buying a mesh top for it to allow more air movement over the top because it seems to happen when i have the glass panel cover on. Right now I have them propped up to allow air movement but I have a firefish with some new tank mates so i don't want him gettin stressed and trying to jump for it.

 

I keep mine at 81 regularly. I think the temps where you would have a problem would be 84-85+

 

Anyone have tips for keeping the temperature from heating up too much? Fan placement, pump placement, heater placement, light placement (i.e. a couple inches above the top of the tank, ect? My fish don't seem to be stressing out or anything, but before I add any more fish I want to keep the system as stable as possible.

 

Well, I would keep as many pumps out of the water as possible if you have heat issues. Externals help a decent amount. Having a breatheable cover (as in, not glass or acrylic, but eggcrate of mesh) would help. Having fans over the water in the DT or sump could help too. Even having the A/C on in the house down to 72 could help quite a bit

 

Is your aquarium near a window or a part of the room that receives direct sunlight? Temperature fluctuations in your tank can be a direct result to temperature fluctuations in your house to some degree... no pun intended.

The temperature differences you are experiencing are by no means dangerous and are nothing that your fish wouldn't find in the wild ocean.