Fish Tank Temperature

What temperature should my fish tank water be kept at?

As a general guide most fish require their water to be between 22-26 degrees Celsius. Some species of fish may require a more specific temperature and others like Goldfish can often survive outside this range. If you have only one species of fish in the tank you can set the temperature to suit them or if you have many species of fish in the tank keeping it around 25 degrees should be safe for them. Try to reduce fluctuation as when the temperature continually changes it can stress the fish and cause them to become sick or die. You should use a fish tank thermometer to monitor the water temperature.

You can use a water heater to keep the water temperature in the right range. To determine what size heater (how many watts) you will need for your aquarium use the following guidelines;

Freshwater Aquariums – 1 watt per litre of water.
Salt Water Aquariums – 2 watts per litre of water.

Most brands of aquarium water heaters include the size tank they are suitable for on their packaging. For example the Aqua Zonic Eco Aquarium Heater comes in a range of sizes to suit tanks from 25L to 460L.

It is important to consider the temperature of the water in summer also. In some situations it may be necessary to consider a water chiller if the tank water temperature cannot be maintained within a suitable range for the species of fish you are keeping.

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