uprightandlocked

Hi All,

I have been learning a lot on here recently about betta care and have a question about temperature.

Today is Aadyn James' first day in the tank, and as such, this is the first day I have had the light on for any substantial amount of time. Prior to this, the tank was at a very stable 80 degrees. Today, with the light on all day, I have noticed the temperature has risen to 82. Is this too warm for a betta? Also ... when I turn the light off, I assume if will return to 80 degrees. The light will be off more often than it will be on until I buy a timer (next paycheck!) ... so do I reduce it and aim for 78 degrees with the light off/80 degrees light on, or keep it as it is - 80/off 82/on?

Thanks,

u&L

Red1313

what type of bulb do you have? Incandecent bulbs give of more heat then florecent do. Otherwise it seems like your tank is only have a 2* fluctuation which shouldn't be a major stress to your boy. 82* is a little warm for a betta but not serious I wouldn't think that dropping the temp at degree or two would hurt him either though.
Someone more familiar with the temp. changes should be on soon to give you a hand though.

NUMB3RS

I wouldn't bother with the temperature because those temperatures that you have been saying are perfect for bettas. Good Luck!

agabr123

i'd reduce it to 78-80, IMO 82 is just a tad too high. i dont think that it will cause serious damage, but your betta will probably be healthier at a little lower temperature. what kind of heater do you have? it should be turning off when the tank hits the right temperature, which means that something would have to be doing a whole lot of work to get that tank to increase by 2 degrees for the whole day.

CHoffman

I'm with Alex..I would lower it to 78 if the light is making it 80..Alex had a good point with your heater..It should compensate and run less or more to make it the right temp in your tank. Do you have a preset heater that you can't adjust or do you have a adjustable heater that allows you to set the temp.

uprightandlocked

The heater hasn't been running any time that I check the tank. I assume it is just the lighting? I have two incandescent lightbulbs. When I get paid next maybe I will replace them with flourescent. I'll also turn down the temperature just slightly, if 82 is too warm.

agabr123

yeah, unless it's by a window or a heater vent or something i can't imagine it could be anything but the lighting. when you do get a chance, replace them. you'll probably like the look of the tank better too, i have incandescent lights in one of my tanks (temporary, the piece of the hood broke and all i had was an incandescent one) and the ones with flourescent look SO much better IMO

dvc_r

How large is your tank? Obviously the smaller the tank the quicker ALL the water perameters change. Do you have a heater in it? Do you have any live plants in it?

80/82 should be fine, if it gets up to 85-86 I'd start to worry, also I have noticed Bettas colors start to fade when the temp gets below 76.

uprightandlocked

I have a 10 gallon tank - all plants are artificial. My little guy still has his bright coloring and no stress lines (do males get stress lines? Sorry for the stupid question...) so I assume he is still doing well.

-u&L

agabr123

yep, males can get horizontal stress lines and vertical bars either meaning that they're angry or that they're ready to mate. problem is, you can't tell the difference between the two!

oh and there's no such thing as a stupid question!!!

also, just because he doesnt have the lines doesn't necessarily mean he's not stressed. look for signs of lethargy, staying at the top or bottom of the tank, red gills, etc. also, if you plan on leaving it at 80 and letting it get to 82, you should add an airstone or bubble wand. higher temperatures mean less oxygen in the water

uprightandlocked

Thanks for the advice, everyone! The filter is designed so that it uses air bubbles rising to bring water into it and then spills the water back into the tank. The bubbles pour over onto the surface of the water from the filter. Is this enough aeration or should I add an airstone in addition to this? Thanks!

Red1313

Nah that should be fine I'd think. If you wanted you could add to the other end of the tank but betta's come from naturally low O2 waters so that shouldn't be much of a problem.

COBettaCouple

I try to keep all our betta tanks at 78. If you can go to fl lighting, you won't get the heat increase that incandescent bulbs give you.

All our betta tanks have flexible bubble wands. Partly for aeration but partly for the bettas to play in/with.

disturbedme

My betta tanks are always kept at 80 - 82. They seem to be fine with that temp and happy and active.

Some people are saying they think that's a tad too high... maybe I should try to keep it a tad lower.

pamd

I'd say 78 to 80 degrees F. is about right for bettas and many other tropical fish. Different fish have different temperature preferences to keep them happy and healthy.

CoryMac

78-79ish

CoryMac

While pet stores like PetCo recommend temperatures from 64-82 degrees F, it's good to understand that bettas prefer a non-fluctuating temperature in the mid-to-high 70s.

A betta can "survive" in the lower end of the temperature spectrum, but chances are, he will not be very happy. Most bettas kind of shut down when the temps are cold. They act listless, and huddle on the bottom of their bowl or tank. A cold betta will clamp his fins and not show proper color. You won't be able to interact much with your little pet, because he will be rather "out of it". With a lifeless betta, you will find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about. A cold betta will also be more likely to pick up ICH, a fish parasite that can be hard to shake.

Put a betta into a nice stable temperature in the mid to upper 70s, and you will understand why betta fanciers are so vocal. He will swim around, flare his gills, show off his fins, blow happy bubble nests, and watch everything you do, like a puppy. He will become an interactive pet!

Since bettas are from the rice paddies of the Orient, where it's very hot, it's tempting to raise the temperature even further. We experimented on the Bella Fish Forum, raising temps into the low-to-mid 80s. While the fish themselves did not mind these warm temps, we found this balmy brew of water mainly served to encourage bacteria and parasites - our bettas were more prone to picking up the dreaded fin rot. Tanks also seemed to grow more algae and slimey growths at the higher temps.keep you betta in temperatures closer to a stable range somewhere between 76-78 degrees.

Author - Jill Florio

Martinismommy

78 seems to work for my kids.....

Red1313

alot of my heaters come preset at 79. So I try to keep my ajustable ones there as well.

Hitman84

Digging up an old topic I know but Im having a bit of an issue like this as well.
With the warmer weather hereand me living in a backwards basement, and my room always being the warmest in the house the temperature in the tank can fluctuate(right now( any where between 79-82%
I've got the self running tetra 5 gal heater that turns off when the water is 78 and I've had the tank light off more often then not the last week. Sucks because he's got no lite, is no fun.

ghrowl

when i had my first betta in a 2.5 gallon tank i noticed that the 25 watt bulbs gave off alot of heat and always raised my tanks temp. but the 15 watt bulbs didn't.