I got a preset tetra heater that does 79F The only fish that would be happy in that temp is a betta. With out the heater, my tank ranged from 76 to 73.9 over a few days. (a cold front had pass) the change rate is very slow. heater or no heater if heater then a betta with tank mates that have a shorter lifespan.
The only fish? My Jack Dempseys and Green Terrors and Convicts (all of which are spawning regularly) are very happy at that temp. My malawi tank is flourishing at that temp. how big is the tank?
I kept my tank around that temperature and my endler guppies and shrimp were just fine with it. There's a lot of fish that can be kept at that temperature besides a betta Also I'm not entirely sure what you're asking... I will always advocate that a heater is better than no heater, since consistency is really the most important thing. And please don't keep anything with a betta!
Not the only fish at all. What size tank? Do you run air conditioning? How cold does the tank get at night? If the temps fluctuate in the tank any fish you put in will suffer. A heater is always best. Unless you are getting goldfish.
If it's a 10g, I'd really recommend a heater. Temperature fluctuates a lot more in smaller tanks -- larger tanks are a bit more stable (but even then I'd still recommend a heater).
It's also important to remember that even a 2 degree shift can be a lot for some fish. Fish can't really regulate their own body temperatures the way people do, so any slight shift can stress them out and make them more prone to illness. It might not seem like a lot to us, but it's really important to maintain a consistent temperature for the fish's health. If your tank is fluctuating around 3-4 degrees over a few days, that's going to stress some fish out. Just food for thought. You're free to do what you want, but if you want my opinion, a heater is the safest and healthiest choice for your fish
ok then i will get a betta as the center piece. What about the companions? if i get the neon tetra, they will have a 2-3 year life span instead of 5. i think it might be similar for other tetras. so what other fish are happy in 79F?
If you're getting a betta, that's all for that tank. Bettas will kill any other fish. Please don't put anything in with a betta! Neons need at least 20g since they are schooling fish. If you'd like to do more than one fish in a 10g, I'd recommend endler guppies! They're really colorful and fun and you can probably put 3-5 of them in a 10g. Just make sure you don't get both sexes unless you want to pull out fry pretty routinely. They do just fine at 79F, and you can keep larger shrimp like amanos with them (I've also had success keeping them with cherry shrimp, but some people have had their endlers eat them).
