AHHHH.... water temperature going down rapidly- Help please!

[nix]

Our heater has stopped working and the temperature in our tank is going down. It might be another three hours before the shop opens to go and get another heater (its only 2 months old). What do you reccommend to do b4 we get another heater???
HELP!!!!

[nix]

we have guppies, a leopard cory and 5 neon tetras. Will they cope?

[kimmers318]

What temp have you been keeping it at? If it isn't at much more than your room temp I imagine the fish will be okay since it isn't like it is dropping from 80 to 70 in 5 minutes....it is happening gradually. I have forgotten to plug heaters back in before until the next day after tank changes and the fish were fine. Plus, we don't have any air conditioning and my tanks went thru periods were the heat went up a few degrees during the day and back down at night and they have been fine. I live by the theory that IF my fish lived in a natural environment such as a lake, there would be temperature variations on a regular basis, although they have the ability to go deeper to be closer to a warmer/cooler temp than on the surface, which they can't do in an aquarium, I have not yet seen a couple of degree changes over hours causing any visual stress to my fish. The temp in your tank shouldn't go much below your room temp and that should be okay for a couple of hours until you get your new heater running.
Do be sure to let us know though if you see or experience any issues with your fish so we know for the future.

[William]

I second that. Shouldn't be a problem if you keep regular room temperature in the aquarium room.

[Lady Hobbs]

I haven't had a heater on since summer started. Time to turn it on with weather changing tho.

[Tornado]

I have a heater, But with it being summer, and me living in florida, I never see the heater actually pop on. I also am running some 120 watts of light for about 10 hours a day, that alone almost acts as a heater.

[kimmers318]

Oh yeah....alot of lights do heat the water up. My 5 gallon has to be watched closely when the light is on so that it doesn't get too warm. I should look for a cooler bulb for the tank, but it keeps slipping my mind.