Tank temp too high?

[HeatherB]

The tank at work has fully cycled, and has 6 platys and 2 swordtails in it. I was thinking of adding a mystery snail as well.

Well, it has some kind of tube lighting, it is bluish, so I assume it is to help plant growth? Also has a heater. Problem is, it is always over 80 degrees. Most days it is like, 86 or higher. Is this something I should be worried about?

I have thought it is probably my heater being inconsistent, even thought I have turned it down really low, then I thought my light, so I have tried keeping it off, but it doesn't effect the temp much. The people at work always turn the lights on after I have left for the day and turned them off, so the lights end up staying on all night (hence the need for a snail, I have a massive brown algae situation now) Hopefully the light situation will work out because I left a nice little note about how fishies


Should I think about switching the heater out?

[Lady Hobbs]

That's too warm for constant use. The blue light is for corals. The pink or white is for plants. If that light holds a blue and white bulb, can you just remove the blue one? Less heat and not needed anyway. Your heat problem is probably not your heater but that light.

[Lady Hobbs]

PS......Tell people to leave their hands off your tank. Fish need their resting times just as people do and need those lights off at night.

[HeatherB]

I have no idea what kind of light it is! I gives off a blueish light, looks really cool actually!

If I was to bring in the whole light fixture, would someone at petco be able to tell me what kind it is?

How much would another bulb cost me? It is a 10 gallon tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

Do you have plants in the tank? If not, then just a low watt bulb will be fine. Does this light have two bulbs, the blue and the white or just the blue? You can turn the light over and get the wattage off the bulb.

[PostalPenguin]

Thats quite high for platys since they prefer colder temps. I have even heard platys are fine with goldfish temps. And from direct experience they were fine in 68F water, even happy. Perhaps get a timer for your lights?

[HeatherB]

The light is a long tube, and looks white, but casts a blueish light.

I have a waterlily, amazon sword, ludwigia and something else that I don't know what it is!

The problem is that I turn the lights off at 4pm when I leave and then some idiot comes and turns them on later and they end up being on all night. I don't think a timer would help would it? Do they have models that shock people who try to mess with them? LOL

[Wild Turkey]

The light is a long tube, and looks white, but casts a blueish light.

I have a waterlily, amazon sword, ludwigia and something else that I don't know what it is!

The problem is that I turn the lights off at 4pm when I leave and then some idiot comes and turns them on later and they end up being on all night. I don't think a timer would help would it? Do they have models that shock people who try to mess with them? LOL

A timer will help. It will cut the power to the light so the person has to go mess with ur timers to get it to turn on. Of course, also you wont have to worry about switching it on or off.

If anyone touches any of my tanks without my permission they meet my assertive side. I strongly suggest doing the same. Who are these people family? roomates? In either case you need to let people know the tank is yours, no touching it without your permission.

Running the light too much is gonna really contribute to that algae and drive your inhabitants crazy.

[Lady Hobbs]

Stick a note on the tank to leave the darned light off as fish need their sleep, too.

[HeatherB]

Yes I put a note on the tank. The tank is at my new job so I don't want to get too...uh....upset about a fishtank light! Hopefully the note will stop whoever. Maybe I should start unplugging it when I leave for the day!

[jackson17]

That would also work, just make sure they can't see the chord, they might re-plug it in

[HeatherB]

Good Point. I also seriously thought of just taking the bulb out when I left, but knowing me, I would break it or something. Plus that would be too much work!