More CW species than I thought!

[Rue]

Well now...someone else on this forum just mentioned a few species of CW fish that I hadn't realized were CW...and 2008 Aquarium Annual just confirmed it! Wish I had known about some of these before! Temp. between 60-70 F.

1. Goldfish
2. Weather Loach
3. White Cloud Mountain Minnow
4. Buenos Aires Tetra
5. Bloodfin Tetra
6. Pygmy Sunfish
7. Paradisefish
8. Corydoras - heh!
9. Dwarf cichlids : Apistogramma, Laeteara dorsigera, Aequidens spp. Austrolebias spp.
10. American flagfish
11. Bluefin killiefish
12. Blind cave tetra
...and some others from from fast-flowing rivers and streams (where water temp. are lower)...

Who knew???

[Fishguy2727]

I think with the cories it will depend on species. Some may tolerate it that low, but I don't think most will, or at least not thirve in it, which should always be the goal. Same probably goes with the tetras. My bloodfins are in with my discus at 86 and are doing great.

[Drumachine09]

Also add to that list, pretty much any north american game fish, IE, catfish, bass, walleye, pike, musky (how cool would it be to have a muskey in an aquarium?), crappie, sunfish, minnows, shad, and the like.

[cocoa_pleco]

you forgot one fish, danios. Ive read many places danios can survive in room temp. houses with no heater

[Drumachine09]

Also, "black moor" goldfish can tolerate temperatures from just above freezing to mid 70s

[Rue]

...all goldfish...maybe with the exception of the highly inbred fancy varieties can withstand very cold waters...

...esp. the comets and koi...

[GoldLenny]

Here's a list of other coldwater species that I have in my favorites folder.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/fishqa/f/coldwaterfish.htm

[Rue]

...I disagree with the guppies...

[troy]

Some platys and mollies can take those temps also.

[GoldLenny]

...I disagree with the guppies...

I wasn't sure if you were talking about the About.com Coldwater list but I saw it did have Guppies as one of the fish. I was kind of shocked by that as well since I always thought Guppies were tropical fish but I checked it out and both of these reputable profiles say guppies prefer to live in a range of 64F - 84F.
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/guppy.htm
http://fish.mongabay.com/species/Poecilia_reticulata.html

[Rue]

I dunno...I know that they can do fine at room temp., but I can't imagine them thriving at 64F...

I know there was an office tank at work that was below 70F during the winter and the guppies weren't doing well...so they bought a heater and everything was fine after that...

[Fishguy2727]

In most cases the extreme end of the temp range will not allow them to thrive. It is a range of tolerance, not thrivability. In low temps other issues will have more of an affect on the fish than if they are in the ideal temp. In tanks that are not in optimal conditions, in ideal temps they may show no signs of a problem, but when the temp is lowered those others issues will have a more noticable impact on the fish.

[gm72]

Fishguy, I think, has it right. They might be able to tolerate the temps but wouldn't thrive or be happy about it. I mean, I suppose I COULD live in the frozen tundra of Siberia but I can guarantee you I wouldn't be terribly happy and it would effect me negatively long term.

[Fishguy2727]

Room temp is good for all the livebearers. I think the higher temps of a tropical tank and the boost in metabolism may be more negative in the long run than the initial observable benefits would lead you to believe. My platies had no complaints about room temp, bred better and actually grew bigger than any I have seen outside of a pond.

[gm72]

Room temp yes. Much below that, not a good idea.

[nanaglen2001]

It depends on what you call room temperature.

My Mollies dont like 20 Degrees Celsius, its definetly too cold for them. They may tolerate that, but its way better to keep them at least in 23 to 27 degress C water.

Endler Guppies are much hardier. I got a bunch of them on my balcony in a 95 litres "tank" without heating or filtration, only lots of plants and sunshine. Even when its cool outside (16 degrees C) they feed and look agile and healthy. But the warmer the better, thats for sure.

[willisrad]

What exactly is considered to be "cold water?"

[GoldLenny]

I think CW means anything sub-tropical and/or non-heated tanks ... at least when it comes to forums. Certainly fish like Koi and long-bodied goldfish and many other fish can thrive in water in the 50's-60'sF and colder, but I think the separate CW forums deal with everything from those temps up to non-heated tanks at room temperature... as long as the room temp isn't kept at tropical temps year round. CW fish like goldfish are usually better able to acclimate to daily fluctuating temps between day and night where tropical fish would be more likely to have stress/health issues.

[willisrad]

Got it.
That's pretty much what I figured, but I know that aquatic supply companies sell chillers, so I really didn't know what to think.

[Lady Hobbs]

Got it.
That's pretty much what I figured, but I know that aquatic supply companies sell chillers, so I really didn't know what to think.

Chillers cost a fortune. I bought an air conditioner for the whole room cheaper than what it would cost for a chiller for one fish tank. Now even I can cool off.

[Fishguy2727]

The main use for chillers is for reef tanks that have a narrow temp range tolerance, and between water cooled high flow pumps and heat producing lighting, the tank is usually too hot. The people who can afford $1500 for lighting are the same ones who can afford the chillers.

[troy]

Don't forget Crystal Darters. I have one.

[LadyBarbara001]

I have also read that Blackskirts do well in a CW set up.