You can’t prevent the temperature in your aquarium from rising. No matter what measures you take your living room will warm up on hot summer days and can even go over 30° C. So what can you do? Last year we gave you some ideas about how you can counteract the warming and not exacerbate it: Cooling Aquariums – Summer Heat in Aquariums .
How dangerous is it for aquarium dwellers when the temperature rises far above their “comfort zone” for a few days every year?
Let’s think about what happens in so-called rock pools. These are subject to considerable fluctuation and yet provide habitats for many fish species. Strong temperature fluctuations, extreme oxygen levels and changing water values due to heavy rainfalls are all common in these tide pools.
According to a study by the University of West Florida "Temperature and Hypoxia Tolerance of Selected Fishes from a Hyperthermal Rockpool in the Dry Tortugas, with Notes on Diversity and Behavior” some fish species were able to survive at maximum temperatures of 37.9 °C, while for others even 35.0 °C was a problem. The average temperatures of the rock pools examined were between 30.5 and 35.8 °C. Fluctuating oxygen levels of 6.4 mg/l to 3.5 mg/l were also observed in these habitats. The values registered are always relative to the water depth which is something we do not need to consider in our aquariums with an even water current. It is not clear whether it is the temperature or the oxygen level which results in a hostile environment. Under the search term “heat shock protein“ you can learn that the fish’s protein probably denatures between 40-45 °C and that up to this point life in water is possible (for the organism).
What conclusions can we draw from this?
If the temperature in the aquarium reaches the 30 degree mark for only a few days, this will not be a problem for most of the aquarium dwellers. Always make sure that there is a sufficient aeration with a “ JBL PROTEMP Cooler x200 “ and one of the JBL “ Air pumps “. The strain will only pose a danger for your fish or cause damage to your plants after many weeks. As far as we can see there is no justification for any “scaremongering” during short-term rises in temperature, and indeed such rises are often consciously induced to support treatment of some diseases.
