It's getting hot..

[katt-ja]

Hi,

I have had a group of 6 discus since January, and now the summer is coming around. I don't have air conditioning in my house.. What's the warmest Discus can handle comfortably?

Thanks

[yim11]

Most everything I've read seems to indicate 88F would be upper limit to keep them comfortable.

But does it ever get that warm in Canada? ;)

HTHs,
-jim

[ShinShin]

90-92F ought not be be a problem. I remember some years back, some fellow Australian discus keepers who resided in the Outback reporting temps of close to 100F for short periods.

Rod may be able to shed some light on this question.

Mat

[Rod]

Temps can get as high as 35 c (mid 90's f) inthe fish tanks here, the only problem i have seen is a dramatic decrease in fertility during this time and for a short while afterwards. Discus are able to handle these temps far better than most other fish. A lot of the afro cichlid breeders have aircon rooms, they are far more sensitive to heat, but i wouldn't be worried about the discus too much.

Rod:)

[katt-ja]

Most everything I've read seems to indicate 88F would be upper limit to keep them comfortable.

But does it ever get that warm in Canada? ;)

HTHs,
-jim

lol, very funny... the hottest i remember it ever getting here was maybe 35 c, which is about 95 f i think? so this shouldn't be a problem if it at least cools down at night a little bit?

i took the plastic covers off the top so maybe the heat can escape quicker? and i turned up the air pump. this is the first time my tank has been at 88 and they all seem to be enjoying it :P lol

also, while adjusting some of the floating plants i noticed (about 8-10) some tiny white specks of what look like tiny short sperm - haha - start darting every direction, some even made it all the way to the bottom. are these fish or bugs? i also have cardinals, cories, and ottos.

[yiapas]

here in Greece we have big problem with the high tempratures at summer
but Discus....never:D

[Harriett]

Can you put a fan under the canopy to blow across the water surface? That will help a bit.
How about putting a fan in the room to get the air moving? Cross ventilation is what you need.
Keep the tank lights off during the day when it is hottest, so you don't add extra heat, and just turn them on a bit in the evening as desired. As long as there is enough ambient light in the room so the discus can see food well when you feed them, it would be fine.
One other trick is to take a couple of 1 gallon plastic bottles [or several 2 liter] and fill them 3/4 with water, freeze them. In the morning, put a frozen jug of water in the sump if you have one, or in the tank if needed, and it will slowly cool down the water a couple degrees for several hours. Keep a spare in the freezer to swap. One particularly hot summer in CHicago this worked great for my tank and kept the temp below 92. No air conditioning, obviously!
Best regards
Harriett

[katt-ja]

thanks, all great ideas. i set up a fan for myself but i guess it'll benefit them too!! lol

but yes if it gets really hot i will use the frozen water bottle method.

[Don Trinko]

When I was a kid I put an ice cube in to keep the fish cool. (not discus) If I had to do it now I would put it in the filter. Don T.

[freestylez_14]

when i had the heater plugged in and the temp was at 84 and now its summer time my thermometer went about 86 and i dont know what temp it's at. Should i unplugg the heater since its summer time?

[Don Trinko]

No; If the heater is working correctly it will not turn on unless the temperature goes back below 84. This will protect the temperature from going to low. Don T.

[freestylez_14]

Thanks Don for your reply. Ill keep my heater on.