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Re: Heaters



Erik,

I live in Houston (hi neighbor) and generally do not use a heater in my
tank(s).  During the summer they have stayed very close to 78 degrees
although I keep the house 3-4 deg cooler.  During the winter they sometimes
get down to 74 or so.  I doubt there's a lot of temperature variation
between night & day, though that may be a little worse in the drier climate
of San Antonio.

With most plants and fish I doubt that these temperature swings matter
much, although obviously if you're doing something specialized (like
Discus) you need better control.

Chetlen

>
>Do I really have to use a heater for a planted tank? I know most of you 
>don't. I have a 55 and a 37 gal. Both with 150 watt heaters. I live in San 
>Antonio, and it gets hot here. Highest temp in my house is 77, lowest is 
>73(at night). Right now (noon central) the temp in my 37 is 78 with no
heater 
>and room temp it's about 74. How could my tank be that hot when the room is 
>colder? The heater is unplugged. I have 4 20 watt lights over it. Could the 
>fish adjust to that temp everyday? The temp would probably raise and lower 
>about 3 degrees. 
>Erik
>

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Chetlen Crossnoe, Ph.D.                   Lab: (713)743-8371
Postdoctoral Fellow                       Email:  cc691077 at bcm_tmc.edu
Department of Biology and Biophysics
University of Houston 

"Have we any right to assume that the Creator works by intellectual powers
like those of man?"
                      -- Darwin, The Origin of Species
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