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What does "coldwater" mean?


Janelle

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I have a tank which is not tropical with a mixture of coldwater and subtropical fish: goldfish, white cloud mountain minnows, pearl danios, peppered corys, and platies. It has a heater in it to keep it at about 20-22 degrees (this was installed after two borneo suckers found it too cold and died).

So, with the heater keeping the temperature stable for me, and the temperature being above 20 degrees most of the time but not exactly *tropical*, does this still count as a coldwater tank?

Just curious. =)

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I had this discussion in the LFS recently. They reckon the Corydoras paleatus are "cold water" fish and sell them together with the minnows and the gold fish as cold water fish = fish suitable for ponds.

I thoroughly disagreed saying that only a few kilometers inland the people could well have ice on their ponds for a couple of days in winter and I do not think the cories would stand this.

I feel we should really make a distinction here between an unheated tank in the house and a pond outside!

How about you native people (as in "english as your first language" speaking people) come up with a suitable english expression for these two different cases and then we can all market our fish to the LFS's accordingly and educate them that indeed there is a difference between the two.

Good idea - or not?? :o

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See snookie the problem is always where in NZ.

In the middle of Whangarei you can keep a paradise probably in a bucket outside, as it won't freeze, but what happens in Poroti? Or in Rotorua or Taupo?

Unless somebody tries it out we won't know. And to sell these things as coldwater = pond fish, I think is NOT the way to go.

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I'd think I'd refer to those 'inbetween fish' as 'cool-water' or subtropical fish. (or 'temperate'?).

You can't really say heated or unheated cause as someone mentioned it entirely depends on where you are and how warm you keep your home. I'd say a cold water fish is one where just about no temperatue is too cold!!

Anything else is not a coldwater fish :)

As far as where to post, I'm really leaning toward subtropical too and I would post my own issues like this I think:

- tank issues etc could go in freshwater (cause algae problems and water conditions etc. would be the same whether your tank is heated or not).

- coldwater section for fish where people 'never' have to worry about the water getting 'too cold' (ie: goldfish, wcmm, leopardfish etc)

- freshwater for stuff like the corys, BN's, Borneos, guppies etc that people usually keep in heated tanks (ie: fish that WILL suffer or die if the temp cools below a certain temp)

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  • 3 weeks later...

oh my gosh...I feel so confused...tropical, subtropical, coldwater :roll: :roll: :o

Okay...before summer came

- transfered 3 goldfish from 10 gallon tank to 20 gallon tank

- tank located in my livingroom (previously had thermostat set to 24)

- began to lower the temp, only got to 22 when summer started (temp between 74 & 80 in summer)

- tank still has 3 ottos in it

Should I remove the heater???? Summer is all but over :evil: :evil: But hopefully still weeks and weeks to go before having to turn heat on in apartment. With the ottos and goldies, would I be ok to leave the heater in and say lower it to 68???

Caper :roll:

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