# Coldwater species?



## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

I say coldwater but, my room makes the water slightly warmer. What species can live in cooler temperatures and breed etc?


: victory:


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

first off can you provide us with:

Tank Size (litres)
Average Water Temp
do you have lighting, filtration, aeration?

Secondly: Not many fish will readily breed in a tank. When they do they can hatch or live birth hundreds at a time. What exactly do you plan to do with all these potential babies?

Unless your breeding something rare your local fish shop will not take them and you will end up with a hoplessly over crowded tank!


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## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

Frostpaw said:


> first off can you provide us with:
> 
> Tank Size (litres)
> Average Water Temp
> ...



Tank is 160l 
I'm not sure what the water temp is but, from keeping tropics I'd guess its about 70 most of the time.
I have all that :L
I'd be keeping a few back and I have 3 or 4 shops around here that readily take fish, I'm hoping for something a bit nicer than your bog standard goldfish.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

Its highly unlikely you will get any kind of goldfish to breed in a tank. They really only do so in ponds, and 160lts is not enough for them.

I would get a small heater and go tropical. All livebearers breed well in tanks - guppies, mollies, platys.

Malwai Cichlids do too but i wouldnt recommend them as they get very big.

Personally i would not get a tank with the aim to breed - there are enough fish in fish shops already, think of it similar to breeding endless litters of puppys, it simply puts strain on the system. 

Stick to a nice tropical tank - tons of colour, shape, and size.


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## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

Okay, I will ask about some of the things I found on the net/ have heard over the years.

Basically, I've been told that Siamese fighters, Gouramis, Guppies, Tetras, Barbs, Platys, some cichlids, mollies can live in colder water/are very good at adapting.

How much of it is basically bull:censor:?

I don't really believe people when they say these things but, its fighters, guppies, tetras, mollies, platys and barbs I'm confused about, I've seen them being kept coldwater (mind you, not sure how long for)

Also, Danios.

I get so confused when I overhear conversations in pet shops ><


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

its all BULL.... any 'tropical' fish MUST live in warm water. Some people say its ok if its cold but the bottom of the line is this: It is simply not ethical to just ''keep'' a fish - it needs to be in an environment it can thrive and grow up in.

Keeping tropical fish in cold water lowers thier immune system, causes them to loose colour, become lethargic and eventually die. It slows down their entire system meaning food is not digested properly and hence energy levels drop... you end up with a tank full of dull fish hardly moving and looking very miserable and sick.


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## Moony14 (Aug 20, 2011)

Just from that list- avoid mollies, they will only thrive in brackish water : victory:


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

aye mollies do prefere a bit brackish.

Male guppies and platys are goregous though - just be careful if you get a female as they breed like rabbits. Some of us here introduce a predatory fish to keep baby numbers down. 

For a tank that wont be over run with babies think tetra species OR small barb species (dont mix them):

Tetra: Neon, cardinal, emperor, penguin, pristella, rummy nose, black widow, scissor tail.

Barb: tiger, albino, rosy, ruby, cherry, golden

With both of these families you can mix in some catfish:
corydoras, ottocinculus, plecostomous


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## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

Frostpaw said:


> aye mollies do prefere a bit brackish.
> 
> Male guppies and platys are goregous though - just be careful if you get a female as they breed like rabbits. Some of us here introduce a predatory fish to keep baby numbers down.
> 
> ...


I was wondering if I went with livebearers would it be an idea to get somehting to keep numbers down. Also, how would you tell the difference between male and female Platys? with guppies its obvious but, Platys, its not always so easy.


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## Frostpaw (May 10, 2010)

in platys the female has a slightly rounded anal fin, the males have one like a spike.

You could introduce something like dwarf claw frogs, they would eat them... they can be escape artists though so you need to secure your lid.


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## INJAF (Nov 12, 2011)

There was a similar question asked recently on PFK, there are quite a few temperate species it seems beyond the well known ones like white cloud mountain minnows and danios. You might this thread interesting, the posts from Dave Godfrey, markart and N0body of the Goat's comments in particular  which fish for cool water other then goldfish - Practical Fishkeeping Forum (Dave G and markart both keep temperate fish to my certain knowledge). Dave G often posts about temperates so it's worth nosing through a few of his other posts for more info if you're interested. Seriouslyfish.com is a good site for care sheets and profiles so if you check out the ones you're been told can live in cooler water you'll find some reliable info on the temperatures etc. preferred by each species  Knowledge Base — Seriously Fish Bear in mind that temperature ranges given on most species profiles by most sites are just that, a range. The fish will be able to survive at the top and bottom but is likely to be best suited to the middle of the range, very generally speaking  HTH.


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

Frostpaw said:


> Its highly unlikely you will get any kind of goldfish to breed in a tank. They really only do so in ponds, and 160lts is not enough for them.
> 
> I would get a small heater and go tropical. All livebearers breed well in tanks - guppies, mollies, platys.
> 
> ...


Frostpaw, do you actually know anything about keeping fish? :lol2: I read your posts and cringe at over half of them! 

Do you know anything about the industry? You're deluded if you think people should stop breeding them as there are too many about! Nor can you compare hobbyist ornamental fish breeders to puppy farms! That is your most ridiculous claim so far! Plenty of aquarists only ever source their fish from breeders and not LFS in the first place. 

That may sound a little caustic, but I can't help but think there should be some kind of common sense warning appended to everything you write in the RFUK fish section. Harsh, but true!

Malawi cichlids vary massively in size dependant on species, so your statement is less than helpful. And they're not temperate species either so why bother to metion them inthe first place?

If the OP wants to have a crack at breeding, then so be it. Lets be brutally honest, no one cares what you would do personally. 

There are many suitable temperate species she could keep. Full of "colour, shape and size". 

OP = Pay attention to tINJAF's posts and the linke provided. Ignore the BS spouted on this thread. If temperate species are what you want then go for it.


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## SwampK (Aug 7, 2012)

Paradise fish can thrive in cooler water, and a pair would easily live in a 160l tank.


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

Mynki said:


> Frostpaw, do you actually know anything about keeping fish? :lol2: I read your posts and cringe at over half of them!
> 
> Do you know anything about the industry? You're deluded if you think people should stop breeding them as there are too many about! Nor can you compare hobbyist ornamental fish breeders to puppy farms! That is your most ridiculous claim so far! Plenty of aquarists only ever source their fish from breeders and not LFS in the first place.
> 
> ...


I couldn't have put this better myself ,was wondering how to reply but you've already done it :2thumb:


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## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

I think the first thing to do is buy yourself a glass thermometer and check your temps. If your room temps are no lower than 70f then there is a whole load of species that will do ok . I`ve currently got a tank running in the low 70's with Diamond tetras ,Semifasciolatus Barbs(which prefer it cool anyway) other misc tetras and barbs and all are doing fine .
There is a vogue nowadays for keeping trops too warm in any case.
I remember years ago Barry Durham(aquarist and pondkeeper) setting up a temperate tank and he kept all sorts in it and the temps often went down to the mid 60's you should have seen the Platy's in there they were beasts!:lol2:


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## INJAF (Nov 12, 2011)

PFK's Nathan Hill did an article a while back on the issue of keeping goldies with tropicals; the article includes some interesting info on the concept of 'coldwater', 'temperate' and 'tropical' so that's also worth a read if you're interested in slightly more detail on such things: Goldfish with tropicals - right or wrong? | Blog | Practical Fishkeeping

Also, if you can get hold of the June copy of PFK there's the full article of this which was also quite interesting: Is this a tropical aquarium? | Blog | Practical Fishkeeping


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## benh (Sep 12, 2011)

American flag fish are a nice temperate fish that really deserve to be seen more often, and are relatively easy to keep and breed

Look at wildwoods stock as well, they have some wonderful temperate fish, with some nice sunfish and shiners which can stay quite small.


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## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

Okay, I have done a little temp test, its an average of 68-74, I got 3 guppies because they're easy to keep (I'm away at reading from Thursday to Monday and my mum gets worried about pets I've not had before/she doesn't know how to feed them)
Seeing as guppies do breed like well, guppies, the females are pregnant anyway, I'm not doing the "breeding trap" or anything, I have some live plants that are quite big and bushy, the fish in the plant tank (Guppies, Platys) had a LOT of babies in there, some of the fish in there were gorgeous. 

Obviously, 3 guppies makes a bigger thank look empty but, I am planning on getting more and having a nice shoal with a mixture of the different types (tuxedo, snakeskin, endler etc)
I have 3 snakeskin types.


: victory:


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## SwampK (Aug 7, 2012)

RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou said:


> Okay, I have done a little temp test, its an average of 68-74, I got 3 guppies because they're easy to keep (I'm away at reading from Thursday to Monday and my mum gets worried about pets I've not had before/she doesn't know how to feed them)
> Seeing as guppies do breed like well, guppies, the females are pregnant anyway, I'm not doing the "breeding trap" or anything, I have some live plants that are quite big and bushy, the fish in the plant tank (Guppies, Platys) had a LOT of babies in there, some of the fish in there were gorgeous.
> 
> Obviously, 3 guppies makes a bigger thank look empty but, I am planning on getting more and having a nice shoal with a mixture of the different types (tuxedo, snakeskin, endler etc)
> ...


i don't like the idea of keeping endler's with other guppies-with them being a separate species, it dilutes the gene pool.


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## RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou (Apr 11, 2009)

SwampK said:


> i don't like the idea of keeping endler's with other guppies-with them being a separate species, it dilutes the gene pool.


I was thinking about this but, it could make some interesting patterns and colourways.


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## YOGI BEAR (Jun 3, 2012)

you could keep variatus platys


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

RawrIsDinosaurForILoveYou said:


> I say coldwater but, my room makes the water slightly warmer. What species can live in cooler temperatures and breed etc?
> 
> 
> : victory:


Click link for some info and species.
http://www.waterzoo.co.uk/uploads/Livestock/Subtropical fish.pdf


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## YOGI BEAR (Jun 3, 2012)

hillstream loach
weather loach


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## Stephen Nelson (Jun 21, 2010)

Ignoring the basic goldfish etc. 

I agree with the following: 
American Flag Fish
Paradise Fish
Weather Loaches
and certain types of Platy can all live in temperate water.

I personally keep and have had sucess breeding the following in temperate water:
Zebra Danios
Leopard Danios
Pearl Danios
Giant Danios
White Cloud Mountain Minnows (both normal and gold variants)

So far I have never had a single death, all fish are active and had these well over two years.

Guppies however I did make the mistake of attempting to keep in this way a while back. They didn't last long at all. I think the fact wild type guppies are able to tolerate cooler temperatures has led to the myth that guppies in general can. Unfortunately wild type are almost impossible to find in the UK.


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