Coldwater Fish: The Best Choices for Your Aquarium

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

See the original blog post at aquariumstoredepot.com/blogs/news/coldwater-aquarium-fish

[@unitedwestanddividedwefall2073]

I have the zebra & the Leopard danio's in a 75 gal aquarium & 6 albino Cories, I also have 9 commit goldfish in a 110 gal stock tank indoors for the winter mons of Indiana. I love all my fish they keep me busy doing things for them.

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

Is it necessary to listen this annoying sounds in background if I want to have the fish without heater ? 🙉🎧

[@valerienisbet]

So true, you're right ❤.

[@mr_dr1fta119]

I'm getting my first fishies, I've got a 2toot tank and this vid really helped out.

[@itzame2127]

Hey, hows the tank going bro? Upload a video to see :D

[@amx1820]

Giant danios, odessa barbs and badis badis (or scarlet badis) are also great cold water fish

[@timpekarek9159]

Thanks for a great list

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Thank you :)

[@zafishguy5166]

I think peppered cories are one of the forgotten ones that often do better at 70 degrees rather than 75

[@PULAG]

I tried 70° they all died then bought 40 more, yep I'm rich boy sellin Crack, put at 77° they all triple in size in 3 weeks. Where you at boy

[@johncameron4194]

Would love another list

[@melissatrent2500]

I had some rosy red minnows, but had to rehome them due to them bullying my neon tetras. So upsetting because I really did like them, they are active, a great clean up crew and did get along with the other fish I had, just not the neons

[@SeanBainbridge-ky1mw]

I've never had heaters in my tanks! And i used to breed loads of different cory Doras! It's all about how you set the tank up mostly i had 16 different types in one tank and they lived for years over there time and i never had any major problems

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Hi Sean. You totally can do fine without heaters with the right fish, the stable room temperature, and a mild climate. It's actually better for planted tanks because you will have less algae growth.

[@SeanBainbridge-ky1mw]

I had a pleco in there as well for algae as bit of back up but he was like the Tank boss as he got bigger than my hand ✋ lol

[@SeanBainbridge-ky1mw]

When I put my pleco in he just disappeared for over a year and I fort he had Died as I didn't see him but what he had done was Sucked a Hole out of this log and used it to hide his body in and one night I just saw this big Shadow swim round my tank 😬 and realized it was the pleco lol 😆 as he had been hiding for over a year in my 50 liter tank as it was a natural self cleaning tank and I only needed to clean it properly every year as it mostly cleaned it's self

[@usa2342]

It's probably you live in a hot climate?

[@LOREntz013]

11:38 Well, in Indonesia it's not underrated tho... The most common pet fish is guppy, neon tetra, danio & goldfish... Anyways nice video... It's really educate me... Can't wait for my first 10 gallon tank with guppy fish on it... 🐟🐟🐟

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Thank you for your comment. Yes here in the states everyone wants to go for tropical fish, but there are plenty of fish in the hobby that do well without a heater at room temperature. Guppies are fun. They have tons of babies 😅

[@harison548]

Buenos Ares tetras are also a cold hardy fish. I have had the for several years with no heater in SF bay area.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

They are great fish - just don’t keep them around plants as they will eat most of them

[@mohammedfahad2416]

Best one ❤️

[@arthurpellett9256]

Denison barbs make a great cool water fish

[@W-H-O]

Guppies can survive in temps as low as 60 F, but they won't be thriving at that temperature, they'll be more susceptible to diseases and I'd even argue it would be inhumane to keep them at it. As someone who wants my pets to thrive, not just survive, I keep my guppies and endlers at no less than 72 F, but I usually shoot for 74 F. Think about how you yourself can survive in 55 F, but you will be very uncomfortable and more likely to get sick, it's the same with any animal, there's ranges they can survive in, but they are harsh conditions and then there's ranges they can thrive comfortably in.

[@johncameron4194]

Great video

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@shanrrosh]

I have been keeping and breeding fish and shrimps for over 20 years and I prefer not to use a heater because of several reason like safety, and that for most fish, it's simply not needed. Normal indoor temperatures are usually just fine with most fish, although keep in mind that filtration and lights will usually keep the temperature in a tank 1 or 2 degrees higher. There are of course some species that require high, tropical temperatures, like sulawesi shrimp, as an example. Having said that, I still keep a heater or two handy in case I should need it for any reason.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Hi Shanny. I agree that most fish actually do not need heaters. I recall GreenAqua talking about it during an aquascaping video of theirs that aquarium water will stay at 1-2 degrees higher than room temperature so they only keep fish and plants that can live in room temperature waters. If you live in a cold climate though, you likely will need a heater as temperatures will drop throughout the come. The issue is usually cooling in water climates or during the summer.

[@paintballmonkey666]

your advice is extreamly dependant on your location, I accidentally turned off the wrong multiplug which included the fishtank heaters and about 80% of my fish died. at my location, it gets to about 8 degrees inside without heating

[@andrewdefty6044]

How about a vid regarding Cold and Cool water fish? Cold to me (UK) is anything that will do well in water up to 68F/20C, and cool is anything above 68F/20c... I have a 100ltr that never gets below 18C/64F, and a 240ltr that never gets below 20C/68f. So what would do well in those temps? Cool or Cold? This I feel should be more clear, as I've been told many times before that some fish wont do well in an unheated tank (Molly's was one such fish), but learned that they do well in cold temps... So much confusion in this hobby... Yeah, I know of how robust they can be and that cold temps can boost their longevity of life (certain fish), but there seems to ne a biased view on some species that they "Need" to be in a heated tank... I'm now unsure... Some clarity would help very much for those new to this hobby, those which could be put off really nice fish that will do fine in an unheated tank. This does include myself here (10 months in).

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

That's fair. I can do a Coldwater vs. Coolwater fish video. This video was focused on fish that would live without a heater in room temperature in most neutral climates. The coldwater would be those who can tolerate temps lower than 65F. This would include some frost hardy fish like goldfish and koi. I have some backlog in my content schedule, but I can add it to the project hopper :).

[@construct3]

Just about any fish native to the United States would do well in temperatures 15 to 20C, but you would need to do your research, including what species are banned in the U.K. Almost all of these fish could survive an English winter and cause ecological damage. To see their colors really pop, just raise the temperature a couple of degrees. The various species of shiners would be similar to barbs. Red shiners are quite popular in Europe, and I think they are very beautiful. Europeans have a different name for red shiners--rainbow something-or-other. Golden shiners are beautiful, but they would be unreasonably large for most aquarists--8 inches or so--and they'd need to be in a group. The fathead minnow and its color variant, the rosy red minnow, are similar to the shiners. Rosy reds are often sold here in the Unites States as feeder fish. All the minnows and shiners need to be kept in groups just like barbs. We have killifishes, but I really don't know anything about them. You'd need to do your research. Killifishes are short-lived, so many enthusiasts breed them so they won't run out. There are also mosquito fish. They are live-bearers, and they look similar to wild type guppies. They're a little bit larger than guppies. But they won't do well with other species; they're terrible fin-nippers. If I were keeping mosquito fish (and I have), I'd make sure to have enough of them in the tank to spread out the aggression. Your tank will always be active, even with just the room light on. They'll like a large enough open space to chase each other in, but they'll appreciate a planted area to retreat to when they get tired or bullied. Successful breeding in an aquarium can be a little tricky as they actively search out the fry to eat. I love these fish. Our sunfish would be similar in size and personality to medium to largish cichlids. They are centrarchids, the same family as the black basses. (The pygmy sunfishes are a different family.) Most sunfish species are very scrappy. The bluegills are the gentle giants of the sunfish, but they could reach 10 to 12 inches, and "gentle" means "gentle for a sunfish." The longear and northern sunfishes are the most beautiful in my opinion, but like most sunfishes, they are rough customers, both among themselves and with other species. And when two sunfish pair off to mate, all bets are off. Unlike cichlids, the male centrarchid acts as a single-father protecting his children, and the female is going to have to move out. I think, but I'm not sure, that pumpkin seed sunfish are popular in Europe. The species to watch out for is the green sunfish, as they are the most pugnacious. I'm not sure I'd trust more than one green sunfish, by itself, in a 200 to 250ltr aquarium. Oh, and centrarchids are a commitment, living 8 to 10 years or maybe longer with proper care. But if you get tired of them, you can fry them and eat them. I'd suggest the various species of darters as well. Darters live on the bottom because they don't have a swim bladder, and they are completely peaceful. You'd have to feed them food that would sink to the bottom. But they do require setting up a current as most of them come from flowing streams. I hope this helps.

[@andrewdefty6044]

@@construct3 Thanks!

[@Ashleyapples]

which of these fish can do without a hang back filter or sponge filter? trying to save electricity here with a big tank

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Techically all these fish except for goldfish can do well in a naturally heavily planted tank with no filter if done right. The smaller the fish the better the chance though. Minnows and rice fish would be the best candidates on this list for a Coldwater natural tank.

[@CallmePancakegaming]

Is that a variation of zebra danio? Those long flowy fins are gorgeous.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Those are longfin Zebra Danios. You can find them at local fish stores

[@CallmePancakegaming]

@@AquariumStoreDepot now I'm going to have to look for them

[@thomaspethic6220]

Great video!!!!!

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Thank you 😊

[@dravenpatterson2588]

My favorite Coldwater fish of all is Goldfish. Because they may be create high amout of waste that create large amout of ammonia, but they can be pretty with one orange, one white and one black.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Yes, goldfish are great if you set up the tank correctly. They actually aren't really beginner fish given how large they get and how hard they are on a biological filtration system. They are very tolerant of coldwater.

[@matthewzito6130]

Giant Danios, Pearl Danios and Buenos Aires Tetras could go on this list.

[@amandabrown5619]

I have a paludarium that gets down to 60degrees, would anything be suitable?

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

White cloud minnows and Japanese rice fish would both be suitable.

[@georgeobrientheroninrealto2693]

I live in Las Vegas and have a 1000-gallon pond in my yard. I went to a nursery that sells plants for ponds and a decent sized tub with plants was also teaming with Blue Tail Killifish. They didnt know how the fish got there but suspected the plants had eggs already attached. Thery were nice enough to scope out 25 of these fish and give them to me at no charge! They are thriving in my pond and even hatching fry which is pretty exciting! My question to you or anyone out there is: Will my Killifish survive the cold Las Vegas winter? the temps in LV during Dec-Feb can get as low as 50 degrees and 36 degrees over night. I would hate to lose these little guys as I have become somewhat attached to them!

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Hi George. They wouldn’t be able to survive a cold winter. I would bring them indoors.

[@kenjiro2676]

Using cold water as a culling method for cool water fish is a good way to produce healthy and robust fish.

[@sunriseshell]

70°F isn't "cold water". I have fish in an outdoor pond, it freezes and needs a deicer. That's cold.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Coldwater in the aquarium world is anything that can live without a heater in a room temperature environment (68-72 degrees). Ponds are a different matter

[@SP-NoobMaster69]

Can you keep them all with gold fish

[@freepalestine901]

Celestial pearl are most beautiful

[@clarencejackson5284]

Rosy red

[@jaskutty748]

I like tetra ❤️

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Yes tetras are the best schooling fish for freshwater aquariums

[@kenjiro2676]

Corydoras paleatus are much more tolerant of colder water

[@danm8004]

That's been my experience as well, I have them with my white cloud minnows and paradise fish unheated in the UK

[@finlaymichael]

Great i'm the number 1000 k👍 🎉🎉🎉🎉😂.👍

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

🎉

[@yusra1519]

And most of those fishes aren't available near my local fish shops🤦‍♀️😭

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

I’m sorry to hear that. What part of the live do you in live in?

[@yusra1519]

@@AquariumStoreDepot Uttar Pradesh.. Dubagga

[@johncameron4194]

Most fish don’t need heaters because of house temperature

[@Mrniceguy2209]

If you live in the southern hemisphere yeah, otherwise tropical fish need warm water.

[@arthurpellett9256]

They even benefit from it

[@RayVtheFishGuy]

It’s about consistency

[@PULAG]

Why do you assume everyone's home is heated to nearly 80°F?

[@arthurpellett9256]

@@PULAG all depends on what fish you keep some fish prefer lower temperature

[@burisngag7529]

Guppies below 70*F wont do well in my experience. They like their water heated at least 75 to 80 *F.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Yes, Guppies prefer a temperature range of 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22-28 C).

[@villagersparky]

@@AquariumStoreDepot So why give a temperature range of 63-82 on the video?

[@jaylenjarrett4463]

I’ve had guppies at both 63-65 and 70-75 and they both do great!

[@petes3011]

from Scotland and 70 F is not cold.!!

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Yes I understand. In the hobby - the term is typically used for fish that can live in room temperature or lower water.

[@PULAG]

Got my 2 Goldfish in a heated community 78° they are possibly the healthiest fish on the planet.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Goldfish are extremely tolerant and really can adapt to anything. While they can live fine - I try to steer ppl to general best practices. One of the longest goldfish ever recorded lived in a 29 gallon tank for many years

[@Finsandflowers]

Video better trifled as keeping fish without heaters or subtropical fish. None of the fish listed as technically cold water fish interesting video

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

The definition of cold water fish in the hobby are fish that do fine in room temperature water

[@TheMAU5SoundsLikThis]

70f is 21C, that’s not low?

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

It can be too cold for some fish. Coldwater is defined in the hobby as fish that do fine in room temperature water or below

[@TheMAU5SoundsLikThis]

​@@AquariumStoreDepot what about the fish that grow in the lakes and rivers of colder climates - seasonally anywhere form 2-18C? By the way I'm not suggesting they should be kept at 2C, I'm just wondering what you would call them? Electricity is very expensive so I want to keep a tank without a heater.

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

@@TheMAU5SoundsLikThis for that I would defer to koi and goldfish. They are going to be the most cold weather resistant of ornamental fish. Japanese Rice Fish and minnows could work too

[@jumbodoug]

​@@TheMAU5SoundsLikThiswhy not set up a tank, at least filled with water, in the area of room, and put a thermometer in the tank. That way you can see what your unheated tank temperature would be. I'm in Scotland, in a cold flat, I keep my windows open all the time, yet my tank water is normally around twenty Celsius. I have danio, platy, rainbow shiner, mountain minnow and Cory in the tank. I got another two tanks, which I'll probably do tropical, fighting fish in one, and raspora and tetra, or guppy, in the other. Or get more tanks lol. I believe cold water encourages danio to breed, it's like when the rains come bringing colder water. I've got a couple of babies, I believe they are platy, which I'm trying to grow up in a separate tank. But if your natural tank is around low twenties, you would only need another few degrees for tropical, so shouldn't be too expensive

[@MacTechG4]

Florida flag fish are another great cool/cold water fish, and absolutely decimate hair algae, they are semi-aggressive to aggressive depending on tank mates and if they’re breeding I have a trio in a 20 Long that I use as my algae destroyer tank, these little 2” long fish even bully the 4”’long crawfish out of her burrow (the crawfish is extremely laid back and won’t even eat guppies…)

[@technomad9071]

please use standard units

[@Mojo_Jojo9869]

70 degrees fernheight is not cold at all 😂

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

It’s a hobby term where Coldwater is considered room temperature water or less

[@lostandfound625]

Guppies are tropical fish they do need a heater at all times to keep the water warm.

[@TheStevenshaw]

Guppies are perfectly fine in an unheated tank as long as the temperature does not go below 15°c they can adapt to subtropical conditions

[@johncameron4194]

They’ll be fine in unheated tanks

[@johncameron4194]

Most fish don’t need a heater because house temperature

[@mr.monitor.]

That really depends on genetics a lot. More wild varieties will have different tolerance to cold than lines kept for many generations in cooler conditions.

[@danm8004]

Wingei (endlers) do better than reticulata in lower temps

[@farehakhan1231]

beta fish

[@AquariumStoreDepot]

Yes - we pronounce correctly in most of our videos - this is one of my oldest ones