Is Your Aquarium Too Hot? Symptoms To Look For!

An aquarium that’s burning hot isn’t one that’s going to be safe for your fish or plants. It’s essential to understand the main symptoms for when your aquarium is too hot.

This is the only way to make sure you are not ruining your fish tank’s ecosystem through below-par temperature control.

There are certain symptoms that are going to become evident as soon as the aquarium starts to heat up. This is why you have to be diligent and aware when it comes to the temperature fluctuating.

The reasons can include:

  • Being Close to a Window
  • Increased Temperature During the Summer Months
  • Irregular Temperature Inside the Room

There are many different reasons that are going to come up when it comes to an aquarium being too hot. You have to stay vigilant throughout the week and pay attention to how your fish are doing.

This is the only way to make sure your aquarium isn’t too hot and unbearable for the living organisms inside.

This guide is going to take a look at the main symptoms to consider when an aquarium is too hot.

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Symptoms of an Aquarium That’s Too Hot

Symptom #1: Lack of Movement in the Water

In some cases, fish will stop moving around in the fish tank and are going to stay close to one side. This tends to be near the bottom where it’s coolest in the tank.

If the fish are refusing to head upwards even for food, this means the aquarium is too hot!

You have to make changes to the water conditions or it will become unsustainable for your fish. This is why installing an aquarium chiller or cooling fan is the way to go.

It’s going to make sure everything is regulated regardless of what the temperature is outside. This can be a major time-saver as a fish tank owner when you are busy throughout the day.

Additional signs can include:

  • Lack of Swimming
  • General Fatigue
  • Constant Hiding

When it becomes too hot, the fish are going to go into survival mode. This is a natural reaction to their environment and it’s something that can become problematic after a while.

It’s one thing for the fish tank to be a little bit warm, but when it’s burning hot, the aquarium will become unsustainable.

This is why it’s important to make sure you are keeping tabs on the temperature inside the fish tank at all times.

aquarium too hot

Symptom #2: Health Issues for Your Fish

When an aquarium is too hot, you are going to start noticing health issues in your fish as well.

These health issues are going to include a variety of things include fatigue, fin rot, and other similar conditions that showcase a physical decline in the fish.

It’s in your best interest to take a temperature reading of the water and make sure your fish’s health isn’t compromised.

When fish start developing health issues, it can be a clear-cut sign that the aquarium is too hot and changes are needed.

There are subtle signs that can begin to show a decline in your fish’s health.

This can include fatigue, an unwillingness to eat, and simply staying to one side of the tank. In some cases, you are going to see the fish “riding the glass,” which is an automatic sign it’s in distress.

Fish will often do this when they are significantly uncomfortable in the fish tank and are trying to find a way out.

Symptom #3: Dying Aquarium Plants

When an aquarium is too hot, you are going to want to look at the aquarium plants.

The plants are going to rely on a stable environment inside the tank and as soon as it’s too hot, they are going to begin to wilt.

Aquarium plants begin to die out due to the increase in temperature and this tends to happen throughout the aquarium and not just in limited spots.

Since you know this, you can look at the plants and assess their health.

In a lot of cases, the fish are going to see a decline in health first, but the plants are going to follow too. These plants aren’t designed to handle a lot of heat inside the aquarium, so it makes sense for them to start fading.

aquarium too hot

Symptom #4: Increased Bubbling

The filter is going to start malfunctioning when the temperature rises too much.

This is why you are going to start noticing a sudden increase in bubbling out of the filtration system. This is an odd sight to see but it can be quite noisy too.

It’s a clear-cut sign that your aquarium is too hot and changes have to be made as soon as possible!

Final Thoughts

Is your aquarium too hot?

If so, you are going to have to think about making changes to the setup as soon as possible. Whether this has to do with relocating the aquarium, changing the water, and/or using an aquarium cooling fan, it’s important to take action right away.

This is the only way your fish are going to stay healthy and the ecosystem will continue to thrive.

Here is more on what you can do to regulate the aquarium’s conditions – how to get rid of white fungus in a fish tank, how to help fish that are staying in the corner of a fish tank, how to keep a fish tank cool, and how to add oxygen to a fish tank.