Water Temperature

Question
Hello Nick, I recently (a week ago) purchased a 5 gallon tank with a carbon filter and bubbler and currently have a betta living in it. I have been a little alarmed by the rising temperature in the tank, even without a heater. The tank is currently at 78 degrees F and I was hoping that you could give me some suggestions for cooling it down safely (I was under the impression that the temperature should not rise above 80). I would also like to look into getting another fish for the tank at some point. I am certainly in no hurry to do this, especially after researching a bit on tank cycles. However, once the tank is stabalized, are there any fish/fresh water creatures that work particularly well with bettas? Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer
The temperature is fine. You should onlu be alarmed if it goes over 82. The only option for cooling it down would be a $300 chiller or an air conditioning system. Don't worry about it :)

There are some fish that go well with bettas, but they would only work in bigger tanks. 5 gallons is just enough for a single betta.

Also, the carbon filter may be harmful, and the bubbler is useless...although they do look pretty. Bettas can breathe directly from the air, so a bubbler doesn't help them in any way.

Carbon filters have been linked to HITH, aa deadly disease, although this is very rare. At best it is just a waste of money. Not to mention that not replacing the carbon every 2 weeks leaches toxins into the water. You can replace it with a sponge filter, it would actually do something. You could take the air pump from the bubbler and hook it up to a sponge filter, problem solved.

-Nick