saltwater

Question
QUESTION: I have a 55 gallon setup and 10 Convict's the water tempature is about 72 degrees, I would like to move 2 of these fish to my 20 gallon setup but the water tempature is around 80, quite a bit higher than the 5 gallon, is this safe???
also a few of the fish have had babies and I was wondering if it was safe to seperate them from the parent's, and is the 80 degree water safe for the babies I plan to raise???

ANSWER: Hi Matt,
  That will be fine.  In the wild convicts go through that temperature range every day.  Furthermore, taking a fish from colder to warmer is much less stressful than going from warmer to colder.  

 80oF is perfectly fine for convicts.  You can take them up to about 86 or 87 provided that there is lots of oxygen in the water.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am also very interested in setting up a saltwater tank, could you tell me how to set up a 20 gallon saltwater tank, and the easiest coral and fish to care for???
thank you for your answer about the water tempature so soon!!!!!

Answer
Hi Matt,
 I am not an expert on saltwater.  There arent' really any "easy" corals to keep.  Corals typically need a lot of intense light to allow them to survive in an aquarium.  That is why most saltwater tanks have high-intensity lights over them.  

 You do not, however, have to keep coral to have a saltwater tank.  Damselfish, like the blue chromis, are relatively easy to keep.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>