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Placing an aquarium too closely to a window tends to cause a large variance in temperature which in turn leads to stress for its inhabitants which will ultimately lead to disease. (Most fish can tolerate a temperature variance of only five degrees Fahrenheit.) The larger an aquarium is, the smaller the temperature variance will be. This is due to the property of water known as heat capacity. Heat capacity of water is the quantity of heat energy required to raise the mass of water present, one degree Celsius. This means that water can absorb large quantities of heat energy without a large rise in temperature and release a large quantity of heat energy to the surroundings without a large drop in temperature. This is exemplified in the oceans and large freshwater bodies such as the Great Lakes. Their temperature does not vary greatly from day to day with the changing weather due to their vast volumes. An aquarist is not quite so lucky, because the aquarium water is exposed to the surroundings on all four sides. This promotes a greater rate of heat loss to its surroundings. This problem can be countered simply by installation of an aquarium heater which can be purchased at a local pet or discount store. |
