What temperature should a tropical fish tank be at?

Most freshwater tropical aquariums do well at a temperature of 75 to 80 F. Certain tropical fish species prefer a temperature outside of this range, so aquarium enthusiasts should always check before adding new species to their tank.

Keeping a tropical aquarium in the middle of a 75 to 80 F range allows the fishkeeper to maintain many different species. Some common fish types kept in tropical aquariums include gourami, tetras, livebearers and cichlids. Gourami and most species of tetra prefer a temperature around 77 F. Livebearers include guppies, platys, mollies and swordtails and thrive between 70 and 77 F, as do community cichlids such as acaras and dwarf cichlids or rams.