wrote:
I've determined that my target temp for my Kuhli, Pleco, and ADF's should be
77-78f, but it's floating around 80-82, and I can't figure out why.

There's no nearby heat source in the room, and in fact I've shut off the
radiators in the room. There is a 75w heater in the 15g tank, but it's set
to about 75f. There *IS* a cloth covering the open part of the lid to
prevent the ADFs from jumping out. This may add insulating properties.
Ambient temperature in the room is 75f.

Can anyone offer insight as to why my tank temp is higher than ambient?

Is 82 this with a "Tolerable" range for my friends, or is this something I
should address urgently?


A couple of things to consider: when you say the heater is set to 75f is
this based on observing at what temperature it actually comes on or the
temperature the knob is set to? If your heater has an "on" light I
would suggest keeping an eye on it to see if it is coming on when it is
not supposed to be. I think those temperature settings are really more
guides than dead-on accurate. Also, what wattage and of what type of
light do you have over the tank? That can certainly make a difference.
Finally, how sure are you of the accuracy of your thermometer? If
you take it out of the tank, does it read 75f as well?