07 Equipment: Heaters
Description
This article is from the Beginning Fishkeeping FAQ, by Thomas Narten with numerous contributions by others.
07 Equipment: Heaters
If you are keeping tropical fish, you will need a heater. A heater
insures that a tank doesn't get too cool, and that the temperature
stays steady during the course of the day, even when the room cools
off (e.g., at night). For many tropical fish, a temperature of 78F is
ideal.
There are two main heater types. Submersible heaters stay completely
below the water. A second, more traditional style, has a partially
submerged glass tube (which contains the heating coils), but leaves
the controls above the water. Submersible heaters are the better
design, as they can be placed horizontally along the tank's bottom.
This helps keep tank temperature uniform (heat rises), and prevents
the heater from becoming exposed while doing partial water changes.
With the traditional design, one must remember to unplug the heater
before doing water changes; if the heater is accidentally left on
while the coil is above the water, the tube gets hot and may crack
when you fill the tank back up with water.
If your room is never more than 8-10F degrees cooler than your target
tank temperature, a heater of roughly 2.5 Watts per gallon will
suffice. If the differential is higher, up to 5 Watts (or more) per
gallon may be necessary. Remember, the heater needs to keep the tank
at its target temperature, even when the room is at its coldest point;
the tank's temperature should not fluctuate.
Heaters (especially cheap ones) will fail. Most often the contact that
actually turns the heater on and off gets permanently stuck, either in
the on or off position. In the former case, your tank can get VERY
hot, especially if the heater is larger than your tank actually
requires. To minimize potential problems, avoid heaters larger than
the optimal size for your tank. To prevent winter disasters, use two
smaller heaters in parallel rather than one large one. That way if one
fails, the consequences won't be as disastrous.
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