Fish Tank Heater
A majority of the aquarist must rely on different types of heating devices to ensure that the aquarium water temperature stay high enough. This is especially true for those keeping tropical fish species, since such species can require a water temperature of 27° C (80° F) or higher to do well.
If the temperature drops too low, the metabolism of your fish will suffer and your fish will become less and less active. Low temperatures will also make your fish more susceptible to illness and even small temperature variations can kill a fish. Some types of more adaptable fish will try to hibernate when the water becomes too cold, but sleeping fish is not very fun to watch in the long run. In some parts of the world aquarists are forced to install coolers instead, to make sure that their cold water species do not get too warm in the aquarium during hot summer days.
You should always research the particular species that you are keeping or planning to keep to find out what their preferred temperature is. Some species will survive even in colder water, but they will not do well and they might for instance refrain from spawning.
A commonly used rule of thumb states that you will need roughly five watts of power to heat one gallon of water or 1-2 watt per litre. A 20 gallon tank will consequently require a 100 watt heater, an 180 litre tank could do with a 200 or 250 watt heater. If you are in doubt you should pick the lower amount of watt since you dont want to risk cooking your fish. When you buy fish tank heaters you can usually choose between pre-set heaters and heaters that you must set your self. The more convenient types of fish tank heating will contain a thermostat. If you buy fish tank heating without a thermostat you must buy a separate thermostat and install it in the aquarium.
We recommend keeping a spare heaterstat at all times. Many aquarists will have heard those horror stories of failing heaters killing all their fish when they were a weekend away. It's a small additional investment which could save lives!
A majority of the aquarist must rely on different types of heating devices to ensure that the aquarium water temperature stay high enough. This is especially true for those keeping tropical fish species, since such species can require a water temperature of 27° C (80° F) or higher to do well.
If the temperature drops too low, the metabolism of your fish will suffer and your fish will become less and less active. Low temperatures will also make your fish more susceptible to illness and even small temperature variations can kill a fish. Some types of more adaptable fish will try to hibernate when the water becomes too cold, but sleeping fish is not very fun to watch in the long run. In some parts of the world aquarists are forced to install coolers instead, to make sure that their cold water species do not get too warm in the aquarium during hot summer days.
You should always research the particular species that you are keeping or planning to keep to find out what their preferred temperature is. Some species will survive even in colder water, but they will not do well and they might for instance refrain from spawning.
A commonly used rule of thumb states that you will need roughly five watts of power to heat one gallon of water or 1-2 watt per litre. A 20 gallon tank will consequently require a 100 watt heater, an 180 litre tank could do with a 200 or 250 watt heater. If you are in doubt you should pick the lower amount of watt since you dont want to risk cooking your fish. When you buy fish tank heaters you can usually choose between pre-set heaters and heaters that you must set your self. The more convenient types of fish tank heating will contain a thermostat. If you buy fish tank heating without a thermostat you must buy a separate thermostat and install it in the aquarium.
We recommend keeping a spare heaterstat at all times. Many aquarists will have heard those horror stories of failing heaters killing all their fish when they were a weekend away. It's a small additional investment which could save lives!
