ACK Winter is comming....again

[Danno]

Ok since this is the first year of my having bettas I just came to a stupid conclusion that...EAEAKVAEAK! my bettas will die in 60 degree water! I was wondering if a 25 watt heater in a 1 gallon bowl is ok. I need them to have hotter water. THanks for the help in advance!

 

[Apache]

You can get small heaters for (7.5 watts) for 2 - 5 gallon tanks at Wal-mart... They should work for 1 gall, you'd really need to keep an eye on temps though if you use them...

 

[Storm]

I've got the 7.5 W heaters in my two gallon betta tanks. The temp is about 79. I'd be very careful putting these in anything smaller than a 2 gallon.

 

[SRC]

You can use a regualr ole heating pad. That's what I have my guys on right now until I can get my bigger tank built.

Mine are in the 4 x 4 x 7 beanie boxes. Their water stays around 80-82 degrees.

I did have to try it first, of course, on a wet (can't say dry you know lol) run before putting the fish on them.

I put the pad on low first, then sat the tanks on the pad. Waited an hour and checked the temp...if it was to low I felt around the pad for a warmer spot then where the tank had been sitting and moved the tank there, then waited for another hour and re-checked the temp.

If you can't get the water to the right temp after a few trys on Low..move it to Medium and wait another hour, ect.

After you reach the temp you want you'll wanna wait 2 hours and check it again to make sure the water stays that temp and doesn't slowly rise. Then you can add your fish, but make sure to check it hourly, just to make sure it doesn't raise unexpectedly on you, for the rest of the day (for atleast a 6 hour period).

Mine have been on heating pads (3 beanie boxes to a pad) for several weeks now..with no temp flucuations, other then between 80-82 degrees F.

I took a sharpie marker and outlined where the boxes sat once I found a good place for each box...so I didn't lose their spot during water changes (saves me a couple hours a day of searching for my spot again lol)

Also, you'll wanna make sure to keep a lid on the tank...as cooler temps outside and warm water inside...can give your fish pneumonia...when he comes up to get a gulp of air. If you see condensation on the inside of the tank, that's a good sign that the air temp on the surface of the water is safe enough for him to come get a gulp.
. Good Luck

Edit: You'll want to make sure you use a MOIST heating pad..they are water proof. If it billows (puffs up) because of it being sealed, you can take a safety pin and poke one hole in it..that will let the trapped air out, but won't allow water to get in..unless you drop it in the bath tub or something lol.

 

[f250fisherman]

One thing on the heating pads. Once you get the temp where you want it, and you know it's going to stay that warm, put the betta and container on the pad with the cooler water together, so the betta adjusts to the warmer temp as the temp rises. Getting the water warm, then dumping in betta will make it ill. It is harder on a betta to go to sudden warm, then it is to go to sudden cold. Adjust water temp slowly, so there is no stress.

 

[SRC]

I should have mentioned that too..I guess I figuered everyone knew to do that instead of just going ker-plop. lol God call Fisherman!

 

[AlexsDaddy]

I have used a 25 watt adjustable temp heater in a 1 gal with sucess. After a 3 day test run though just to make sure it held steady.

 

[Danno]

I cant use heating pads. Costs to much electricity. ill try a 25 watt heater with a run through

 

[MAM]

you also have to be careful if your betta tank is of the plastic variety with these heaters. another option i know others use, it buy one of those metal domes (like you'd use for reptile lights), put a 60-75 watt light bulb (like you'd use for a lamp) in it, and have that shining close to the tanks all day. this will keep them at a comfy temp. most domes come with a clamp you can use to attach the light to a shelf or something.

 

[SRC]

I cant use heating pads. Costs to much electricity.

lol say what? A heating pad is only 40 watts (that's less then most light bulbs)..and that's on it's highest setting..you'd prolly only need it on low, so that'd be like a little over 10 watts.

lol but whichever is more clever for you liking.

 

[Danno]

This is my problem though. My parents think that heating pads start fires. And yes I do use glass bowls. But this is something that everyone else thinks that I dont have to worry about, and that is power. I have to pay my parents for all of the elecetricity that I use because running 6 filters 5 lights 8 heaters and a big air pump along with my computer is alot of money. I have to pay about 50 bucks a month for my electricity! My parents also forced me when I got over 60 gallons of water in my room to get water / flood insurance and that costs 10 dollars on our home insurance that I have to pay. And I only make about 80 dollars a week and 40 goes in the bank for college. So im pretty much restricted only by money output . I think that a 25 wat mini heater would be the best. Ill just test it out first.