Heaters

[subopposite]

I orignally thought, the bigger the heater the better. Meaning that if I got say 100 watt heater for a 10 gallon tank, then the heater would work half as hard as a 50 watt heater to keep the temperature you set it at. Is this the way it works? To me, it seems to make sense. I am always thinking of upgrades too, like if i get a bigger tank, I can always use that heater. I do that with car stereo a lot. Anyhow, can getting too big of a heater overheat a tank even though it is set at the proper temperature?


Also, how does 1 dwarf gourami, 3 cories and a small school of cardinals sound in a 10 gallong tank. I have a 10 gallon tank with nothing in it and I want to get something in there soon as I have it all up and running. Already been cycled too as I had some fiddler crabs in there before.

I also thought about puffers, but I want a kind of sick bay for my other bigger tank or small breeding tank if I need one.

 

[Alien Anna]

I regularly use a 150 watt heater in my 10 gal hospital tank and it's fine, provided it is in good working order. The only problem comes if the thermostat breaks and then it will cook your fish!

 

[Whisper Odinsky]

i echo that last statement, anna. is there any way you can know ahead of time that theomstat is wonky?

 

[Alien Anna]

i echo that last statement, anna. is there any way you can know ahead of time that theomstat is wonky?

Well I have read that you should automatically replace all heaters once a year, but that seems rather drastic to me! I've also heard that you shouldn't use second hand heaters. That too wouldn't work for skint little me. So I check the tank temperature very frequently and if there's a problem I test the heater in a bucket. Usually if they go, they don't go all of a sudden, they just gradually get hotter and hotter (I had one go in my Juwel tank).

 

[Kossy]

I reccomend changing heaters once a year like I do. For example my friend lost all his discus because he had his heater over a year (like 3 wks after). Also I use a 50wat heater in my 10g betta tank it works fine and I also get some hope if it breaks. I use as the box states 50w - 10 g.....

 

[Kossy]

Forgot to add if you use a bigger wattage then reccomending nothing really happens. However you may want to watch your temp in the summer months like u do anyways . Like Alien Anna said he/she uses a 150w heater for her 10 g hostpital tank meaning nothing really changes.

 

[aquamanis]

I did read somewhere that having a heater that is too big is not really good for your fish. Too large a heater will heat the water too quickly stressing the fish.

 

[rosierabbit]

Like Alien Anna said he/she uses...

surely alien anna is a she - does the name 'anna' mean anything to you??

 

[Kossy]

Yes but maybe you never know you know...(no offence but some people with different sexualities may choose to have a different sex name) Like I said you never know!!

 

[Alien Anna]

Yes but maybe you never know you know...(no offence but some people with different sexualities may choose to have a different sex name) Like I said you never know!!

I think the three birthstories on my website might be a bit of a give-away. Sure, I know people can change sex but surely not that radically yet?