Betta BTU (Heater)

[ZubinBetta]

This might also fall under the category, "What did you do for your betta today?":
Last evening I gave my betta fresh water in his 5.5 gal tank. I filled the tank with lukewarm water and put into it the thermometer I bought earlier in the day. It read 80*F. By this morning the temperature in my unheated tank had fallen to 65*F, so I read the directions that came with my EHEIM Jager 25W aquarium heater (that arrived last week), and I put the heater in the tank and plugged it in.
I have a few questions: 1. Can I leave the house with the heater plugged in? 2. The heater has a thermostat with readings from 65*F to 93*F; there is an adjustable indicator by which it is (in theory) possible to set the heater to a desired temperature. The heater has been on now for several hours, and the temperature in the tank has risen from 65*F to 70*F; how much warmer is the tank likely (and realistically) to become, if the thermostat is set at 79*F? Would setting the thermostat higher than this cause the temperature in the water to rise much beyond that? (The box the heater came in says it can be used for up to 7 gal.) 3. What temperature do you keep your tanks at? That is, what is considered ideal for bettas? 4. Is it even possible for a 25W heater--or for this particular brand and model of heater--to raise the temperature in a 5.5 gal. tank to an ideal betta temperature? I thought it was, but then I read some posts here in which betta parents recounted using 50W or even 100W heaters for tanks under or at 10 gal.
Thank you for your consideration.

[finnfinnfriend]

Yeah your heater should heat your tank to the set temperature, if not a cpuple degrees off. 78F is a good temperature. You can leave the heater plugged in 24/7 unless you are taking it out of the water or doing a water change where the water level will end up below the minimum water line on he heater. 25w is the right size for a 5.5gal tank.

[paloverde]

Hi, it is best to raise the temp very very slowly. Any sudden temp changes can cause issues. I would think that if you set the temp to 79* it would hold that temp within a 2* + or -. Eheim produces very high quality top of the line aquarium products. Yes you can leave the house, but remember that it will take a day or so to calibrate (fine tune ) the heater to your specific tank. So keeping in mind that you really need to raise the temp slowly, very slowly, just keep the heater plugged in & it will automatically turn on & off as needed. Bettas usually can be kept at temps of as low as 76* and as high as 82* as long as those temps don't bounce around you should be fine.

[megaredize]

78 is usually the "sweet spot" its a good temp. i personally have my heaters that have the heating adjustment on them set to 79 and then my preset heaters are at 78 and i cant do much about that. 25 watts is fine for your size. if you went to a 10 gallon that is when you would want a 50 watt. it maybe take awhile for the tank to heat up to 79 where the temp is set because they usually go on and then when their internal thermometer says its 79 they turn off and when it picks up it really isnt 79 is will come back on again. which is fine because like the others have said its not good for fast temp changes.

[ZubinBetta]

Thank you, finnfinnfriend, paloverde and megaredize. The temp. is creeping up slowly, and it's good to know this is how it's supposed to go--and to know I don't have to unplug the device each time I leave! The temp. is up to 74* already, and I think I can observe a difference in my betta's behavior, but I will continue to watch him for indicators that he's happier with the heater. I had been considering the room thermostat and did not realize that the temperature of the water was so cold.

[finnfinnfriend]

Originally Posted by ZubinBetta

Thank you, finnfinnfriend, paloverde and megaredize. The temp. is creeping up slowly, and it's good to know this is how it's supposed to go--and to know I don't have to unplug the device each time I leave! The temp. is up to 74* already, and I think I can observe a difference in my betta's behavior, but I will continue to watch him for indicators that he's happier with the heater. I had been considering the room thermostat and did not realize that the temperature of the water was so cold.

Thats great! And since you have an aquarium heater, you don't need to worry about a room thermostat...