[Lisztentome]

Hello,

I am looking for a heater for my 5gal (holds about 4-4.5 gal with all the plants and stuff in there.) The temp currently stays between 78-81F which is a little more fluctuation than I'd like. Plus I think my betta would be happier with a temp of 82F or something similar. And in case he ever gets a parasite, a heater will come in handy!

I hear that Hydor Theo Heaters from the Doctors Foster and Smith website are a good choice but should I get a 25watt or 50watt for my tank? And do they last a while or should I be prepared to replace it each year?

I live in arizona, the lowest temp my house ever gets is in the high 60's F.

 

[ShadowRaven]

I have a 25w for my 25L tanks (5.6gallons) and it doesn't do the best job and I need to have it cranked right up to get 76/77F. I'm going to upgrade them to 50w. Mine is a different brand though, so maybe it's just crappy (I'm in Aus so there isn't many brands in the pet stores) I should also add that my house probably gets a bit colder than yours. Sorry I probably wasn't much help!

 

[Mousie]

I hear that Hydor Theo Heaters from the Doctors Foster and Smith website are a good choice but should I get a 25watt or 50watt for my tank? And do they last a while or should I be prepared to replace it each year?

The 25 watt should be good as it's for tanks between 2 to 7 gallons. Edit: If you think you might upgrade in tank size, then the 50 watt will be a better choice... but also keep in mind the length difference between the two (if there is one).



The Hydor adjustable heaters are really good heaters.

 

[Lisztentome]

The size difference isn't anything which is why I've considered the 50watt.

I don't want to burn out the 25watt and I want something that will heat the whole tank to 85ish if a fish happens to get sick. I've heard that some 25watt heaters struggle with keeping the temperature consistent.

 

[Mousie]

I don't want to burn out the 25watt and I want something that will heat the whole tank to 85ish if a fish happens to get sick. I've heard that some 25watt heaters struggle with keeping the temperature consistent.

Not sure what you mean. Those heaters are adjustable, so you can set them to what ever temperature you need. Unless you are going to be upgrading to a larger tank soon you will not need more than a 25 watt adjustable heater. As long as you are using the wattage needed for your specific tank size, it's not going to burn out unless it breaks due to old age or faulty design. A 25 watt adjustable heater is the correct wattage for a 2 to 7 gallon tank. I use them in my small tanks without any issue.

As you know, adjustable heaters are a great thing to have because it gives the aquarist more control over tank temperatures. But the only time you would ever need to raise the temp that high is for parasites. You shouldn't get those unless you introduce it into the tank by not quarantining new plants, fish, snails, or shrimp before they go into the main display tank.

I see a lot of pictures of fish tanks where the aquarist has placed the heater on the other side of the tank from the filter. The heater should be as close as safely possible to the intake tube. This helps to better evenly circulate the warmth throughout the tank.

 

[Lisztentome]

I should've been clearer, not only am I looking to buy a heater for a healthy betta, but I recently bought a new betta who I'm observing closely because I think he may have velvet (I bought him from a petsmart. I often can't resist saving a fella while I'm there oops). So not only do i need a small heater for 5-6gal, but also one that heats high enough to treat him if he does have velvet. (I'm partially colorblind and have trouble seeing the so called gold dust that is it's trademark).

 

[Mousie]

Ahhhh, I see. Makes sense.

 

[Strawberry12]

Also depends where in the world you are, I live in an old drafty house in Ye Olde Boston, so I need to run 50s in 5s and 100s in my 10s because they won't get warm enough in the winter. I tried a few different 25w ones in my 5 and they were only getting it up to about 72 degrees in the dead of winter.

 

[Kyle15]

In South Africa ( not sure about USA ) but we get DoPhin heaters that are like 15 cm about 5-6 inches long and adjustable and submersible fully
They cost R216 which is around $21
They have lasted me three years for the time and Im still using it

 

[Mousie]

I live in the burbs outside of Chicago. It gets deadly cold here, too. Since we replaced all of the windows, sliding glass doors, and skylights in the house last summer I haven't had any issues with my tanks keeping the temperature where I set them. We also replaced the heating and air, so not sure if that makes any difference.

 

[Strawberry12]

I'm sure it does

My house was around 60 degrees average last winter. *shivers*

 

[Mousie]

My house was around 60 degrees average last winter. *shivers*

I'm like a tropical fish lol. I can't have fluctuating temps. In the winter it can't be cold or damp because my chilblains will go nuts. In the summer I can't have it too hot or too humid because those are the big triggers for my asthma. Just call me the Incredible Ms. Limpet.

 

[Strawberry12]

hahaha awww. I love to be in a freezing house and cuddled up under 40 blankets. It'll be interesting to see how the cold treats my shoulder this winter though, i had surgery on it in May and I know injuries always get creaky and owie in the cold.