Hi,

I found out early that the small non adjustable tetra heaters don't keep the water warm enough for bettas, at least not in my 5 gallon tanks. It didn't even work well in my 2.7 gallon tank.

I then switched to adjustable ones, and that works so much better.

The size of heater is dependent on the size of the tank, so I go with 50 watts to make sure I have enough power to heat and hold the heat level steady, even though many recommend a 25 watt. And all of my tanks are 5 gallons.

I like Hydor brand and Eheim brand heaters.

Just my 2 cents worth, lol!

 

I wouldn’t trust the no name ones fully. It’s like a 50/50 with them. If you are looking for a few good heaters for small tanks, I’ll drop a name of the heater that worked good for me. All the heaterI listed down below have worked great for me with my small 1-7 gallon tanks.
FREESEA 50W Mini Aquarium Heater Fish Tank Submersible Heater with LED Temperature Display
TOPFIN 30 Watt Small Aquarium Heater Fish Tank Submersible

 

FREESEA 50W Mini Aquarium Heater Fish Tank Submersible Heater with LED Temperature Display
TOPFIN 30 Watt Small Aquarium Heater Fish Tank Submersible

30 & 50 watts aren't too large for a small tank?

 

Thanks for the input so far, but I mean SMALL... perhaps the correct term is NANO?

A shop owner recently told me heaters with an adjustable knob are good, but so far those only seem to be the larger size ones.

 

Like 0.5 gallon size?

 

I have a 2.6G Fluval Betta tank. The kit came with a 10W heater pre-set to 78 degrees. So far it has been great for my setup.

 

Like 0.5 gallon size?

I don't know the exact size, but I'm pretty sure it isn't any larger than a gallon.

 

I had a small, unnamed heater (like 50 watts). It always kept the tank at around 80. One day I noticed a dead fish. Then a snail. And maybe another fish if I remember right. Checked the temperature and it was at 92 degrees! Lesson learned, do t go with cheap heaters.
I like Fluval and Eheim brands.

 

What kind of fish are you planning on putting in there? In my opinion that is too small for a betta.

 

I suppose if he has regular water changes and is fed well its not too much of an issue

 

Water changes and water testing twice a week. Everything is going well (knock on wood).

 

I have seen so many people give others grief about their tank size, so I purposely haven't mentioned the size of my little tank.

I CAN say my betta seems very happy and active. She has plenty of places to swim around, eats well, gets frequent water changes with treatment, and looks great.

I simply do not have space for anything larger, nor do I have the budget for a big fancy tank. I needed a little company here by my computer and so far I am happy with my choice.

 

I simply do not have space for anything larger, nor do I have the budget for a big fancy tank. I needed a little company here by my computer and so far I am happy with my choice.

There are some good plans how to DIY a tank out there(and it's pretty affordable I'd say), but yeah, if you don't have space for anything bigger than one you have and your fish feels good - then it's fine I'd say.

 

As long as you are up on your maintenance and water changes, a smaller tank can work.

 

So what I ended up using is a seedling heat mat I bought many years ago. So far, it is working WAY better than I expected! I don't know why the heat mats available for aquariums and reptiles are 99% not for use with acrylic tanks... seems to me a simple safe heat mat would be useful for smaller tanks. All I know is I don't have to worry now about cooking the fish!