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The Right Aquarium Heater

When you decide to have pet fish, you'll need an aquarium heater. Fish aren't really cold blooded like some people think; they just can't maintain their own body temperature. In their natural environment, water and sunlight provide the warmth they need.

Even if the room where you keep your aquarium is comfortably warm to you, the chances are good that it is too cold for your fish, especially since water is harder to heat than air. So for your aquarium, a heater will provide the heat your fish need to thrive.

Generally, your fish will be healthy and comfortable in water that is kept around 79 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to keep the water temperature as constant as possible. Fluctuating temperatures lead to stressed fish, and it isn't a big step from stressed fish to sick fish.

Getting The Right Size Heater

Aquarium heaters are rated by watts, for example 75 watts, 150 watts, etc. The rule of thumb is 5 times the number of gallons of water in the aquarium for proper heating. So for a 25 gallon aquarium, you will need 5 times 25, or a 125 watt heater. If your aquarium is big, two heaters may do a better job than one. In these cases, divide the total wattage you need in half, and buy two heaters of the resulting lower amount. For example, a 50 gallon aquarium needs 5 times 50 watts of heating, or a 250 watt heater. Instead of buying one 250 watt heater, you can use two 125 watt heaters.

The other thing that is good about having two heaters is that if one fails, the remaining heater will keep the water temperature fairly even until you can get another heater. This is really helpful when you have a lot of money invested in the fish (or other animals). In fact, if you have a lot of money invested in fish, it may be a good idea to have a back-up heater on hand just in case.

Speaking of heat, whatever kind of heater you use, you will want a separate thermometer to check the water temperature. This is your early warning system for a heater that is going bad or that something is happening in the tank that needs attention.

Now, on to the heaters.

Immersible Heaters

The most popular and least expensive type of heater is called a immersible heater. These are generally tube shaped, and made from glass, plastic, or aluminum. They have a control at the top for setting the temperature and usually have a built-in thermostat. They are positioned so that the top of the control of the heater is above the waterline while the cylindrical part that does the actual heating is under water. Placing these near the area where the water circulation begins or is strongest will help keep the proper temperature throughout your tank and avoid hot spots.

There are some versions of immersible heaters called submersible heaters. These can go entirely underwater. Submersible heaters are also effective and inexpensive. They are a little easier to camouflage if that is a big issue for you.

Other Heater Styles

There are two other styles of heaters that you may see online or in stores. They are the substrate heater and filter heater.

The substrate heater is installed below the substrate, that is the rock, gravel, or sand you are using in your aquarium. This kind of heater produces very even heating and plants love it. In fact, these are the most popular style heaters in Europe. The downside of these heaters is that if you have to repair or replace them, you're going to have to take your entire aquarium down to get to them. So this is a good choice for installation in an initial set-up, but a lot more cumbersome to install in a tank that is already up and running.

A filter heater is a special heating unit that is placed inside the filter itself, so that the water goes back into the tank warm and clean. These heaters aren't very common and can be expensive.

Heater Safety Tips

Whatever kind of heater you choose, keep these safety tips in mind.

- Heaters are electrical appliances and must be handled with proper care. Remember, electricity and water do not mix.
- When it is time to clean your tank, turn your heater off, unplug it and give it a minimum of 15 minutes to cool down. Heaters can crack if they experience a rapid change in temperature, which is what would happen if you lowered the water level while the heater was still hot, or took a hot heater out of the water.
- If a heater is designed to be under the water, make sure it stays under water by keeping your water level topped off.
- Never touch a hot heater.

Author- Len Loman

About Best Pet Lighting:

Our site is best known for having the right equipment for the right aquarium. We will soon have great articles up on all areas of care for your aquarium but our main focus is Aquarium Lights And Aquarium Heaters
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What is the Importance of an Aquarium Heater?

A typical oversight of many beginner aquarists is the use of a heater in their tank, but just like the filters, heaters are a major component of a healthy environment for your fish.

One of the most important aspects of having a thriving tropical aquarium is to keep the water temperature at a good level. Both saltwater and freshwater fish do best in warm water with no drastic temperature variations. Only Goldfish are sturdy enough to handle colder temperatures.

A drop in temperature of only one degree over a twenty four hour period might affect the health of your fish, making them susceptible to diseases that might wipe out your whole tank population. Water temperature affects their immune system, wound healing and digestion. It is especially important to be vigilant of the water temperature during the change of seasons, particularly as winter approaches and temperatures drop. You might not think about it, but when the temperature in your home changes, your fish tank water changes temperature too.

Overheating can also be a problem. As the temperature rises, the oxygen saturation in the water tends to fall. But it's a lot easier to cool down the water than it is to heat it. You can turn off the lighting, float ice packs on the water, run a fan over the water surface or add cooler water on your water changes.
So the real problem is cold water.

The best way to avoid sudden drops in temperature is to have a reliable tank heater in your tank. There are many heaters in the market at various prices. The cheaper ones are more likely to break or malfunction, costing you more money in the long run, and they might not give you an accurate heat setting, which makes maintaining the right temperature in your tank quite difficult.

A mid priced heater will do a very nice job. Their thermostats are reliable and they are able to maintain a constant temperature without having to make many adjustments. Make sure you check your aquarium heater periodically and think about replacing it at least once a year.

Titanium heaters are highly recommended because they're durable and virtually indestructible. Some are designed to automatically shut off when the water level drops or they are exposed to air when plugged in. Most heaters will break when this happens. They are also resistant to corrosion both in salt and fresh water tanks.

Another good investment for your aquarium is a thermometer. You can get thermometers that stick to the outside glass of the tank, making it easier to monitor the temperature at a glance.

The best place for the heater is near the filter, that way the heated water can be distributed throughout the tank avoiding hot and cold spots around the tank. A heater is a very important part of any aquarium ecosystem and keeping the water temperature at a constant level will allow your fish to live happy and disease free for many years.

A minimum of 3-5 watts per gallon is recommended to keep aquarium water temperatures at an optimal level, so always get the right size heater for your tank. If you want to heat 20 gallons of water, you should buy an aquarium heater of 200-300 watts. If you own a large tank, you should consider using more than one heater. If one of your heaters goes, having multiple heaters in place safeguards your tank from crashing.

So, when planning your set up, take into account purchasing a good and reliable aquarium heater.

If you want to find more very useful information about setting up and maintaining your fish tank, please visit me at http://www.thefishtankplace.com
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Saltwater Fish Care - Tips To Feed Your Aquarium Fish

Feeding fish can be a science. When it comes to saltwater fish this is not different because feeding saltwater fish can be tricky. There are certain rules to follow and guidelines that should be met.

When you get saltwater fish the first thing you want to do is find out what kind of food the fish need to thrive. Most fish are going to need a balanced diet and require different foods. Using those friendly flakes just isn't going to cut it. Depending on the fish you can use a variety of vegetables, live, frozen and fresh food. Look at everything you are giving the fish and see if the diet contains about 10 percent fat and 30 percent protein. This will ensure the fish are getting everything they need out of their diet.

Most predatory animals will eat types of meat. You can give these fish beef heart, live or fresh foods. They will skip to the top of the tank, or swim where ever they land. With these saltwater fish just make sure are not putting them in an aquarium with their prey. If you do it that, you could end up with a few less fish.

For invertebrate and bottom dwelling animals, they need food that is going to sink to the bottom of the aquarium. These saltwater fish feed on food that is easily within reach. Otherwise they cannot reach them and will not survive. It's imperative to feed fish by making it easy for them.

Herbivores will feed on green plants and vegetables. If your saltwater fish enjoy plants, this limits the type of plants you can put in your aquarium. Most plants won't survive if you have these types of fish because the fish will eat them up. Feed them lettuce, spinach, fresh food and flakes because all fish need a balanced diet.

Depending on the saltwater fish, they will either feed once or twice a day. This is important to find out because you don't want to overfeed the fish. Overfeeding is dangerous and could lead to their death. A way to monitor the fish's eating habits is to time how long it takes for them to eat. Once you put food into the aquarium it should take anywhere from two to five minutes for the fish to eat. If it is longer than this, you have put too much food into the tank. You need to take out the extra food because besides overeating the breakdown of the food can contaminate the water and lead to sickness or bad water conditions. Anything less than two minutes and you aren't feeding your fish enough.

Some saltwater fish aquarists use automatic feeders. This takes the guess work out of feeding and puts the fish on a schedule. It also allows the saltwater fish owner flexibility in his schedule. However, there are drawbacks to using the feeders. It is not as simple as filling the feeder and going on with your day. Currently, automatic feeders do not hold frozen or live foods. When you want to feed your fish these types of food, you have to manually do it. Just sprinkle a little under the hood and watch the fish dance around.

Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 105 Page Ebook, "Aquarium Care Made Easy!" from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/636/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
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