Archive for July 9th, 2010

A good freshwater aquarium heater is one of the most vital tools that you can have in your tank. Together with balanced pH and correct lighting and a good filter, that is. It’s important to have a heater which will maintain an even temperature in the tank.

Freshwater fish come from tropical waters that are warm, usually between 74 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. So it’s important to have a stable temperature in your tank within that range. Your fish need to be in a comfortable environment for them to thrive. It is important for their longevity for them to have unstressed living conditions.

Heaters are used to keep the water temperature stable. The temperature of the room that the aquarium is kept in will change, and heaters will keep that range more uniform, and your fish will be happier, healthier, and prosper in your tank.

There are three main sorts of freshwater aquarium heaters that you’ll be considering when you set up your tank:

Immersible or Hang-On Heaters

Immersible heaters are probably the commonest types of heaters that are used. Mainly because they’re easily found and they’re also cheap.

These types of heaters actually hold onto the back or side of the aquarium, hanging into the water. There’s a temperature control that is kept above the water. These varieties of heaters work fine and are really good for beginning aquarists.

Immersible heaters can be a monstrosity, though, because you may see them, and a few individuals don’t love that. A lot of folks prefer the heater to be concealed. Fortunately, there are more types of heaters to think about that are not as easily seen.

Submersible Heater

Submersible heater means that you can submerse the whole heater into the aquarium. The heater is completely sealed so it can be fully lowered into the water. The great thing about these kinds of heaters is that they’re unobtrusive. You can hide them behind rocks or plants and you won’t spot them.

Submersible heaters can be more expensive than immersible heaters, but many of them are quite affordable. These varieties of heaters are far more reliable and can easily maintain a rather more consistent temperature in your tank. They’re easy to use, slim–so that you don’t see them as much, and relatively cheap.

Filter Heater

The filter heater is a really nice option to think about to maintain an even temperature in your aquarium. It heats the water as it moves the water through a filter, so fundamentally accomplishes 2 things at the same time. These heaters are far more dear, but do extra duty because you won’t need a filter too.

One of the enormous pluses of this type of heater is it is set up outside of your aquarium, so it doesn’t use up space in your tank and you do not have to have to look at it inside the tank!

If you’re a beginning aquarist, start with the immersible heater, and then when you’ve done a little research and gotten used to the choices out there, move onto the submersible heaters or even the filter heaters.