Heater necessary

[pepedopolous]

Hi guys,

Cut to the chase- do we really need heaters if thanks to modern double glazing and insulation, ambient room temps don't fall below 20/21 degrees?

Here at the moment it's -7 outside and with my Hydor in-line heater unplugged for 24 hours, my 60l is at 21 degrees. The radiator in the room is at it's lowest setting...

I ask because space in my cabinet is really limited. I was thinking of getting an Eheim thermofilter but they are at such a premium price, especially if the heating element is just to raise the temp. by a couple of degrees at most, and not at all from perhaps April to October.

I know there are already a few brave aquascapers who don't use heaters but what is the consensus? Will there be any negative consequences for plants or fish I want to keep?

Cheers,

P

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Cutting to the chase, yes I think they are necessary, unless of course you only intend to keep cold water fish as opposed to tropicals, maybe gold fish or Mountain Minnows which look nice. I think the ideal temperature for plants is around 25/26 degrees so your ambient temperature of 20/21 degrees is I think a little on the cool side.

Tropical fish in colder water have probably got a lower metabolism so will not feed or need to eat as much, they will probably not be as active because they are trying to conserve energy by not swimming around too much, so less fun to watch. Fish in water too cold for them could end up being stressed out so they would be more prone to diseases and infections, so maybe another reason for advocating the use of a heater.

Unless you are heating your water on your water changes to 20/21 degrees you have also got the added problem of adding colder water to a tank which is already cold so dropping the temperature even further, increasing the chances of something going wrong.

If space is a problem and you can afford it I would go for the Eheim Thermal, that is what I intend to do next time and do away with my inline Hydor 300 watt heater.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[bape]

I leave my tank at room temp at around 22 +/- 2 degrees and all my carpet plants like cuba are growing really well daily

 

[ceg4048]

Also, algae really like tropical temperatures.

Cheers,

 

[LondonDragon]

Since I had an accident with a heater and wiped my Rio of fish and plants I have now removed all heaters from all my tanks, never had an issue.

 

[pepedopolous]

Thanks for the replies! So some people do think that heaters aren't necessary...

I have the Hydor at 23 degrees C. I think I'm erring towards getting an Eheim thermo for my next scape now but that's some time away and it will be warmer then!

However, I'm not so sure about the water change issue. I use a mixer tap and a hose for water changes. However, it's hard to get the right temperature at the moment- it's either stone cold or too hot.

I prefer to add colder water and rely on the heater to warm it up. Without any heater it could take much longer...

 

[sanj]

I would keep a heater in there for security. I mean what if your central heating plays up and you arent around, say on holiday?

I keep my heaters at 22c the lights can add on a degree or two. The ambient temp ranges throughout the year but thermostat varies between 18-21c. If you have T5 lighting I am assuming that it would also add heat during the photo period. I dont think low 20s is a problem for many tropical fish, some it will be.

Regarding water changes, I mix hot and cold and fill from tap via a hose. I aim for a degree or two below. However heaters do kick in if the whole system goes below 22c.

 

[BigTom]

I have heaters in all my tanks, but I'm in a freezing Edinburgh tenement with single glazing. That said, I only run my tanks at 22-23 degrees and seem to do OK. Depends a bit on what fish you're stocking though.