Heater for 2.5G

[naturestee]

Hi all,

I've been lurking for a few weeks and now I have a question of my own. I have a betta in a 2.5 gallon Minibow setup. My apartment is cooler than he would like, now that it's gotten so cold here (northern Minnesota, brr!). I've seen heaters for 2-5 gallon aquariums at Walmart- do these work? Are they of any decent quality, or is it an absolute waste?

[superjohnny]

Welcome to AC

Tanks that small are really susceptible to temperature variations. I'd stay away from generic heaters and get a 50w Tronic or Ebo Jager. They cost twice as much, but that's still only ~$15.

You may also want to keep the tank away from windows & air-conditioning/heating units.

Hope that helps

<edit> The Ebo Jager 50w heater is 9" long, the Tronic is 7"

[beviking]

Agree with superjohnny. ESPECIALLY with a smaller aquarium, you want a good quality heater that maintains temperature.

[naturestee]

I had heard that you shouldn't have a heater that is made to heat a bigger tank than the one it's in. Would there be anything I'd have to watch out for- ie overheating?

Thanks for your help!

[slipknottin]

The problem is that there are no heaters made for a tank thats 2.5 gallons. A heater that gets stuck on the 'on' position will overheat the tank very quickly. Thats why it is recommended to purchase a good quality heater like a tronic or ebo.

[fishfrenze]

I've used the little 2-5 gallon heater from Walmart. They last only a short time. Mine got stuck in the on position after about 4 months.
I use mine in a 2.5 gallon Mini-bow and it is very inconsistant with the temp. It is good at not letting it get below a certain temp but conversely, it usually gets too high. If I left it plugged in, it would maintain a temp of about 82-84 degrees no matter how low a temp it started at. It's supposed to only heat 4 degrees so I start with a temp of 74 to try to get it up to 78. It will stay at 78 for about a day before it goes up to 82-84. Even if I start with 70, it will eventually get too high. I end up just unplugging it and re-plugging it when needed (pain in the ***).
I find leaving the light on during the day keeps it warm enough (in New Hampshire) and during cold winter nights, I may plug it in. However, after moving the tank into the kitchen, I hardly have to plug it in...it stays so warm in there.

Melanie

[OrionGirl]

The cheap heaters are unsafe for small tanks. I had one in my 5 gallon tank, and it would get up to 86--way too warm. Water thats too warm is worse than water that's a bit cool, since the cooler water at least has lots of oxygen. I took the heater out, and while the tank does vary some, it avoids the high extremes and the temperature changes are gradual, similar to a pool cooling at night and warming back up in the sun. My betta and ottos have not had any disease problems. The only thing I've noticed is they are a bit sluggish when the light first comes on.