this christmasas,im planning to use a 5g tankfor keeping tropical fish. I wanted to know if i needed to get a heater for the tank or can i keep it warm
by adding warm water? thanks
by adding warm water? thanks
descions,descisions,descions....
- Thread starter FISHLORD_8
- Start date
Seaman
Shrimp gumbo, shrimp salad etc...
I would get a very small power filter, and that will probbably be enough to keep the water to an acceptable temperature. Your stocking options are quite limited for that tank, because of its size....so be weary!!
Here's a good small filter you could use:
Here's the link
Here's a good small filter you could use:
Here's the link
a small power filter will not keep a 5 gallon tank warm. Those filters use at best 10watts. Even if 25% of that energy transfers into heat that goes into the aquarium (a big strech) this is only 2.5 watts. This isn't even enough heat to keep a 20 oz soda at 80F with an ambient temperature of 68F!!!!! Then when you factor in the evaporative cooling caused by flowing water, you might actually get a decrease in temperature!!!! But a $10 heater and read up about fish!!!!!!!!!!!
mayreee said:
Yep, you can usually squeeze a heater into a 5g tank okay - or even a 3g, tho that can be harder
But in all honesty you are better off with a bigger tank. Think about a 10g maybe. It gives you more options on the fish you can keep... With a 5g you might get away with say 4 neon and a couple of guppies (as my son has in his 6g tank)...
I have a 5.5g for my fry. I use a sponge and soon to be a HOB filter. I aslo use a 50w heater in there.
Seaman
Shrimp gumbo, shrimp salad etc...
lousybreed said:
well FWIW I have two smaller in tank filters, and they keep my 10g right at 78 degrees.....granted I like to keep my house at about 72-3 degrees and my tank is acrylic but still.....you make it sound like its soooo far fetched.
I have a 2 1/2 g with a heater in it. I bought the heater at Wal-Mart of all places. I think it was for 2-5g or something. The only downside is that it doesn't have a built-in thermometer but thats not an issue because I use exterior thermometers anyhow.
Seaman said:
There are more factors than just what type of filter you have. What type of lighting do you have? You are in dallas texas, humid warm air. I guess that i forgot to take in account location. Up in michigan the air is very dry. You get alot of evaporation off the surface and this cools your tank. Internal filters will transfer way more heat to the aquarium since it is immersed in it. External filters will not heat your tank up as much, they will transfer most heat into the environment. And then on top of it you have an acrylic tank which has better insulating properties than glass. I dont doubt you that your tank stays 6-5 degrees elevated because you have the ideal set up to do so.....