50 watt heater in a 3 gallon Eclipse?

B

beatle

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Dec 7, 2005
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Alexandria, VA
www.mdbbox.com
I'm moving my betta from his 1 gallon mini tank to a 3 gallon "monster" Eclipse. In order to keep the water temp up near 78-80, I'd like to get a heater. There's one for sale locally for $10, but it's 50 watts. Obviously it'll have no problem heating the tank to ridiculous temperatures, but will it work properly for a tank this small?

Also, is there an EASY way to feed through the filter access door? There's a tiny gap between the filter "rack" and the hood that I can almost fit my chubby digits through, but it doesn't seem to be as convenient as people make them out to be. It'd be nice if they had a top front door for feeding / water changes / viewing.
 
The higher the wattage the more heat the heater generates. A 50 watt heater is going to heat up your tank very fast but will do the trick though I think it will be a bit stressful for the fish if you ever want to make any temperature adjustments. I once used my 150 watt heater for my 10 gallon QT tank in an emergency situation with no problems though I must say the water got warm farely quickly.
 
IMO, those hydor aren't good for a tank. You can't set a temp and so they won't keep a stable temp - they'll just keep the water 2-5 degrees above room temp, whatever that is.

There are 25W heaters (though you may have to order them online), but it's worth it to be able to set the temp and keep the tank stable.

Liz
 
Ah, I didn't know you couldn't set the actual temp with the Hydor. That doesn't seem like it's any more advanced than a heating pad under the tank. :) Good thing I didn't jump the gun on it.

I agree a 25W would be ideal, but the 50w for $10 seems like too good of a deal to pass up.
 
I'm useing a 300 watt heater on my 20 gal,no problems in the six months or so i've been useing it.The tank stays at a constant 78 deg f.
 
I have one of the Hydor as linked - didn't know you couldn't set the temp. Now I'll use it to keep a bucket of replacement water reasonably close to tank temp (and I have a spare 25 w heater to make up the difference).

Just as a sort of FYI, I hear continually that one shouldn't skimp on the heater (lots of stories about fish dying because the heater died, overheated or broke (physically, glass broke)). Just something to consider.

I hope your betta likes his new home.

BTW: I use tweezers (of a sort - they have a larger gripping area and are kinda weak (so they don't crush the food)) to feed my betta sometimes (like to pick out just one or two freeze-dried blood worms). That might make feeding easier. Of course, just as often, I'll lift up the lid (I've got an Eclipse 6 for my betta) and we'll make a little game of feeding (where's mom gonna toss the pellet and how quickly can Dart get it <g>).

Liz
 
One concern about having too much heater is should it fail stuck in "on," it'll heat the tank up to a much higher temperature more quickly than a smaller heater. The smaller heater will give you more time to notice the problem.
 
The light has been on since 7:45 this morning (I put him in around 7:30pm). Water temp is around 82F right now according to a Polder probe thermometer. Room temp is 73F, so I don't think he's in need of a heater just yet. I'll check in the morning after the light has been off.

He definitely has a lot more energy in his new home. :)
 
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