Tank Heater

[kiyannastar]

I bought a tank heater yesterday, and it does wonderfully, but I'm a bit concerned about something. My room gets very cold at night, so I have to turn the heater up to keep the tank at 70-72 degrees, and I leave in the morning before dawn, so it's still cold. How can I make sure that the water stays at a relatively constant temp and doesn't kill my fish from getting to hot durring the day?
Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[webcricket]

What size tank do you have, and what wattage heater are you using? Are you using a glass thermometer in the tank to take or temperature reading, or a strip thermometer placed outside the tank?

An appropriate wattage on your heater should maintain a constant temperature in the tank regardless of what the room temperature is. It sounds to me like you need a more powerful heater. Either that, or you're using a strip thermometer which is inaccurate and will change as room temperature changes.

 

[kiyannastar]

I'm using a strip thermometer. I have a 20 gallon and the box said that the heater could handle it. *shrugs*

 

[webcricket]

Your strip thermometer is likely giving you a false reading when your room gets colder. The tank temperature is probably fine. I would stop adjusting the temperature and get yourself a glass thermometer to keep in the tank water so you can get an accurate reading. If you still see the temperature swings with the glass thermometer, then you may need a more powerful heater.

100 watt heaters are recommended for 20 gallons...I use those in my 20 gallon tanks and they keep a steady temperature (my room temperature is 65).

 

[Mgamer20o0]

i agree. get a new thermometer. i use a couple different ones.

 

[tom91970]

You can get a good glass thermometer for a couple dollars that will float in the tank. Compare that temp with that reflected by the strip. I use both and generally the temp is about the same.