Tank Heater

K

kiyannastar

AC Members
Jan 30, 2007
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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.
 
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.
 
I'm using a strip thermometer. I have a 20 gallon and the box said that the heater could handle it. *shrugs*
 
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).
 
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.
 
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