Aquarium water Heater Guide

Why would you need an Aquarium water heater? How do they work? What type of heater should I buy? Sizes styles etc, We have questions what we need is an Aquarium heater guide.

Well, like when you first get into fish as a hobby things can seem daunting and we at Tank0fish thought we have to touch on the subject of heaters

As there are a few different types and styles of aquarium water heaters with all kinds of power outputs. First, let’s look at the different types of heaters used in today’s fish keeping starting with why we need heaters of course let’s go!

Why Do We Need An Aquarium Water Heater?

Simply put fish is what’s known as cold-blooded! This means they can’t regulate their own bodies’ heat. Fun fact before delving further not all fish appear to be coldblooded.

We have now discovered the OPAH or MOONFISH as it’s being called and this fish seems to be warm-blooded. Anyway back to the vast majority of cold-blooded fish.

Question Do we need an aquarium water heater?

Fish need an aquarium water heater Unlike us and other warm-blooded animals who eat and convert that into energy which fuels us and regulates the body temp fish need the outside conditions to do this for them as they can not convert this energy.

So fish need the water to be at the right temperature in order to function correctly. As we know there are some fish that can live without a heater such as GOLDFISH, KOI, AND CARP.

As their natural habitats, waters are cooler but tropical fish and some others need heated water to survive as we wanted tropical fish. We needed an aquarium water heater, right?

So we researched aquarium water heaters and here are our findings lol.

It appears there are loads of them so let’s have a look at some of the more classical heaters.

Types of Aquarium Water Heater?

 

As implied above there are a suitable few types of heaters for our modern fish tanks. Ranging from inline aquarium heaters, filter heaters, in-sump heaters substrate heaters, Hanging immersible heaters, and the more usual submersible heaters. All of these heaters are capable of heating water and are considered as an aquarium water heater.

Let’s Look at Inline Heaters First: 

Inline heaters are built in between the sump and your filter. so outside of the actual tank itself and is made of heatable plastic.

So very safe when dealing with heat the last thing you need is a fire, Hazzard. People usually use this heater because they keep aggressive or naughty fish that like to attack equipment inside the tank.

What are the pros and cons tho? I hear ya I’m getting to that so pros! Keeps things tidy as you won’t see any equipment in your tank.

Stops fish from attacking your equipment lol, The main pro is it heats the water much more evenly because it is heating as the water flows back through the filter and into the tank itself!

cons: As it’s outside the tank there is more chance of leaks! And they are expensive (because you also need a sump system in place.)

Next Up We Have Filter Heaters

Basically, the heating element is enclosed within the filtration system. So similar to inline as the water will be heated as it enters the tank itself.

Pros and Cons are the same in that pros –

Less clutter will be housed on the outside of the tank. Another pro would be water temp as it will be heated as it enters so it’s evenly heated.

Cons- Well there don’t seem too many available and there’s a chance of leakage and could look messy unless you have it hidden within a sump setup.

Hanging Or ImmersibleHeaters 

As the name suggests heaters that hang on the tank and are half in half out of the water itself.

There are few pros with this other than it’s cheap and will heat the water.

Not very well but it will try lol. You will need room on the lid of the tank to place the heater they are usually part of starter kits and are pretty basic, to be honest.

Substrate Heaters 

These are slightly different as they are mainly used to heat and help keep the flow of nutrients to the roots of your plants.

They will heat the water just above the substrate itself so doesn’t heat the whole tank. They are a set of wires enclosed in plastic tubing placed all across the bottom of your tank.

Then you would place some substrate over so you don’t see the inner workings etc.

Pros.

Great for planted tanks and for giving peat and roots their nutrients. As the warmth will allow a slight current to flow across the substrate.

Cons.

But can be very expensive and not really necessary with all the great products on the market these days. For plant health and growth and soil nutrient replacements etc seems a bit pointless but hay.

Submersible Heaters 

That brings us to the main player in the game. Sat submerged under the water. You should keep them near the filter so the water is heated.

As it passes the flow of water is generated by the filter. They used to be made of glass but are now made of tougher plastic and hold heat much better and unlike glass is not susceptible to cracking.

Pos.

Fairly cheap plenty of variety works really well but on bigger tanks, they may not be able to heat the water evenly worth bearing in mind.

 

Aquarium Water Heater Sizing Calculator? 

So we know there are a few types of aquarium water heater out there but what size do you need for your tank?

Now we Know Why We Need An Aquarium Water Heater

Right then now we have some basic knowledge of why we need a heater. Also what types of heating you can supply your tank water with?

What Size Heater For Our Tank

Now we need to know what size heater is required for our tank. Below is a simple chart that describes the basics this is the general rule of thumb.

As stated also below if you have a tank of 100 gallons up to 500 litres. Firstly wow well done that’s one hell of a tank and secondly as stated in the chart you will need two heaters to heat the water accurately and efficiently.

If Using Two Heaters Only Use One Thermometer

Also, it’s best to have two heaters but use only one thermometer to get an accurate reading as using two thermometers is almost impossible to gauge what the real temp is.

Table Of Aquarium Water Heater And The Watts Needed Per Litre/Gallon Of Water

• 75W  – 15 UK gall – 68 Litres – 19 US gall
• 100W – 20 UK gall – 91 Litres – 25 US gall
• 150W – 30 UK gall – 136 Litres – 38 US gall
• 200W – 50 UK gall” – 225 Litres – 63 US gall
• 300W – 80 UK gall – 364 Litres – 100  US gall
• 2 x 200 watts – 100 gall UK – 445 Litres – 188 gall US
• 2 x 300 watts – 150 gall UK – 682 Litres – 188 gall US

USE THIS AMAZING TOOL HEATER SIZE CALCULATOR

Guide Based On 120 LITRE 26 Gallon Tank

Take our chart here above for instance we have a 120-litre tank. Therefore needs a 150-watt heater. Now we have the correct size heater. For our tank and we have decided what type of heater to go with. We recommend a simple submersible.

Inline Heaters If You Have The Cash

Or if you have the cash and Inline heater as they are the best. We would suggest a filter heater but the technology is still being worked on and if anything happens to the filter you would lose the heater too.

but how do you fit the heater into your tank and make sure it’s working? Let’s take a look here in the next section.

Aquarium Water Heater Vertical or Horizontal

This is indeed something we have thought about. In our time within the fish hobbyist community and is a hot topic, to say the least.

We Place Ours Diagonally 

Go on any forum and or site and there’s usually debate. That being said and with all due respect, we place our heater slightly diagonally.

Across the back left side as you look in with the thermometer on the front right-hand side gives us the greatest separation/distance between the two to know exactly the correct temp of the water.

Place The Heater Inline With Filter & Water Flow

Being slightly diagonal. Gives us the most water coverage and we place it directly in the current of the filter. So that the warm water is being pushed around the tank the same way continuously.

Always Read The Instructions

Some submersible heaters can not be placed horizontally as per their own instructions. As the filament inside the heater can damage and leak.

Horizontal placement Should Provide An Even Distribution Of Heat 

But these days most modern heaters are fine and horizontal placement is indeed beneficial. In that, the heat will rise evenly throughout the tank.

So both are accepted as long as the flow of water is reaching all the way around. There shouldn’t be any real concern. We have had no problems in the last few years with our tanks and have pretty much always had our heaters at a jaunty little angle lol.

To avoid any of these concerns you could always go for the more expensive option of an inline heater and be done with it but it’s a more personal choice at this point as both do the job.

Aquarium Water Heater a Conclusion

In closing, we would suggest obviously checking the manual. For any details and then deciding which way to place your aquarium water heater.

Where to Place Your Aquarium Water Heater

If you have a narrow tank then vertical is the only way to go but if you have a wide tank then we would go horizontal. Anything else is more about looks than the heating of the water.

For Best Results Heat With Water Flow

Just be sure to put it within the flow of the water by the filter for best results and to keep the thermometer on the opposite side.

To give a more accurate reading and of course, make sure it has enough power to heat your size tank and as always enjoy the fish.

Hope this has whetted your appetite for keeping fish and that it’s helped in some small way. We would love to hear your comments and experiences with fish keeping feel free to look around our blog and keep it Tank0fish.

Some Great Further Heater Posts

Can Heaters Burn Fish

Heaters Lights Guide

How Long Do Heaters Last

How Fast Can You Heat A Tank