Guide to Aquarium Heaters: 5 Tips for Keeping Your Fish Warm and Toasty

[@GirlTalksFish]

*What's your favorite aquarium heater that I should try next?*

[@klemmie]

Hands down the NeoTherm by Cobalt. I've had them for years and, when used properly, they have been accurate and reliable. They hold temps beautifully. No failures yet!!

[@AlfredoRodriguez-jo6if]

HEY SO I HAVE AN AQUA CLEAR 20 WITH A PRE FILTER SPONGE WITH A SPONGE AND A BAG OF BIOMEDIA IN THE FILTER BASKET AND THE SPONGE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET TURNED PINKISH RED CAN YOU EXPLAIN

[@bigmike1432]

I use a 100 watt heater for my 26 gallon aquarim because the heater has a range from 62 degrees Fahrenheit up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit but heats my water to 82 degrees when set to 62. also can you make a video for "how to trigger corydoras to breed"?

[@DS-_JOCK]

I use Fluval E200 , 2 off them + power heads and other items submerged add heat to the tank , lights also could add a little heat depending on distance from the tank, thanks for the information Irene might get some of those :)

[@azaram5571]

Would love to see you try an inline heater. There isn't too much talk about these, but they save you having to try to hide the heater in your tank, plus being inline they're guaranteed to maximise flow around the heating element. They need to be used with a canister filter though. I only just discovered them myself. I was considering buying an Oase canister filter because you can put the heather in them, but I prefer the Fluval canisters. I can get the best of both worlds by using a Fluval canister with an inline heater.

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Thanks for the heating information 😊

[@markhunter2244]

Excellent advice. My heaters are getting quite old, so you have scared 😱 me into going out to purchase a couple of spares 👌

[@penngrey]

Good timing on your aquarium heater video. It is 10° here this morning. Yay..

[@johnshanks7902]

Thanks for the informative video can i ask do heater elements glo bright red when heating water up especially notice thus when aquarium light is of

[@masoompatel11]

I had an old Tetra heater that I had in storage for 8 years that didn’t work when I took it back out. I had received a free Top Fin heater that I decided to use with out testing it. The next morning I found that my fish jumped out and the water was over 90F when I had it set to 77F. Safe to say you should always test your heaters before using them with fish. I’d recommend avoiding used ones and keeping a spare as back up.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Exactly and something like an Inkbird controller as well but I know they are not cheap.

[@masoompatel11]

@@kerrypitt9789 I don’t have one now, but if I had a larger tank with more fish I’d consider buying one.

[@_wefdts]

poor fish :(

[@kxmyona]

Bro, I think cause my heater was cheap over two weeks it eventually malfunctioned. I found one of my fish dead I think due to the heater. The other was freaking out

[@midnull6009]

...you should always have a thermostat w/your heater...

[@scuds03]

Thanks for the great advice! My current heater is a no-name one that’s a couple years old. Think I’m going to get a Fluval and a controller to replace it. I like their products.

[@masoompatel11]

I really like the Fluval M series heaters.

[@OrkishEngineering]

@@masoompatel11 just got one myself. Hasnt come in yet, but still!

[@bullwinkle8266]

Just discovered you. You presented useful info in a short video. Actually, I wish it had been longer as I enjoyed the content and your delivery. Keep up the good work.

[@ansleybleu]

Thank you! How long should you expect a heater to last? 1-3 years?

[@TazawaTanks]

I was laughing when the fish crossed the frame and apologized. I was mostly laughing at the thought of you editing that sequence. 😄

[@GirlTalksFish]

Lol, you can thank my editor for that! I love all the funny bits that she adds.

[@andrewtomkins8735]

Perhaps a future video on temperate fish would be good? There are several options and as you’ve highlighted, heaters don’t come without risk! Thanks for the great videos :)

[@shaneadmusson7740]

I choose White Cloud mountain minnows, Rosie Loaches and Celestial Pearl Danio's because I just didn't want the hassle. They do great at lower temperatures.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Since Irene works for Aquarium Co-op I will mention that they did a video on fish that don't need a heater. It was a couple of years ago but it is there.

[@shaneadmusson7740]

@@kerrypitt9789 yes, that is the video I watched to get my inspiration as at that time I had never even seen a White cloud or a Danio.

[@ALAPINO]

Great tips, Irene! I feel heaters have gotten more feature rich but less reliable. Two is one and one is none: Redundancy is key. I keep other animals, reptiles mainly, and I check them daily with an IR temp gun: Everything get checked because I'm already doing the rounds. His theory about failure mode being because of cycling is accurate. Heat is the enemy of electrical devices, and thermal cycling kills thermal switches, even nicer relay activated systems have designed number of reliable cycles.

[@girlmeetspup5778]

okay why is this PERFECT timing? your videos are ALWAYS perfect timing!! my 10-30 gallon 100w Tetra heater is not heating up my 20 gallons to 78, it's staying at 60 and so I think I need a new one! thank you so much for the video!!

[@SapphireandPrince]

😱 you have merch! I love your logo! So adorable!

[@wallacelo3065]

i just bought my first aquarium and your videos are soooooo great for learning! Thank you

[@KaneWrestlingFan999]

I'm thankful that being in south Florida I don't have much use for a heater except for when it can get kinda cold in December-February. Just got my tank going with fish in it as of 2 months ago and while it'll be a while yet before it'd get cold enough that I can't just rely on keeping the room temp at 80 I do want to have a reliable heater ready for when it does. Right now I have my sights set on Aquarium Co-ops heater because it does look promising and obviously could go a long ways with the minimal use.

[@bothetetrabreeder8734]

Thanks for the tips. Luckily I have never had a heater failure because I know how important it is to choose a good quality heater to keep tropical fish in the winter. And I have always been very consistent in buying from the same reliable brand over the years.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Which brand do you like and what country are you from?

[@679-v7x]

What brand bruh

[@yesreply2283]

@@GirlTalksFish 6:50 my problem is when the heater turns off at the desired temperature the water might turn cold,and not stay warm for that long is it normal? Because I don't want to let my betta deal with the cold until the heater turns on. And my plants

[@cloudstrife8596]

Wow you never said what heater

[@Everything-dr1wb]

Thank you for sharing this video 🙂👍

[@leo2o915]

Set up a ten gallon on a rack in my garage out here in cali outside temps get in the 40 high 30s garage stays around 50s I have the fluval E series I Believe it’s a 100watt that should be perfect or should I still add another since it’s only 10 gallons and at night I cover it with a blanket

[@paulanoakes5358]

A few years ago I had a 2 1/2 gal with 2 mystery snails that I was going to do a water change & when I put my hand in water was hot. Temp was close to 90. I grabbed my snails and put them in my 10 gal and they survived. Heater was a nano fixed temp one, forgot the brand. I now have 4 tanks and every time I go into the room I check the thermostat in tanks. Good to have a spare handy for sure.

[@jgvet08]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@marvinnguyen-colorado2018]

I'm in Colorado, too. But my 4 years old preset heater never fails. I believe preset heater have disadvantages of not able to change the temp but they tends to last longer. The more mechanical parts you have in an equipment, the more chance it will fails.

[@kerrypitt9789]

Minh I think you are right. Thinks that can't be tweeked tend to just go on forever!

[@cloudstrife8596]

What brand is it ?

[@naegwut]

So informative!!!! I use the little fluval one for my five gallon

[@StanLeeGhost]

eheim heaters are pretty good have one in my 75g and 65g. there was a time where i drained too much water and forgot to turn off the heater so it got burnt a bit but still works great! I also have some cheap heaters on my smaller tanks from amazon they're a year old and lucky haven't had any problems with them yet.

[@oldgloryhillfarmturtlewoma9132]

Can cory cats and kuli loaches be kept in the betta tank at the same time? How many of each companion fish in a 10 gallon tank? Do these three enjoy the same water temperature?

[@johnwood738]

I have gotten lucky with the last two heaters I bought owner of LFS who buys my fish had some really great heaters with remote control temp setting that he down sized his tanks and I got super cheap.$10 and $20. I don’t have the Co-Op where I live in NY but I do have a really good LFS!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Ooo what brand are they?

[@johnwood738]

@@GirlTalksFish smart temp, nice heaters.

[@steveallen3845]

Keep up the good work!

[@dnb715]

I live in Breckenridge, CO and on New Years week we had a huge snow storm and our heat went out for 8 days 🙄 luckily I had an extra old tank so I put all my fish in it and a small 50w heater. All my fish survived luckily!!

[@vaepara]

the fish swimming by the camera was so cute 😆

[@sankarkcs]

I like you and your videos. New subscriber.🤩

[@robertcarlosllenarizas7987]

Shall i need a heater for cherry red shrimps? Its a ten gallon aquarium will be used. Another question shall i need another heater in my next aquarium tank around fifthteen gallon aquaroum tank. For Ember Tetra and Corydoras cleaning crew. Hope i can know the advice about this... thank you very much...

[@equestrian4538]

does the FREESEA Aquarium Heater work well? i just ordered it for my betta

[@thomasb4467]

I’ve been using aquael for 2 years now. I really like them so far.

[@TripleJAquatics]

All great points!

[@dmg912008]

Ty for the tips!

[@PlatyCove]

Thanks for the tips! When you said to put heaters by a filter that made me think. Is it ok to have a heater in a no filter tank?

[@brandonramirez7336]

I'm in colorado too thanks for that tip I would've never though to do 10w a gallon

[@4leaffy]

I'm staying in Malaysia is the weather warm enough? I'll be placing my tank somewhere warm so I was wondering if I need a heater?

[@emmanuelgutierrez8616]

I recently had to look for one. I was really excited to find a inline heater, but reliability was bad on those. In lines check all the boxes on what you want, so I really hope this starts to become more popular when they make a good one.

[@alexferrell2576]

i've noticed a couple of filters with built-in heaters (i.e. Oase thermo) - how do these compare with regular fish tank heaters? is the overall flow/distribution better?

[@polontang7909]

Thanks for the tips. Are there heaters that keeps the set temperature without switching on and off? (I mean, as the water temperature approaches the set temperature, the heaters should gradually reduce the heat output, rather than sudden on or off.)

[@ChristosChristos]

I had some dropsy issues on my betta. I was treating it alright. He was getting better. Today, while trying to feed him I touched the glass. It was really HOT! I had been using a nano 25watt non-customizable heater which was supposed to keep the water steady at 26 Celsius, 3 years now. I checked the water and it had reached 36 Celsius! I immediately tried to get the heater out, I burned my hand when I tried to touch it, I replaced the heater with another brand I had and I added a fan at the top to cool it down. After 20 mins everything was ok. Shrimps, my betta and the 2 snails are ok… Always have 1 spare heater and check the water temperature every now and then.

[@cloudstrife8596]

Ugh this happened to me :( now I have to find another heater because the new one I have doesn't warm up enough

[@robertcarlosllenarizas7987]

I live in asia manila philipines. Summer will be not be using for sure but in cold months in my country i will surely need this.

[@GAMINGMATRIXXX]

I have a Fluval Flex 32.5 Gallon Aquarium and a Fluval E 100-Watt Electronic Heater (A772). I would like to know if it is safe to add a second Fluval E 100-Watt Heater in my aquarium. My idea is that the two heaters will share the work load of heating the water. I would also like to add the second heater as a backup heater, just in case something happens to one of the heaters and I am not at home, at the time.

[@_wefdts]

just wondering how to turn my hang on back filter more biological? i use concentrated carbon cartriges

[@snipernote]

i would say the best of them all is the temperature controller as you can just crank the heater up and let the controller just cut the electricity or turn it back on .... here in hot countries we usually go for 1 watt of heating power per liter minus the pump and lights as it goes up in heating really well ( we have up to 32c in our aquariums in summer thats why we use controllers with cooling and heating ) ... for example a 250 liter tank we do have 85w pumps and 75w of lights thats 160w so 100w heater is good enough or a 200w heater would make it work less ... also choosing stainless steel heaters instead of glass heaters is a good idea ... hope this helps ... and one more thing 10f degrees difference is like 5c or less which is not that big of a change

[@shaneadmusson7740]

Where I live the power goes out consistently (WA) but the winter temperatures are not that harsh. Since I didn't want the hassle I opted for White Clouds, Rosie Loaches and Celestial Pearl Danio's none of which need heat. I finally did buy a Betta but that's the only fish I have that needs heat.

[@killerfoxes2909]

Thank you for the temperature controller/alarm thermometer idea! Although I often check my fish tank temperature (usually when I feed the fish), I did once have a heater just exploded and boiled my fish while I was at work. I really don't want that to happen again! And its possible your idea could catch the heater's was malfunctioning before the awful event like happened before. It was really the worst event of my fish keeping experience ;(

[@StevenFengShui]

Just had my betta, freya, die this morning after being caught behind a heater. Was lookin for her when I came home from school Thursday and put her in her old tank with some bloodworms to rest. I miss her so much already. So just as a heads up be careful which heater you do choose and how it’s set up in the tank

[@Scrapla1]

I have a Betta and live in South Florida. Normally the house is never below 72 at night with the AC on and is usually around 76 during the day. Do I need a heater? I have a fish tank thermometer and my 2.5 gallon Betta tank is in the green zone like around 74 and that's at night when the AC is set to 72. I recently bought a 5 gallon to my fish into.

[@TheAuriconGroup]

Hi... I have just watched about five of your videos which I really enjoyed. I have been growing and hybridizing waterlilies (Nymphaea) in large outdoor ponds for about 40 years. Now I want to grow a pygmy tropical waterlily (also in the genus Nymphaea) in an indoor aquarium (30 gallons). I am not interested in having any fish in the aquarium. I will also plant some aquatic plants in the substrate. Have you made any videos on plant only aquariums, or can you direct me to one? The temps for the pygmy tropical waterlily is between about 78 to 85 F. I would like to place my tank next to a south facing window and also buy a plant light. Any suggestions for me? Thank you for the great videos. I will be buying some supplies from your links and will be watching more of your videos. Jack in Salem Oregon

[@lifehappens6447]

I have my "cold" fish in tanks throughout my house. All of my "hot" fish are in tanks in my tropical hot spot (spare bedroom) where I have a separate heater that controls the temperature of that room and keeps all the tanks at about 77 to 78 degrees. I have a very comfy chair on wheels in there so I can roll from tank to tank. Lol. I got tired of tank heaters failing a long time ago. Now I just heat the room. Way more reliable and safer in my opinion, plus saves energy and money. Lol

[@hollymacarone6424]

You look radiant! 😍

[@GirlTalksFish]

Why thank you!

[@AngelLoeza]

Cool water fish for the win But in all seriousness thanks for the tips

[@jamesmclamb3682]

This video made me double check my temps. I had recently been seeing my Endler guppy tank staying around 84F. I have a Fluval Flex 15 with a Fluval heater. I turned it down 2-3 times and the temps never fell. Before tossing the heater, I swapped out the floating thermometer just in case. Sure enough, the temp was actually down to 74F now. The original thermometer was stuck on 84F. Only a $3 fix. Duh.

[@ianhk713]

Thank you, even as a seasoned hobbyist this provided a lot of food for thought. Do you have any thoughts on if having those swings before it kicks back on and raises it again could be bad for *some* (def not all) fish species or is a 2-4 degree swing inconsequential? I know most good ACs work that way instead of constantly trying to keep your house always at 75. Secondly, *love* the wifi timer idea. Are those the kasa(?) timers from AQCO site?

[@ailiham8740]

Hiiiii I Am A Big Fan 😁😁😁😁

[@theresaabshire711]

Do you feed your adult bettas once or twice a day ?

[@Yourowner]

YOYOYO fellow Coloradan!

[@mariavictoriavindaslopez9476]

I lived overseas my temperature going down around 64F. I going to purchase Fluval Spec 5. I need 50 watt

[@Tanish7817]

Help me please. I had bought some tubifex worms but they are reproducing i think so they are increasing more than i can feed my fish. Should i freeze them? Will freezing make it bad?

[@robertcarlosllenarizas7987]

Its Periha brand aquarium heater has a guard on the heater for safety of the fishes.

[@AVH8TOR]

My top fin 15w heater keeps going up to 86 degrees in my 5 gallon betta tank. I have to keep unplugging it. I’m trying to get a new one but every time I read a review there’s always ones overheating and killing there fish. Help please! Need one asap!!!

[@princeuae5322]

My new SS heater turn on after 30deg. If I turned off and on immediately at the same temperature, it won’t get on again. Why? Can someone explain pls

[@ML-ks2lj]

GFCI outlets, which all if our aquarium stuff should be plugged into, have less of a life span if they continuously pop. A GFCI literately could be a life saver if water ever were to drip down the cord on accident and get into the outlet or a heater was stuck on, getting to a dangerous temperature and causing higher amperage which then causes heat and that causes cords to melt thus causing a house fire. My sump pump outlet line in my crawl space froze and the pump was force to stay on without being able to flow water through and to my ditch which bruned uo my pump and actually melted it and had a small fire under my house I had no clue about until I checked on it during spring. We were lucky. I realized then that procrastination almost bruned my while house down knowing it was plugged into a standard outlet in a crawl space where a GFCI should have been installed. If you have a water source within 4ft if an electrical outlet I would recommend a GFCI, I think that is also code under the construction laws

[@oldgloryhillfarmturtlewoma9132]

You’re in Colorado; spent most of my life up Boulder Canyon near Black Hawk. We had big snows and power outages. Ever experienced that? What can you do? P S Not in Colorado anymore, but here in the South the winter temps can still get pretty cold.

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

I do have heaters on my tanks that need them (not the goldfish tank). I keep my room above 70deg. minimum and do my best to maintain 74 for my comfort this way the tanks heater does not need to work very hard. Plus, I check the temp daily to make sure all is well. Also, the tanks are in the space where I spend most of my time, so I monitor them closely. I think the big problem comes from having tanks in a low use space where they get ignored.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Nice! My husband likes to keep the house cold, both in the summer and winter, so heaters are a must for me. Didn't know you kept goldfish! I've been wanting to set up a tank for them one day but I'm worried about all the health issues that seem to pop up. What's been your experiences with them?

[@blawsel9974]

True 🙂

[@kerrypitt9789]

Irene that is the first time I have ever seen you look weary! I just bought a new heater. It is about the only thing I would rather not purchase used. I had one I bought, not tied to an Inkbird, that cooked my 🦐 shrimp to a cocktail readiness. That really hurt! Generally I keep our house at 23C so I don't use heatersin some tanks and my fish do well. My question is; is there a good heater out there and what makes it good? Has anyone ever used a heated Matt that the reptile folks use? I have been thinking of trying it but I am fact gathering at the moment. I'm going to watch this video again, take care busy lady!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Oh interesting, I've never thought of using a heated mat, but I wonder if people don't do that for aquariums because glass doesn't conduct heat as well?

[@jairodiaz6057]

That’s FISH store on Sheridan!!

[@catfishcave379]

I’ve said the following in scores of comments elsewhere, so what’s one more time? Inside the house, most people keep the winter temp at least 70 degrees… so a 50 or 75 watt heater has more than enough power to heat your tanks. This will make your heater last longer because it will click on/off far less often and you will never have your tank boil over because the heater isn’t powerful enough to do so. In the summer, unplug your heater and forget about it. If you keep your house cooler or perhaps keep your tanks in the garage, then buy a bigger heater. If you have a big tank (6’) use two heaters of half wattage. DO NOT be afraid of temperature fluctuations! These are not ocean dwelling fish unused to changes in temperature. Keep your tanks cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. If there is a few degree fluctuation between night and day, so much the better. My clown loaches (age 14) seemed extra playful one summer when the temps hit 93 in their tank, yet were also fine (and less hungry!) when the temps hit 65 one winter. The usual summer winter range I keep for them is 70 - 87; with those extremes lasting for only a few weeks. (No, no ich… once you kill it it’s gone forever) My white cloud/hillstream loach tank I only heat to 65… It’s unplugged 9 months of the year. I’ve been doing this over 45 years and my fish live to ripe old ages. Don’t be afraid of short periods of 68-70 degree water.

[@RichardHaywardMelbourne]

Now I actually realise the benefit that a controller would provide! Thanks! Also, your make-up in this video looks great - a natural look. No, I don't mean the sleepyhead look of course!

[@ryanwong7054]

I got heaters for all of my aquariums, only to later find out here in East Asia the room temperature is already around 80°F

[@crisantogarcia6646]

I use a 25 Watt for my 10 gallon but my tank is directly under my house heater and we keep the house at 75 degrees. It keeps my tank at the perfect temp all day. It’s all situational, I bought 5 different kinds until I found the right one.

[@foxglovemead]

At 1:08 minutes: "RAISE TEMP 10F (* -12C). For Canadians and Europeans... 10F is -12C and both are below the freezing point of water and so not found in aquariums! But raising 10F is also a difference of only 5.5C. So really it should be a guide for a 10F increase or about a 5C increase. Simon

[@AnthonyPentland]

“Imagine being kept at 50 degrees Fahrenheit” but I’m Scottish and that’s actually comfortable. 15/20 is shorts weather

[@Evil_Genius_888]

I went expensive on my controller with some Christmas bonus money. I programmed it to turn off the heater if the water gets too hot and message my phone if it gets too cold.

[@GirlTalksFish]

That's awesome! That should be my next upgrade. What brand did you get?

[@Evil_Genius_888]

@@GirlTalksFish I got the Felix Smart Controller with the Seneye probe. It is so very new yet… I’m not getting reading on the probe except temp. I don’t think I set the sensor up correctly, but there are reports of fresh water users having issues with the seneye trying to detect pH and TDS. Otherwise I can access my controller from anywhere I have internet on my phone.

[@samjennings701]

I'm making a fish rack so I'll hold about 400L of water. I live in the UK so we are normally coldish🤣 does anyone have any ideas on a good heater to use that's efficient for a large volume of water?

[@100bgeagle]

I have 2 fluval e-series 300 watt on my 75 gallon. 2 better than one!

[@Desperado070]

Also most cheap heaters wil get way to hot, you can even see the tips glow red underwater. That is the main reason I use juwel heaters, they more expensive but don't get so hot they can hurt the fish and you don't need a protector either. They also auto shut off when you forget to take the power out when doing water changes.

[@damiangrouse4564]

Don’t try this above the 35th parallel. Used to have a fluval preset heater on a fluval flex 32. I keep the AC thermostat 72oF to 76oF year round. I installed the optional extra light and a small UV light (in the filter compartment). Now the temperature doesn’t drop below 79oF year round and I packed the heater away in case we have a freak Texas style winter storm in south Florida. Ps. Nothing wrong with plant growth in that aquarium.

[@ShamanETM]

I had a hospital tank set up for my daughter's goldfish. I know goldfish are fine in cold water. I had read that there were good results in healing in slightly warmer water. Night comes everyone goes to bed. By morning there is a column of steam going up the wall in her room. That thing went nuts and the water was like boiling. Her seven inch long oranda was completely cooked. Do not go cheap on your heater.

[@chribrian]

What causes heaters to fail is the on off cycles but the reason they cycle so much is everyone oversizes them. I would never run 200 watts on a 20 gallon. I have a 200 watt in my open top 75 gallon and it is too much for it. Only during the winter when I keep the house at 68 degrees does it run for any length of time and even then it is only on for 10-15 minutes an hour. A 100 watt heater would keep it warm. Most of the year my house is at 74-76 degrees and at those temps most tropical fish would be fine without any heater at all.

[@herbieonline_]

Agreed! I purchased a fluval 300w heater for my little 55 gallon and it burned/killed my beautiful angelfish 😭😭😭 I’m down downsizing

[@jeffalbillar7625]

I'm cheap. My heater recently died and I had a couple of very small heaters that I bought at Walmart. I plopped them in and I'm Golden. Funny story: in the 90s, I had a heater in a 100 gallon that died and all I had was a small heater. The same I'm using now. They're about 4 inches. I needed something and all I had was the tiny heater. So I tossed it in a aquaclear and it warmed the tank to 78 degrees and it did so for over a year. I believe that it lasted so long because it hardly, is ever, turned off. I've been told that constantly turning on and off is what kills the heater's.

[@GirlTalksFish]

That's right! I totally forgot to mention that other equipment will add heat to the aquarium. Thanks for mentioning it.

[@-AndrewR]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@tetraguytx1705]

I haven't had heaters in my tanks for a long time now. The fish I keep don't need a heater and the plants don't want one. (Other species might well have different care requirements from those of the fish I keep.) My fish have done very well -- healthy and colorful -- at room temperature, which in my home is 73 or 74 degrees. This is also the temperature at which my aquatic plants have grown best. The only thing that ever seemed to enjoy a heater in my tanks was algae. Algae grows better in warmer waters. I wouldn't describe myself as opposed to heaters per se. I would just say that in my experience, the balance of considerations weighed against them. (Again, your mileage may vary depending on the fish you keep.)

[@skunk9964]

My heater feels warm and has the light on but the water is freezing I don’t know why

[@ronaldmcdonald4103]

My eheim heater has been running for 6 years im sticking with them

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

A failing heater is why my betta Monet died. I currently have no fish. 😪 I have decided to take a break from the aquarium hobby for a while. I'll get back into it when I have more space. I truly want a big aquarium of 40 gallons or more. There is not a spot for one in my current home. I'm going to continue to watch fishkeeping videos though.

[@mannypickard479]

❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊

[@DiggingRob]

JBJ titanium with digital controller ….. yes there a little pricey…….I’ve had mine since 2013 …….. only replace the temp probe that goes in the water (like a light bulb) …..just have a spear probe in your emergency box …….. better yet ……….. I automatically replace my probe every year for added protection..…….9 years now ……..no dead fish…………also the Large Red digital Readout letting you know your temperature at all times when near your Tank.

[@Ishiisan]

i'm fortunate enough to have a small space in the garage where I can heat the room instead of each tank. I have recently had a heater failure that killed majority of my shrimp colony, bristlenow pleco, and plants :(

[@thebakermaker1500]

I quite enjoy keeping my house at 75 year round. However during the Great Texas Freeze this past February house got down in the forties. Was able to keep all my fish friends alive by taking about 2 gallon of tank water out parboiling to 90degrees and adding back in about every two hours.

[@ailiham8740]

I’m First 😁😁😁😁

[@GirlTalksFish]

🏆

[@invaderjoshua6280]

rule 1: buy a bigger heater then you need. rule 2: only buy titanium heaters with a thermostat seperate from the unit. rule 3: try to get an auto mated system like apex if you can afford it and use that in tandem with your thermostat for double checked results. These three steps are the only true safe and correct ways to have a heater in your tanks/sumps/filters. I would suggest cold water fish if you cant afford an apex system so you don't have to worry about heating at all. Goldfish, Koi, Loaches, Sunfish, Gar, Crayfish, etc. do fine in minus 70f water, or get really really dependable heaters and check once in a while the water temp yourself with a meat thermometer.

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

My experience with the temp controller was not good and I will not waste my money on them again. I found them too complicated to program and just too much trouble to mess with.

[@AndyVE75]

Used to have the Fluval like you have, but disliked the guard…found it too flimsy and a hassle to clean. Am very happy with my current one, but do not know if they sell them where you live. Also has a temperature indicator (color), but no display. Plus easy to set/change the temperature and clean. But is much flatter and does not look like all typical heathers (not made from glass) I currently use the following one on my two tanks: Aquael Ultra Heater Ps greetings from Belgium

[@wafamohammed6307]

Frist one

[@GirlTalksFish]

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[@hal1971]

Lost all my Discus and others fish because of a faulty heater... 6 beautiful adult Discus... In my case, the heater did not stop when reaching the correct temp and instead, "cooked" my fish :(

[@MJW173]

Tip number 6: Get a tank off craigslist with an old school light bulb lid and use that to heat your water