All aquarium inhabitants have an ideal living temperature. For us humans, the temperatures in our homes often fluctuate by 10 degrees or more during various seasons. For many aquarium fish, optimal living conditions actually require a more precise temperature control to keep them happy. That’s where the humble aquarium heater comes into play.
There are four types of aquarium heaters: immersible heaters, for which the control element needs to be outside the tank; submersible heaters, which can be entirely in the water, substrate heaters, which sit below the gravel or sand of your tank (and therefore heat the water more uniformly); and filter heaters, which heat the water as it passes through the filter before pumping it back into the tank.
After deciding on what type of filter will suit your aquarium system best, you’ll need to decide on the size of heater you need. The size of your heater is affected by the temperature you require in the tank, the size of the tank, as well as the ambient temperature in the room the tank will be placed in.
One last note about heaters: It used to be that the aquarium pump, as it did its work, generated a certain amount of heat which would slightly warm up the water, doing some of the heater’s work for it. With the use of low voltage pumps now being all the rage (which transfer no heat to the water) having a good heater is critical! If you have any questions about your heater and whether it’s adequate for your tank setup, get in touch with us!
