Heating Fish Tanks

The usual way of heating aquarium water is with one or more heater/thermostats. These are glass tubes with an electric element and thermostat inside them. On the top there is a small adjuster that usually turns by hand and controls the thermostat inside. When you buy ah eater/thermostat they are usually set at 24°C(75°F), which is about the ideal all-round temperature. In fully submersible models the whole of the heater/thermostat goes in the tank and the wire comes out through the lid to he attached to an electricity supply. Heater/thermostats are available in various wattages, so you need to choose the right size for your aquarium. As a basic guide, allow 10 watts of heating for every4.5 liters(1 gallon) of water in the aquarium. Of course, during the summer months or if the tank is in a particularly warm spot you may not need as much heating capacity. You can install a higher wattage heater/thermostat to be on the safe side. These usually cost very little more to buy and indeed no more to run as they will burn more electricity while on but will be working for a shorter period. The only disadvantage of using a larger wattage heater/thermostat is that they are usually slightly larger than the next size down.

There are heater/thermostats available that have the adjuster built into the external lead, enabling you to adjust the temperature without getting your hands wet. Some models are fitted with microchips, and these types are highly accurate and hold the temperature steady within fine tolerances. There are heater elements that go underneath the gravel,but these are relatively expensive and have to he wired to a thermostat on the outside of the tank; nevertheless, they do mean that you have no problems trying to hide heater/thermostats behind rocks or plants. Under no circumstances should you ever put an ordinary glass tube heater/thermostat under the gravel as it will burn out, with disastrous effects. And no matter what type of heater/thermostat you use, always disconnect the electricity before adjusting the temperature control.

You need to install some method of keeping a check on the temperature of the water. There are various types of aquarium thermometers. Some float in the tank, others stick on the inside or outside of the glass. The most convenient type are the stick-on strip thermometers that change co lour according to the temperature of the water in the tank. These stick on the outside of the glass. The best part of the glass tube. Make sure it Lisa fully submersible model before positioning it where it will be covered completely with water. This photograph also shows the air pumping place, with a length of plastic airline running into the uplift tube.
configuration is to have the under gravel filter uplift and heater/thermostat in one of the rear corners and the thermometer stuck on the outside of the glass at the opposite front corner. In this way, the water flow from the filter will carry the warm water from the heater/thermostat around the tank and the thermometer will be in what is most likely to be the coolest spot.

Attach the heater/thermostat to the inside back panel of the tank.The unit should come ready supplied with a rubber or plastic sucker for this purpose. Fix it at an angle so that the thermostat is above the heater element, which occupies the lower