(Part 2) Best aquarium heaters & chillers according to redditors
We found 695 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium heaters & chillers. We ranked the 136 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
tl;dr (the whole thing, only the first page) I will donate and mail at my cost a brand new 25 watt submersible heater that is good for tanks 3-8 gallons and a digital thermometer for this betta. I use one in a 6 gal and a 3 gal and they work great.
thermometer
heater
PM me if you think it's needed.
The betta in the picture is Murphy, he's been my fish for one year now. Before now, he was in a bowl. No filter, no heater, no light. I changed half the water once a week and fully cleaned the bowl once a month, but beyond that I was not treating Murphy properly.
The last few weeks Murphy wasn't looking good. His fins became small and didn't fan out, he just hung out in his cave all day. I didn't want to lose him, so I decided to finally get a proper tank. All of my friends tell me "No, Bettas are just fine in a bowl, they're made for that," but from reading online and seeing them in stores, bettas are not supposed to be in bowls.
So here's my setup:
Yeah yeah, it's a lot for a 3 dollar fish, but I like Murphy a lot and I'm happy to see him happy. In the new tank he moves around, he's starting a bubble nest, and he eats. The difference in his behavior is night and day. And the Fluval Spec is a pretty sweet tank, it's got a built in filter, pump, and light, and it looks great.
Petco dollar-per-gallon sale,you can get a 10 gallon tank for $10. Best deal around. Depending on how many bettas you have, you can get a 10 gallon tank and divide it in half to house 2 fish.
Sponge filters are the cheapest, this is the one (#11) that I have in my 10 gallon divided tank. Works great. You'll also need a small air pump, those you can find at the pet store for like $5-10. Here's a cheap one online.
Get an adjustable heater, not a preset one. Heaters aren't too expensive. Here's a really cheap heater for a 5 gallon, if you do a divided 10 gallon you could get 2 and put one on either side, keep them on a low setting. Get some glass or digital thermometers, not the stickers, the stickers are really inaccurate and hard to read. These glass ones are only $2.
For plants, /r/Aquaswap tends to have the best prices. I've gotten a good amount of plants there. Most pet stores or an LFS if you have one should also have at least a couple aquatic plants.
Since your filter setup will be new, make sure to also get a water quality test kit and carefully monitor the parameters until your tank is cycled. Cycling a tank is THE most important thing for keeping any kind of fish healthy. An uncycled tank or a tank without a filter has the potential to cause serious damage and even death within days.
Here's a really nice link that will explain how to cycle your tank.
Sorry this probably seems like a lot, but I swear it really is necessary. It gets easier as you go. A lot of it is the fault of pet stores and big companies that try to relentlessly push the "betta bowl" fad and don't acknowledge at all how terrible it is to the fish. It's really great to hear that you're doing your own research now though and want to improve the lives of your pets! It's always awesome to hear about the poor "bowl bettas" getting upgrades to real tanks!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002JEMM6/ref=twister_B00ZX0EJCC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I use this on a 2 gallon bowl and have been quite happy with it.
http://www.amazon.com/Aquatop-Nano-Aquarium-Heater-15-Watt/dp/B008L286BY
10 gal is fine. I started my first SW tank a couple months ago and I got a 6 gal. Now, you will have to have to have live rock. Without it, it will be nearly impossible to have a stable tank. I suggest you get around 15 pounds. Get all the live rock you plan to have in you tank at once so your parameters don't get an ammonia spike if you have a fish inside. Aragonite sand should be fine. I would stay FOWLR (fish only with live rock) because corals are much harder. The cycle is also very similar. Set up your tank, add sand, fill with a few inches of water, add rocks and aquascape, fill up with water, add a deli shrimp, and you should be good to go. You will need some salt, a hydrometer, a good reliable heater, some lighting, a power head and test kit. And also a filter.
This is what I would get
http://amzn.com/B000260FUM
I would put the bio rings and carbon aside and replace with this,
http://amzn.com/B0002A5VK2
http://amzn.com/B004PBD4J4
Add the matrix when you start cycling, then add the purigen when you are getting fish. The reviews are speaking for the product. Purigen is simply a godsend
http://amzn.com/B00019JOSO
Go for a refractometer if you can afford it but this works fine for me as long as I tap it an there are no bubbles.
http://amzn.com/B001EUE808
The test kit.
http://amzn.com/B0036S4YZ0
This powerhead should do fine in a 10 gallon.
http://amzn.com/B003M7P9YU
This is one of the best most reliable heaters on the market. Many will fail and bake your tank but not the jagar.
http://amzn.com/B003EE5GUS
These make life a whole lot easier BN testing water or adding things like calcium. You get 10 so they should def last a while.
http://amzn.com/B008SJ1H7A
Get like 5 of these. They are extremely accurate and last around 3 months each. Wrap the wire around the tank and have one on at all times. They also help when doing water changes. You should also pick up an extra heater for water changes, via aqua and aqua top have good ones. These are made in china and sent out to companies like coralife to be package and sold for like 10 dollars, see
http://amzn.com/B0002DI4TO
Now, this is the salt I use for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B0002DJU0G
This should last you a year or two and is way cheaper then continually buying salt. I personally use tap water that has been heavily decholinated with this,
http://amzn.com/B00176CVK8
You should get your tap water tested for copper which can kill invertebrates. A 5 gallon bucket is really useful as is this siphon for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B002LL8BWU
This net is really fine and will catch most tiny debris
http://amzn.com/B008HPOCUE
You will probably find it cheaper in a store. I leave it in front of my powerhead for a hour or two every couple to days to catch debris and waste.
These tweezers help for when you don't want to get your hands wet.
http://amzn.com/B001CWDSYA
But they do start rusting after a lot of
use.
http://amzn.com/B0002E7ITK
This has been the best fish food in my experience but all fish should be fed a varied diet. This is a good staple and should be substituted with brine shrimp, mysis shrimp (frozen) and seaweed.
Not everything here is necessary, I'm just telling you what helped me make the jump to saltwater.
Here are some pics of my tank:
http://imgur.com/p3PP7X7
http://imgur.com/9kUaq1g
http://imgur.com/wtUfCb5
http://imgur.com/yl82GRn
One last thing, in a tank that size, draw a small line where you want you water level to be, when it goes below that due to evaporation, top off water. Test your salinity often in that tank. I use seachem marine buffer to deal with pH issues but chemicals and buffets should be avoided.
Welcome to Betta keeping! Get ready to be addicted. No tank is too big IMO, you want your guy to have plenty of room. I would go with 8 gallons if you have room for it.
If you go with 8 gallons, this looks good and seems to be well reviewed. The 50-watt version.
Again, if you decide on 8 gallons, I would go with this. It comes with cartridges that don't need to be changed nearly as often as it says on the box. I generally only change my cartridges when they start to get really scummy; they house bacteria that is beneficial to your tank.
Bettas also like caves, hiding places and plants. A floating bunch of anacharis will eat up ammonia and give your fish a place to rest. Java fern also does well in a low-light environment.
You'll need to change the water once a week, and make sure to add water conditioner each time. This is my favorite brand.
Any other questions, feel free to PM me. Happy fish keeping!
I think it depends on how large you want his permanant home to be. If it's 5 gal or over, then I would worry about cycling it before adding the fish. I've heard that cycling anything smaller can be difficult to maintain, and I've never bothered to do so with my 2.5g tanks. Only my 6.6g tank is cycled. I do 2x weekly water changes with the 2.5g
If you want a large tank, I'd say get a medium size Kritter Keeper and set that up as his temporary home as your bigger tank cycles. Kritter Keepers are pretty cheap- around $10 and the medium size is around 2.5g.
Here are some of my faves:
http://www.amazon.com/Petco-Bookshelf-Freshwater-Fish-Aquarium/dp/B004FJ9SDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371862792&sr=8-1&keywords=petco+bookshelf+tank
I get these cheaper at my local Petsmart ($14.99)
http://www.amazon.com/All-Glass-Aquarium-AAG10002-2-5-Gallon/dp/B0002AS1PE/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371862806&sr=1-5&keywords=2.5+gallon+aquarium
Great for small tanks
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371862842&sr=1-2&keywords=elite+25+watt
This is what I heat my 6.6g with
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371862842&sr=1-2&keywords=elite+25+watt
Prime water conditioner
http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-436-Prime-250ml/dp/B0002568S6/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371862888&sr=1-2&keywords=prime
These are awesome silk plants
http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-Marina-Naturals-Pickerel-Plant/dp/B005JW5VGW/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1371862917&sr=1-8&keywords=marina+natural
10-25W will be fine depending on how cold it gets in your area. If you're in the U.S., both Petco and PetSmart carry the Aqueon 10W Mini Heater. Petco will price-match the Amazon price, PetSmart will not.
Sure! I have this one in my 5 gallon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009ETLY30/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1496984295&sr=8-4&keywords=aqueon+aquarium+heater
There are plenty of other ones on Amazon or at places like Petsmart too.
Sure! It's this one.
I'm sure there's higher quality out there, but this has mostly good reviews and I just need something small/cheap to start with while I research further.
I use this heater in both my small tanks and it seems to work quite well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00106X8QG/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i02
Nice thing about it is that it's adjustable. Many heaters this size are preset to about 78-degrees plus or minus 2-degrees, but this one you can adjust to what temp you want. I keep my betta tank right at 80 degrees.
Make sure you purchase a tank thermometer if you don't have one. The heater doesn't have markings on it; you have to set it to its lowest setting, put it in the tank, then slowly increase the temperature until you get it to where you want.
I would suggest changing out the eco terra thermostat to something like Inkbird - the eco terra ones have a bad reputation and off fail and you end up with a cooked snake. Inkbirds are cheaper and ship quick from amazon, but if you do have the spare change, the best thermostat in my opinion is a Herpstat
FOr the glass thank, they are not the best for ball pythons as they don't hold heat or humidity. It sounds like you are not in the position to really make a ton of changes right now, but in the future you might want to look into a tub instead, it's very DIY and can be done cheaply. It doesn't look as nice as glass, so if you want something good for ball pythons that is also aesthetically pleasing, check out some PVC enclosures like boaphile or animal plastics - you gave units in Celcius so I'm not sure where you are from and the ones I linked are USA companies but you can find makers of these enclosures all over the world, we can probably give you recommendations if you let us know the country.
But, since you are stuck with glass now (it sounds like) go to lowes and get a piece of acrylic and have it cut to the size of the screen top minus a small bit for air and a small bit for your heat lamp. use it to cover the screen. You want to minimize airflow as much as possible, as airflow is what lets humidity escape.
Second, I would switch to a ceramic heat emitter - these give off heat but no light. Ball pythons need total or near darkness at night, having lights on at night stresses them out. They can see red light, so red night lights aren't appropriate for them. Using a CHE, you can have your ambient temperatures at appropriate levels at night, too. Just don't forget to get a seperate thermostat for it so it doesn't overheat, too.
Third, get some foam board and affix it to the back and sides of the tank on the outside. This serves two purposes: it will help trap heat in (glass is a poor insultator) and it will give your ball python more security. Right now it probably feels like it is out in the open and a predator could sneak up on all directions, blocking off some of the sides help it feel less threatened.
What kind of hides are you using? It sounds like the set up you got probably included a half log hide, and those are not appropriate for ball pythons, or any snake really, as main hides. If you haven't already I would recommend looking into something that looks like these ones with only one small entrance that is off set. There are some from eco terra and zilla that looks like this and are caves. I use the ones linked above as they are dishwasher safe and easy to clean. The smalls should be appropriate for a baby, my hatchling is currently using smalls and my yearling is in the mediums. The mediums are quite a size jump, so I made some of my own by using take out boxes. I cut an offset hole, sanded it down, used a solder iron to melt it a little bit, and then sanded it down again so there were no sharp edges. My rainbow boa is currently using the home made ones until he's big enough for the mediums.
Last, I am glad you are down to only feeding once a week, that's a great start. I would start looking into getting her onto rats soon, though. Adult mice won't be a full meal for a ball python for very long, and getting a ball python to eat multiple prey items in one meal is tough. Changing prey type also gets harder as they get older.
I know this is a lot, and I know you probably feel as if you did a ton of research before getting your BP and hearing that that research is wrong is TOUGH. I made a lot of the same mistakes when I got my first snake. I tried really hard to make a glass tank work, I modified it and threw out a ton of aspen bedding and really struggled to get it to be a good home for my BP but I eventually gave up and got a PVC enclosure from Animal Plastics and I am 100% less stressed about her now, and I have two more snakes living pretty happily, now! Having read bad info and followed it doesn't make you a bad snake parent so long as you learn from your mistakes and correct them going forward. Please PLEASE don't hesitate to ask more questions or post pics of your set up and ask for help! We really want you and your BP to be happy.
Sure,
inline heater: 150w/300w/500w In-Line External Heater AQUARIUM HEATER - 150/300/500 WATT 1/2"-5/8" (300 Watt 5/8" (16/22mm) Hose) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG8K0GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FIh2Ab1QSTN6J
Also if you're using a sunsun with 3/4 inch tubing your going to need 3/4 to 5/8 adapters: Eldon James C12-10BN Automotive Black Nylon Reduction Coupler, 3/4" Hose Barb to 5/8" Hose Barb (Pack of 10) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017VNE00Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OKh2AbZ8J5E3F
Then your going to need a couple hose clamps and about a foot of strong 5/8 tubing, I just drove to the local Auto parts store since they sell hose by the foot and it was less than $5 for hose and clamps. Whereas Amazon only sells long spools for $30+
I'll just add a bit more to azul's post, since s/he was so thorough. :)
Ideal temperature is 78-80F, which many preset heaters have a hard time managing. You can probably find an inexpensive adjustable heater online (like this one, preset to 76F but adjustable; my thermometer reads 80 and the heater is set at 82).
Eheim heaters tend to be ENORMOUS even at smaller wattages, so depending on how much space you can stand for it to take up, there are smaller options! Eheim is probably the best as far as quality, though.
I see you purchased a tank kit, so good for you! I was going to recommend the updated Fluval Spec V, a bit pricey but all the components necessary (except a heater!).
If you're interested in doing plants, r/plantedtank is great for that! Please be cautious when buying plastic plants as they will most often rip fins. Silk or live plants are best for bettas.
I'm less than helpful with saving sick fish, unfortunately, but there are many folks here who are a wealth of knowledge if you have more questions! Good luck to you and your new little guy. I know you will give him your best! :)
Hydor slim heater
Small sponge filter
Suitable air pump that comes with an adjustable valve, so you can damped flow.
Air tubing plus check valve
Commercial turtle docks aren't very expensive. Just get one that is big enough, and it'll float. This way you'll be able to raise your turtle's water level to any height, which is really the greatest injustice here. There honestly is no real need to make your own unless you have many turtles or something. Just get a standard floating one, and allow you turtle the luxury of swimming a bit more.
This dock comes in multiple sizes, here's one of them: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Turtle-Gallon-Medium/dp/B000256ELW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320098&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+dock (If you're worried about the size, just get a larger one.)
These fluval filters seem expensive, but they really aren't, when you consider how low the maintenance is. You will end up spending more money with the filter you have now, replacing the carbon and such over and over agan, than you will with this filter. Also the time and hassle you save is priceless, of course: http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A217-Fluval-External-Filter/dp/B005QRDCWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320124&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+filter
This is the heater I use to keep my turtle safe: http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320208&sr=8-9&keywords=aquarium+heater Honestly, the importance of a solid heater cannot be understated. Dipping temps can quickly cause your turtle to get a respiratory infection. The reason I like this heater specifically is because it has the plastic casing around, so your turtle won't get burned or won't break the glass.
Even if you don't move your turtle to that 60 gallon soon, you should still seriously consider getting one of those floating docks. They aren't expensive, you won't have to worry about the basking area working functionally and you can raise the water level.
Let me know if you have any questions or need any more help. Keep us updated!
I would be open to buying separate items, but I have no idea what exactly I would need to make sure to get. That item didn't get that many good reviews so I'm kind of hesitant getting one.
Let me make sure I got everything here. I should get:
Am I missing anything else?
This ones cheap but both of the ones I had broke.
This one seems a little more legit.
Here are some pictures from setting up the hardscape, as well as a close up of the plants
And here's some info!
Tank - mr aqua 12g long The back of the tank has been painted with plastidip.
Filter - Eheim 2215
Heater - Hydor 200w inline heater
Light - Current USA Satellite LED+. Have it dimmed to ~60% RGB/White on a memory setting.
Light stand - This off amazon which I had to bend a bit since it's narrower than the Satellite.
Pipes - Chinese lily pipes off ebay. Going to be replacing them with these stainless steel ones
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Sand - Carib sea sand
Gravel substrate - Seachem Flourite
Rocks - Seiryu Stone I bought a few packs and have a good amount extra, just to use interesting pieces. Took a chisel to one rock to get smaller parts to work with.
Wood - 4 Pieces of small / medium spiderwood from my LFS. My LFS had a good selection and they let me configure some pieces to see how they'd work together.
-----------------
Plants:
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No fauna yet but I plan on moving my RCS over, and getting some micro crabs and possibly another type of shrimp!
here's a 2.5 gal that comes with a filter and light. I keep my betta in one of these and have a heater and a thermometer and he's doing really well.
Great, you guys are doing that. Good idea you can find the Cobalt Aquatic 5 watt heater on Amazon.
I would suggest just going crazy on your filtration and getting an Aquaclear 50. It's suitable for 20-50 gallon tanks and you can put a whole lot more media in there. I have an AC 20 on my mother's 5.5 gallon betta tank and that works very well, barely any current at all and neons can deal with currents very well and the shrimp won't care.
I would return the filter and get an adjustable one off amazon for the same or less. There is a 20 gallon, 100 watt heater on amazon for $11.80 with prime, so I would go for that. Had them in my tanks and I haven't had one break or malfunction in the year and a half I've had them. Great deal!
15W for lights, might be a little low for plants in a 20 gallon, so get beginner level plants.
Important: research fishless cycling in an aquarium. This is how you will have the most success in the aquarium world. Better for your fish and better for your sanity when you put the fish in. It will get that nitrogen cycle pumping at 100%, so it will be ready for all the junk from your fist few fish.
As far as substrate, I have heard of black diamond blasting sand and this is what it looks like in an aquarium. I believe I have it in mine. It's very cheap, but is very dirty so when you get it, you'll have to rinse the dust out of it. It will take several rinses. Do this in a rubbermaid or a 5 gallon bucket (get them at lowes or home depot. If you want to get some marble for rock piles, lowes sells broken product and will throw in a bucket for free usually). DO NOT rinse it in your tank, it may scratch your glass. 98% of aquarium substrate needs to be rinsed, just throw about 3/4 or a full gallon in a 5 gallon bucket and swish it around. This black diamond stuff sometimes has little glass things in it, so use a glove or a stick (I used a well-washed spatula) and tap water.
You won't need to gravel vac in a properly cycled, planted aquarium. Trust me, especially with that filter, you won't need to, and that's a blessing. The beginner plants will grow under almost any light, and root tabs are a must for sand, especially in new aquariums. It depends what kind of gravel, but plants will usually take hold. I like sand because the poop either gets trapped where I can't see it or gets circulated to the filter.
I believe that's marbled(?) pothos. It works really well for sucking out the nitrates. I have a clipping clipped on the edge of my other tank, and it's working VERY well like that, so you could clip one on the edge of your tank next to your filter cutout. They do have different water roots than soil roots, so just get a cutting of viney part and make sure some of it is wet and there you go. Ferts also help these guys, and all I use is flourish excel and comprehensive, but you don't need to get into all that quite yet.
personally, I love the snails, they clean up my overfeeding, which leads to bad algae problems, my buddy killed all of his and got bad algae so I always have snails in my tanks.
As far as shrimp, they won't overpopulate when pressured by the tetras. they will eat the babies and the bolder ones will pester the adults a bit, so they won't breed as often. If your tank gets overrun (which it won't), you could try and sell them back to the store for store credit, or you could sell online.
Plants and shrimp: aquabid.com It's pretty much the ebay of the fish keeping world. notice that if it doesn't say snail free, you may get hitchhikers, which are not necessarily bad things. It takes maybe 24 hours to get an account (because of wait) so apply tonight.
DO NOT buy a feeder fish to 'jump start' your tank. It's inhumane and will take the exact same time (probably longer now that I think about it) as fishless cycling with ammonia would. You REALLY need to research that. Basic premise is, raise ammonia to 3ppm, monitor it every night, when you see it drop, bring it back up. Then when it disappears in ~3 days, check your nitrites, get them back to readable levels via water changes, then add ammonia, watch nitrates drop, and when you can get from 3ppm ammonia to 0ppm ammonia and 0 ppm nitrites, in 24 hours, then you can add a few fish. This is where you need a liquid test kit, not a test kit with strips, they can be unreliable.
this is a good source about fishless cycling. I haven't used dr. Tim's and my buddy got frustrated and crashed his tiny tank (after using Dr. Tim's, buddy's fault, not tim's) when he first started, so I have no idea how it works. I have just used ammonia both times I've cycled a tank.
Wait until you have a nice home for your fish before you shove them in there. You would want to wait until your home has A/C, a roof, walls, and is free of asbestos before you move in, right? Same with fish, be nice to them and you'll have a whole lot less headaches when it comes to ammonia spikes and stuff like that.
I've never checked the temps, but maybe a medical heating pad? We use this as our beardie doesn't like heat on his belly.
I also have small tanks of around 2.5 gallons for my bettas (only because the apartment I live in restricts them to around 3 gallons). I have to be on top of water quality maintenance though, so API Freshwater Master Test Kit (buy on amazon.com cheaper than most LFS) to frequently check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. I also have to do 50% water changes around every 2-3 days to maintain a decent water condition, and use Seachem Prime (water conditioner) + Seachem Stability (BB) + Seachem Pristine (BB) to help in between water changes. Also buy a clear plastic or glass turkey baster, specifically to do spot-cleaning to suck up any poos or leftover food pieces that you can see, any time you see any waste sitting around.
For heaters, I have Marina 8-watt Always-On type, but plugged into external thermostat Outlet controller to maintain proper temps without boiling my bettas (cuts off heater power when max set temp is reached).
Temperature outlet controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB8LQA8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
up to 2.5 gallons Always-On heater (USE ONLY WITH THE EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE OUTLET CONTROLLER linked above, or other similar Temperature Outlet Controller): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE23Z88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (it says its for up to 1.5 gallon tanks, but since it's an always-on, it could work for slightly larger tanks, if using the appropriate temperature outlet controller).
COMFY Temperature zone for bettas = 78-80 F, so set the temperature outlet controller's low temp to 77 F, and max temp to 82 F, then stick the probe in the water (preferably across from the heater, in the tank) put the heater submerged in the water, and then plug the heater into the outlet controller. DO NOT plug the heater in before putting it into the tank. (and you probably know to rinse everything in hot water before first use, NO SOAPS)
Plants - CLOTH types (test plastic parts w/ pantyhose if any rips/snags/tears then NO NO unless you get rid of the sharp parts) or LIVE plants (can quarantine up to 2 weeks to observe for any unwanted hitch-hikers)
Hidey-Cave - No sharp pokey edges or innards, or tiny spaces betta can get stuck in.
High quality FOOOOD: NORTHFIN Betta Bits http://www.northfinusa.com/betta-bits/ , https://www.amazon.com/Northfin-Food-Betta-Pellet-Package/dp/B00M4Q5DQ4
OR New Life Spectrum Betta https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Formula-Semi-Float/dp/B0038JTL1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503088646&sr=1-1&keywords=new+life+spectrum+betta
Test pellet-size soaked in water to observe the fully swollen size; betta tummy = size of their eyeball, feed accordingly the number of pellets as judged by the water-soaked size.
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-AZMBP5-0-12-Ounce/dp/B003ZWCTZO
(additional variety food, for a happy healthy betta)
I had a problem finding one that fit my height requirements but ended up getting this 7” 50w adjustable heater for $13. As long as it makes it through shipping you should be ok. Mine works fine in my 5.5g tank w/ 1 betta. Penn Plax Aquarium Heater Fully Submersible Within 1 Degree of Accuracy 50 Watt Heats Up to 10 Gallon Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VOF33Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_j-C0DbC1T387E
I have the fluval e300 and love it. They make a 200w version, you could go with that. What size tank is this for? The 300w version is only a buck more too on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
> Regarding the heat mat, this is something that we have underneath the bottom glass of his viv, with a layer of felt on top of the glass so he doesn’t have direct contact with any of the heat elements.
Well, looks like I've got egg on my face then! Okay, way less concerning but!
>We live in the north of England, do you think it would be fine to take away the heat mat during the night and him have no heat source, or could you suggest an alternative?
Heat matters, and you are on the right course with paying attention for nighttime heating matters! If your house drops under 19C at any time, then supplemental heat is a requirement! 19C isn't some magical "they will die" number, but it gives them a nice healthy minimum safe range, below which we can have problems!
The issue then, comes with how we give them this heat. Bearded Dragons are hard wired little lovable scalebabies. They do things because they are programmed to. For instance, light == warmth to them. If they are cold, they will go to sources of light (thus why heat lamps are great! And making sure your UV tube runs along next to it gets you double the benefit!). Likewise, if they are hot, they will avoid light, and go down. They will seek out the lowest point they can, to beat the heat.
See how that might be a problem? If the primary source of heat at night is under his tank, his brain doesn't understand how to cope and he will drive himself to the least comfortable place he can. Woops!!
What you really want to offer to keep him over 19C at night is something like this. Ceramic Heat Emitters screw into a normal light socket, so you can treat it just like your already existing heat lamp. The plus here, is that they produce zero visible light. This means that it's fine to use at night, as it wont disrupt their sleep!
It's not a replacement for your basking lamp (once again, that light helps drive good behavior and lets him become comfortable!). But it's an awesome addition to a vivarium when your house cannot provide safe temperatures on it's own!
Buy one, get yourself a fixture to mount it around the middle of his tank to keep everything safe at night, and slap that puppy on a timer! If you are worried about getting things just right, you can over buy the wattage on the bulb, and then use something like this to tune it just perfect for your baby!
Again, Y wish you all the best luck in figuring out what's wrong here. I hope it's some environmental thing that you can identify and correct with this dude! It sucks when we mess up, but it's so nice when we get to fix it!!!
It's currently at 76.2 F and has typically been in the 75-77 range. I've seen it as low as 74 I believe. (Mind you I'm using this cheap thermometer though so I wouldn't 100% trust its readings: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SJ1H7A/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
I use this heater, had it for 3 weeks so far plugged in 24/7 and it's doing just fine: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090I7RC2/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have 4 females and 2 males. After being in my tank for about 4 days 1 of them was berried. The other 3 females are saddled and apparently ready any minute now for a male to fertilize 'em.
I use this heater in my Fluval Spec, a 2 gallon tank. It is adjustable, which I like, and it's pretty small, so I can fit it in the filter space in the back of my tank instead of taking up space in the main area.
I have used it since the end of February in an office space that has a pretty wide range of temperatures, and it holds pretty steady.
I am about to get this brand, it’s an external heater that connects to a canister filter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MG8K0GY/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyT0g2S1JSUjhOVUJQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDc3MjQ3MVkyQkkyQzVZT0U4WiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTE3NzEyNTE2TUZTOEVUTVJNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0&th=1
That heating pad may work, but how will you know the temp and be able to keep it consistent. You don't want it too hot either. The aquarium heater self-regulates to keep it at an even temp. I personally think it's your best option. Just buy one more tub, the exact one you already have, and an Aquarium Heater
No that's plenty for me, keeps the tank at 78 for my betta.
Here's the one I use:
http://www.amazon.com/Aquatop-Aquatic-Supplies-BC003408-Aquarium/dp/B008L286BY/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1411776469&sr=1-5&keywords=15w+heater
I imagine you could go up a little if you're nervous about the tank staying warm enough.
Go try to return it anyways. Just say it overheats and nearly killed your fish. Get a fully submersible heater, like this one and never worry again. These eheims are very reliable and easy to callibrate the thermostat,
Can someone help clarify something for me? I feel like I'm completely missing something obvious...
I have a shiny, new Ehiem 250 canister filter. I would like to get an inline heater for it, but can't figure out if the line I have will fit. The Ehiem has a 12/16 hose--the hydor heater I want makes 1/2 or 5/8in options. Will one of those fit? I feel like thousands of people before me have figured this out, but those measurements just don't line up for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Line-External-Aquarium-Heater/dp/B0002JEMM6?th=1
http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-15w-Slim-Heater-Aquariums/dp/B006JVQ65M Thats the heater. It says the dimensions are 6.5 inches long x 3.2 inches wide. Measure your sump and compare the length and width. If it doesn't fit there it can also go under your substrate.
Thank you, and Gladly! They seem to both do the job well enough! :) no complaints yet.
Filter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YD7D4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Heater: https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-AQE06194-Heater-Aquarium-10-watt/dp/B009ETLY30/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467064775&sr=8-3&keywords=aqueon+heater
There's these tiny little heaters you can buy on Amazon and ebay meant for minuscule Betta tanks. I live in a pretty warm climate (Australia) but winter's coming down here. I can't personally recommend the one in the link because I haven't bought it, but these little 5 watt heaters seem to be the way to go. I plan on getting one at some point.
I've used a few of these sponge filters in my setups and recently bought one of these heaters that seems to work pretty well, but might take up too much space in a tiny setup.
They make a cover for the Fluval Chi. Here is a link for you:
http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A13957-Fluval-Chi-Cover/dp/B005QRDEDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332723783&sr=8-1
It does an excellent job at covering as much of the surface as possible, and is only $7. Also here is a decent heater (The same one that I use in my Fluval Chi, and Fluval Edge):
http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Edge-25W-Compact-Heater/dp/B002Y2LEG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1332723831&sr=1-1
Got some various DIY glycol chiller questions:
Sunsun HW-303B (Sold under several different brands. See also: Aquatop CF400UV.)
Inline heater
Canister filters are big and ugly, but super quiet, and getting the heater out of the tank prevents heater burns.
Most people start off with a less expensive hang-on-back style filter and in-tank heater, but those are noisy and tend to splash. IMO you might as well start with the good stuff now.
http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Betta-Submersible-Heater-Aquarium/dp/B00AE23Z88/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458162226&sr=8-3&keywords=betta+bowl+heater
Marina is a solid brand in my book. Had luck with one of these for a while, but havent used one very recently.
Just a quick tip, if you want to hide the fact you have a heater, get an inline one. I picked up the Hydor 200w inline heater and it's been fantastic, I just cut my return hose and added it right in the middle, I did make sure to ensure it is completely vertical and not on an angle as I read that can lead to bubbles in the heater and cause it to be damaged.
Could this work? http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Betta-Submersible-Heater-Aquarium/dp/B00AE23Z88
It is the same brand as the tank that I bought and was even recommended on their box.
The HOB filters are fine if you put a sponge over the intake. Shrimp do fine with medium/high flow. You should get this kind of heater because they cannot malfunction and cook your livestock. Finally, I would recommend getting the plants to grow first, as your shrimp feed off the bio-film and feel safest among the plants.
As others have said, use an aquarium heater. I do when I use yeast that likes heat.
Here is my setup!
Turtle: Female Northern Diamondback Terrapin currently at 4.5” shell length, will grow to 9”
Tank: 55 gallons
Lights: Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle UVB & Heat Lighting Kit
Filter: Penn Plax Cascade 1500 Canister Aquarium Filter
Heater: Fluval M Submersible Heater 200 Watt
Light Timer: Century 8 Outlet Surge Protector with Mechanical Timer
Basking area: Egg crate and zip ties, with flat rock inside
Live plants: 2 Anubias and 1 unknown
Substrate: Black Diamond Medium Blasting Abrasives
Crushed Coral: Carib Sea Florida Crushed Coral
Driftwood: petco
Rocks: local fish store
Water: tap water treated with ReptiSafe® Water Conditioner
Ugh the pricing on that is so amazing, but I'm held back by limited desk space. I suppose I'll have to ask my roommate if it's possible to make some space for the aquarium. With the assumption that he agrees, let's proceed. Someone left a comment saying I can get a cheap adjustable by Hydor: http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-15w-Slim-Heater-Aquariums/dp/B006JVQ65M/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1418365261&sr=1-6&keywords=hydor+heater
Does that seem decent? I've added the air pump and sponge filter to cart. I'm still concerned about the lid and lighting; mainly in fear of not getting them at all when I order that 10 gallon.
yea thats probably a bit too cold. do you just keep your room that cold? how big is your tank? i only ask because most people keep their houses closer to 70-75 which works fine for the cool side. its ok to use the light to help boost the temps if you need too. theres also things called a CHE that put off heat but no light. personally i dont like them that much because they get extremely hot to the touch and since heat rises hardly any reaches the floor. I just use a small 45w halogen floodlight on a dimmer. even on its lowest setting it warms the floor up enough without being very bright. the uth will only heat the area directly above it, it wont really radiate much outward, you want to pick a uth thats big enough to cover about 1/3 of the tank. place the heat mat under the tank, and the probe from the thermostat on the inside of the tank. One of those little $12 temp guns is an awesome tool to grab too, you can see exactly what temp your floor is and adjust the thermostat accordingly. If you need a cheap temporary hide you can make them out of tupperware containers. I made one out of a big salsa bowl and he loves it.
Fluval sells a specific heater just for their systems. It's a 25 watt heater that will keep the temperature at a constant temperature, it has no controller on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Edge-25W-Compact-Heater/dp/B002Y2LEG6
I use this heater, it's worked great so far my temperature is at a constant 76 degrees.
As far as lighting, I love the Finnex FugeRay series. It has done my plants a world of good, and LED lights really make your aquarium look great. Hygros start to turn a pretty purple/red on their leaves in high lighting, so mine have started that on the top leaves! Also, I keep my light on for far longer than most people suggest. Since I have shrimp and otos, I have no problems with algae from it, and my plants are growing great. A 30-inch FugeRay is what you would use for a 20 long.
With heating, I would suggest this Fluval. It is digital which lets you be precise in your temperature.
As far as algae like I mentioned earlier, I have no problem with algae from my plants and algae eaters. I usually have my light on for roughly 14 hours per day, and have no problems. It also eliminated the brown algae that I had in my tank at first.
I would be wary of having that many platys. They breed like rabbits, so unless you have a local lfs that purchases fish or takes donations, you will soon overrun your tank with them, and I don't think any of your current stock will eat the fry except the platys. You will still have many that survive. Personally, I would decrease your platys and add more tetras. It's better to have a bigger school with shoaling species.
Definitely get an aeration system. Your fish will need it. I also suggest you get more than one hygro. They really help with nitrate levels, and usually turn two different colors with high light exposure.
As far as shorter, foreground, bushy plants, you can try some micro swords, dwarf baby tears, and some marimo moss balls as possibilities.
Width (side to side): 18"
Width of each side: 10.1"
According to http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm I have a 27.54 gallon tank.
According to http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/converter/volume-calculator.php I have a 31.8 gallon tank.
Will the ambiguity between 27 and 32 gallons be detrimental or can I just stop worrying about it and call it 30?
And yes, every bit of advice helps and I thank you for taking the time.
So I actually posted this as a thread about 20 minutes ago but it was removed without telling me why... Maybe it fits better here anyway...
So I'm about to set up the laser in the garage - after drilling the hole for the venting I'm hoping to have it up and tested this weekend. And then I thought of something....
I'm going to have a glass tube filled with water in an unheated garage... There's a server-rack in the corner, and it's not likely to get below freezing in there, but it's possible. I really don't want the water freezing in the tube.
I have a CW-5000 chiller sitting in the box waiting to be installed. There doesn't appear to be any protection against freezing built into it either, so I'm wondering what the options are:
All this assumes there's a temperature-monitoring system that can control an external pump/heater, but aquarium monitors have that down pat, and some temp. monitors can control relays like that too.
So, in a plea to the wisdom of crowds... What do y'all do ? :)
Shopping list.
Filter - https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-25772-Whisper-Filter-20-Gallon/dp/B0002DHY4K/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503975350&sr=1-4&keywords=20+gallon+filter
Light - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C84SLRO/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp?smid=A33ZKFW4KOEZQ4
Substrate - https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Eco-Complete-20-Pound-Planted-Aquarium/dp/B0002DH0QM/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503976036&sr=1-2&keywords=tank+sand+black
Heater - https://www.amazon.com/Mylivell-Aquarium-Heater-Submersible-Thermostat/dp/B073P6NW71/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503976318&sr=1-4&keywords=20+gallon+tank+heater
I want to do a rock wall, like this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROZPt7M2uIk.
So I should put all the above together in the tank with water and then cycle that for 2+ weeks before trying to add plants, then cycle that another 2+ weeks before trying to add fish?
Eheim Jagar, readily available on Amazon.
EHEIM Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_jKgGwb0RM4XKN
Probably select the 200 watt model for a 55 gallon.
I use the temperature controller that you linked with one of these Hydor in-line heaters.
I've successfully used a water bath with my Speidel. I put it in a large plastic tub (similar to this https://smile.amazon.com/United-Solutions-TU0014-Nineteen-Featuring/dp/B005SB1P82/ref=sr_1_2), then filled the tub with water approximately to the same level as the wort inside the fermenter. I placed an aquarium heater (similar to this https://smile.amazon.com/Aquarium-Heater-Submersible-Water-Thermostat/dp/B073P6NW71/ref=sr_1_2_sspa) in the water and set it to the temp I wanted. You may have to fiddle with the temperature to get it where you want, but if you're patient it will work pretty well.
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-7-5w-Heater-Bettas-Bowls/dp/B0079G74TI
Thank you for the very detailed response!
So far I have only bought a Fluval 25W heater. I am planning to put this in the pump compartment. I hope it will be sufficient. Otherwise I will upgrade to a 50W compact heater. The ambient temperature in my basement can drop to 60F when we are at work on a cold day. 25W might end up being insufficient.
I am waiting for the Spec V to go on sale here in Canada.
You are right about modding the tank. That is a big part of the experience. I would like to buy the upgraded 3rd party media basket but it runs close to $50. I think I will run it with the stock filter except I will swap out the charcoal media out for ceramic on day 1.
My biggest question right now is about lighting. I have been looking at purchasing two Fluval PCL13s. Do you have any experience with that light by any chance? Or should I get the LED light by Fluval? I am not looking forward to cutting pieces out of the lid to make the light fit. But I don't believe there is any way around that...
That's an M model. I'm sorry I ended up looking at the E model which does have a cage on it. https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I?th=1 In that case I don't think they'd be that different.
Instead of getting the Chi, see if any of your local petsmarts has the new Fluval Spec 5. I can't seem to find too much information about them online but I know they exist because I bought one. The Spec will have much better filtration and lights and is only a little bit more expensive, I think mine was around $70.
I also like this (50 watt) heater. It'll be a little over-powered for a 5 gallon, but if you use a thermometer with it it should be fine.
Ahh I see. If you have a canister filter than I would recommend these if you dont want the heater in your tank. I am using one now and I see no issues with it.
EDIT: Heater link Not sure of what wattage you'd need.
how would you recommend going about that?
do you think something like this would be too much for a 5 gallon?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VOF33Y/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IY8TMX4AJBEQ1&colid=2I9V6ILP1GAOH&th=1
would my goldfish be ok with increase in temperature? how high would I increase it and at what rate?
It's not overprice. It's actually a very fairly price and well thought out kit. There's some unnecessary things, and the stock nuvo lights are fine (I actually have them only cause I got a sweet deal), but I would rather get the tank only and different lights. Here's my
attempt to piece that kit together with more ideal parts:
NUVO FUSION 20 BY INNOVATIVE MARINE ($200 anywhere)
This kit includes the TANK WITH THE LIGHTS, which are $400 MSRP. Just get the tank at $200. Use the $200 you would've spent on a better light and fixture:
AI PRIME HD AND MOUNT ($225 for light MSRP, $30 mount, MSRP)
This is a much better light. Stronger. Controllable (able to control all spectrums, set a sunrise sunset schedule, all from a mobile app). The Nuvo lights are just on and off, with no switch. You have to plug them into outlet timers. The AI PRIME is way better, for only a little more.
20 LBS. OF REEF SAVER ROCK ($52 bulk reef supply)
This is actually a good price per pound.
100 ML INSTANT OCEAN BIO-SPIRA (NOT NEEDED)
If you cycle your tank properly, this isn't needed.
4 OZ CLORAM-X AMMONIA REMOVER (NOT NEEDED)
You shouldn't be using a chlorinated water source to begin with, so declorinator only enables bad habits. Get RODI water from a local reef store, or make your own, or at the very worst, use vending machine water.
20 LB. SPECIAL GRADE ARAG-ALIVE! LIVE REEF SAND ($30 amazon)
You definitely want at LEAST special grade sand. Google it. Grain size matters. Too fine, and you'll get a sandstorm when the water is moved.
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-20-Pound-Special-Bimini/dp/B000EM2BRO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479312554&sr=8-3&keywords=arag+alive
HW-MARINEMIX REEFER SALT MIX (DONT GET THIS SALT)
Instead, get the gold standard:
INSTANT OCEAN REEF CRYSTALS ($50 for enough to make 160 gallons, Drs Foster and Smith, also, FREE BUCKET!)
Make sure you get REEF CRYSTALS if you want corals (it's the orange box/bag), or you can get just the regular INSTANT OCEAN (purple box/bag) if you're doing fish only. This is the most trusted and widely used and available salt. I recommend you use it, so your corals always get the same consistency of nutrients, since this salt is sold everywhere and reliable.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4856
REFRACTOMETER FOR READING SALINITY WITH CALIBRATION FLUID (THESE ARE UNNECESSARY)
Accurate? Yes. Pain in the ass? Also yes. Always having to clean these and calibrate them sucks. Get a standard plastic floaty arrow hydrometer instead.
HYDROMETER ($11 amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-tk504-SeaTest-Hydrometer/dp/B00019JOSO
TUNZE CARE MAGNET NANO - 0220.010 CLEANER MAGNET (UNNECESSARILY OVERPRICED ITEM)
Everyone knows that when it comes to cleaning magnets, Mag Floats are the go to. Sure you can pay more, but you don't always get more.
MAGFLOAT SMALL ($12)
https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC
MARINE S PELLET FISH FOOD - HIKARI (THERE ARE BETTER FOODS)
The best widely available pellet fish good is New Life Spectrum.
NEW LIFE SPECTRUM THERA A ($10 most online places)
They have big pellets and small pellets. Make sure you get the small pellets.
HMA-S 50W FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE HEATER (YOU COULD BUY YOUR OWN FOR CHEAPER)
EHEIM JAGER 50W HEATER ($23 amazon)
These are pretty well regarded and reliable heaters. Avoid getting the $15 chinese heaters, for a few bucks more this is a brand you can trust.
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003U82YEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313472&sr=8-1&keywords=50+w+heater+jager
HPS-100 FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE (GET ANOTHER FOR CHEAPER)
It's cool that the BRS team thought of this, but you can get your own large cheap heater for mixing water. Since it's a nuvo 20, and water changes would be around 2-5 gallons, a 150 watt or even 200 watt heater could warm up the water to match the tank pretty quickly.
EHEIM JAGER 150 WATT HEATER ($25 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313666&sr=8-3&keywords=150w+heater
HYDOR KORALIA EVOLUTION POWERHEAD 600 ($29 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Koralia-Evolution-Aquarium-Circulation/dp/B004F461UA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313724&sr=8-1&keywords=hydor+koralia+600
So as you can see, you can do it with better parts and remove unnecessary things, but you'd be paying $697 before tax. Personally, I would still rather part it myself, because I know I can find used AI primes with mounts for $150-$200 (check the classifieds of reef forums or you local club). Also, I don't have to buy some of this stuff because I'm already in the fish hobby and have leftover heaters, or have friends who are that can help me get started. But if you're in a hurry and want to start, or this is your first endeavor into fish keeping and have no fish keeping friends, the BRS kit is not bad at all and the convenience is nice.
PROTIP: If you do plan on buying something this big from BRS, i'll let you in on a trick. First, make an account if you don't already have one. Then, add the kit to your cart. Then, leave it there for a few days. You'll get an email reminding you that you have it in your cart, and since it's a large purchase, they'll give you a coupon (i forget the percentage) to encourage you to buy it. Then use the coupon and buy it lol. WINNING!
You will want some airflow so covering the top entirely isn't a great idea. During the summer months I had no issue with humidity in a glass tank but once fall hit I had to change over to a rubbermaid tub with holes drilled in half of the lid to keep my percentage around 60. You might consider doing something similar. You also want to make sure you have a hide on both ends of the enclosure so the snake can regulate their temps. I use flukers heat mat and this digital thermometer with great success so far. The nice thing about the fluker mat is that you don't have to stick it on the bottom of the enclosure. Once you are ready for a bigger enclosure (assuming the mat is big enough) you can use the same mat. For hides I suggest you go with something cheap being that once your ball is established it will start growing like a weed. Hopefully this helps!
$5 and small size make for quite a nice benefit. I am actually looking at heating elements right now and the 'official' product for homebrewing is $50 (on sale for $30 some places). It's a 25 Watt, 110v heating pad effectively. I got to looking for other heating pads (I like pads as they are low profile) starting with those relating to 3d printing (too powerful), Plant Heaters (too weak), Reptile Heaters (can work!) and personal heaters (Too powerful):
There are likely others too but looks like a 1 fermenter pad is going to be $20-30 and mostly heat the item above. Heating the air in a fementer is likely the more cost efficient solution even if it takes more space than pads. Edit In relation to heating multiple fermenters in a space. A heating pad can work in a single fermenter mini-fridge if there is a flat surface to set your fermenter on. /edit *
Naruto mostly, maybe the Switch cover (don't have one but it's a planned future purchase)
I'm thinking that $25~ would be fair for a pre-seeded corner sponge filter (looks like this one), a Marina internal power filter plus four new cartridge refills, and a heater
With a 3.5 gallon you might be able to put one or two shrimp depending on how friendly of a betta you get. Black gravel looks really cool with bettas, especially if you get a light colored one. Remember that with a betta the water needs to be about 75-80 degrees F, so you might need a small heater. I have these in two of my smaller tanks and they work really well for a decent price.
Thank you for your kind reply. I should clarify that my tank is 2.5.
I have this heater.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M0MESUR/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
That is apparently only due to a law in Canada
I have 7 of these heaters, all horizontal, all running fine
Here is the mobile version of your link
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MG8K0GY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've had the same Fluval E300 for two years with no problems. My tank is much larger than yours, so you could downgrade the wattage, though.
You set the temperature manually, and the display will light up red if the water goes within a two degree difference either way from your set temp. However, it is more of a temperature regulator than a heater. If you put it in 50 degree water and set it at 72 degrees, it won't be able to heat it that high. If you start at ~72, it will maintain that temperature. The changing display light is especially helpful when doing water changes. It does have to be totally submerged, but that only requires about 3 inches of water, which you should have anyway.
I just recently purchased a new 5 Gallon tank from amazon along with this little 15 Watt heater, which would put you at just about $55. I definitely do suggest also getting Prime or something similar dechlorinate.
My ZooMed heating pad died after about 6 months, I use this one now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00164K2H0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Works well but I use a mini fridge as my chamber.
Amazon has heaters for $8.11 and they're great! Here it is!
I have a couple of these for quarantine tanks. They heat really well, but they're not adjustable or preset so you have to keep an eye on the temp. I'd get a better one if you can but I don't mind these for little tanks. I also have a few cheapo heaters and have exploded a couple. My mistake was leaving them plugged in when not fully submerged. It was always when I was messing with a (fishless) tank and forgot to unplug it. It took two for me to learn my lesson.
Aqueon Mini Heater, 10W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0MESUR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dSFEDbH91BGBR
Hey folks,
I just noticed this a day or two ago. The water directly above my guppy tank heater looks weird. Almost like something is coming out of it. It almost looks like heatwaves on top of hot pavement. I'm not sure about what I'm seeing, which makes me concerned. I think I have it set to 80 degrees F. Is the heater becoming faulty? Am I just actively seeing the water being heated? Does it need to be decommissioned? What do you guys think? I appreciate your guys' help!
Link to heater in question: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073P6NW71
I and my wife are aquarists. I own a koi beta myself and it's really common to run into people that think that betas are just designed to look good. In my case, I have a 1.8-gallon classic bowl, with a marimo, a light bubbler, and some decor she can hide behind. I suggest you get a tank similar to this. Get a marimo a small bubbler, depending on how cold your house gets a small heater. After that just get some easy to clean rock and some decor your beta and you can be happy with. It may cost some cash but if done right your beta will look much better, instead of a fish that practically sits all day it will move around and depending upon the attitude will even play or act friendly. There actually intelligent for domesticated fish so if they are happy they can pick up a personality more so then most.
Edit: Enough of the attacks. I'm looking into it. I've never had any issue with my fish in the past and they have all lived long fishy lives. If there is a better way then that's cool, we will learn and improve but attacking me about it does nothing to help. Please stop.