Constant Heater

[littlejack]

Hi all,
With a tropical fish tank, does the tank require the heater to be on 24 hours a day? it just seems like alot of energy and electricity being used up.
any thoughts?

 

[drumminfish]

Yeah, the heater works a lot like the thermostat in your house does, it only cuts on when the temperature starts to drop, then turns off when it reaches the temperature you set it to. If you just turn if off completely or unplug it, the temperature will start to fall in your tank. If you had the heater off for parts of the day, the temperature will fluctuate up and down in the tank, and as far as I know that's not good for the fish.

 

[seastaar88]

if you are concerned about electricity, perhaps you could look into keepign cold-water species that don't require a heater.

using a heater on a 25g tank is really negligable on the electric bill.

 

[MissFishy]

The most important thing is to keep the water at a constant temperature. Heaters do this by turning on (the little light turns on) when the water drops below the temperature they are set at. To set your tank temperature (usually around 78 for a tropical tank) you need a thermometer. Put the thermometer in the tank and keep turning the heater up until the tank reaches your desired temperature. When it is at the temperature you wish to keep the tank at, simply turn the heater down (very very little dial movement) until the light goes off. It should switch back on as soon as the temp goes down. Remember, heaters don't work unless you have tank circulation.