Heater

[POPPYDOG]

Help i set up a tank for my grandson,and the heater did not work,and it was a few days before i was able to get another.I kept an eye on the temperature and it stayed at a steady 25 degrees.So do i need to put the new heater in as I'm told this is the temperature the tank should be Its a little aqua 40

 

[ShinySideUp]

Blimey, your house must be warm to keep the water at that temp. I would get another heater if I were you as I'm sure your house doesn't stay that warm 24 hours a day and a little tank will lose heat very quickly if the outside temperature drops.
 
Having said that, are you sure the heater doesn't work? If your room is that warm the heater may not actually come on.

 

[POPPYDOG]

Thanks for that,its near a radiator,but the water does not feel that warm.Im reading the temperature off the magnetic strip on the side of the tank

 

[Akasha72]

I agree with shinysideup, here in the U.K the temp can drop dramaticly at night especially this time of year and so having a heater there as back up is a must. I recently forgot to plug my heater back in after maintenance and it was off for 2 days. I only noticed when the temp dropped to 22 degrees.
 
If you want to check if your heater is working remove it from the tank, fill a bucket with really cold water and pop the heater in the bucket (making sure you stay with it and it is fully submerged) you can then see if it heats the water in the bucket. There should be a light on it somewhere which should light up and go out as it switches itself on and off.

 

[POPPYDOG]

Thanks for that the old heater is not working as it used to light up but it does not now.Just plugged in to the mains it does not even get warm i have a new heater and will put it in.Thanks for all your help

 

[Ch4rlie]

As the others have mentioned, a heater is a needed piece of kit for the UK for most tropical fish which requires temps of usually around 24C.

It must be mentioned that not all species of fish need a heater, goldfish and temperate fish will probably be perfectly fine without a heater in tank as long as temperatures do not fluctuate in the house or room too much.

So do research what is optimum temperature that is suitable for the specie/s of fish in your grandson's tank.

If you're unsure, just ask away, we're always happy to help.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Just to mention, (you may already know this) but make sure the heater stays fully submerged up to the minimum level it requires. When you do water changes and it has to drop below that level, make sure to unplug it and let it sit IN the water before changing for 10-15 minutes to cool off. Then it is safe to let the water drop. I accidentally forgot to do this once and the heater quit working on me and I had to get a new one.

 

[boshk]

To maintain 24C, your room must be warm.
Do most heaters auto switch off or just go to lowest power?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Do most heaters auto switch off or just go to lowest power?

 
Most heater will simply switch off when the desired temperature has been reached.
 
This is one of the benefits of having a good heater, this will help in keeping the power consumption down to a minimum as they are usually a high wattage appliance and only will they switch on temporarily when the tank water is lower than the desired temp.