jj

Thought I would just bring this subject up (probably again) I just purchased a gorgeous little Betta yesterday a young one. I am so sick of shops telling me that they don't need heaters, or anything other than the usual cup/bowl. I am stressing a bit about the heater. Some people say 25w too big and can caused damage in a 5gal tank, (mine holds almost 5). Though with gravel etc it is less. I have had the light is enough heater thing as well. I am wondering if anyone on the forum admits to not using a heater, and if so how the fish survive?? I only know a couple of people who have a Betta and neither use heaters. Both 6 months old and both doing really well.

Butterfly

I guess if the room they are in can keep the water temp at a consistant 78-80F then you wouldn't need a heater. The fluctuation of water temperature(as in without) is what causes all the problem. Chilling makes them susceptible to ICH. They also don't eat as well when cool or chilled. They may survive for awhile without a heater but to really thrive and be all they can be they need the best treatment they can get. Enough room, filtration and a heater.
I'm glad your friends Bettas are doing well but I cannot advise you to keep your betta without a heater. Sorry
Carol

Phloxface

I don't know who told you a 25 watt heater was too much for 5 gallons but they are WRONG! A 25 watt heater can be used for 3-5 gallons. I use a 25 watt heater in one of my 5 gallon tanks and a 50 watt in the other. Just get a 25 watt Visi Therm heater that has a numbered dial so you can set the exact temp. Bettas kept in less than 80 degree water can develop finrot, ich and many other problems. A good quality heater will keep the temp steady and prevent the stress of temps going up and down all day.

jj

Thanks, I am in agreement, it just gets so confusing. I was sold with absolute determination a 25w for my 10 gal, and it is useless, which is why I want to use it in the smaller tank.
Anyway, my little Betta is called Gem. A gorgeous deep dark blue all over, and has the round tail. Looks totally amazing when he flairs.

0morrokh

A 10 gal needs a 50w. The general rule for wattage is 5 watts per gallon. So don't let those store people tell you otherwise....
The only fish that can be kept without heaters are coldwater fish like goldfish. And even then, you have to make sure that the room temp doesn't fluctuate a lot...if it does then you need a heater for temp stability.

chickadee

I recently ran across this chart at http://www.aquariumsystems.com.* They make our lovely Visi-therm Stealth heaters, one of the worlds best.* It shows that not only the size of the tank needs to be taken into consideration but also the amount of change from the desired water temperature to the room temperature.

According to this chart if you desire to keep the aquarium 15 degrees C higher than room temperature the size of the heater needed is considerably larger than the standard size we all think of.* I found it quite interesting in planning the heating requirements of the new tanks I am setting up.

I hope you find it helpful.

Rose

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jj

It was helpful thankyou Rose. With my 25w heater I knew instantly I set the tank up it wasn't going to be adiquate, and should have returned it. Decided to keep it for a spare though. I have had coldwater fish for around 30yrs, so the heater was a whole new experience to me...thus I got sucked in so to speak. Never mind, it all works out in the end. I will definitely be using a heater for my Betta though. So frustrating why stores give wrong advice. I have said many times that pet store assistants should have a pre requisit for doing a course before working in the trade.

Icicle

I'm thinking about getting a beta for my 5 Gal tank I have setup and cycling in my office. I read the important sticky thread at the top of this forum and it has me awfully excited!
I will have to purchase a heater, anyone know approximately how much this will cost?

Also, why do they keep betas in little bags of blue water at the pet store? What's the 'blue' in the water? Should I avoid getting that in my tank when I bring him home?

emilai333

The blue is stuff that they put in the water supposedly as a de-stressor or some such. I personally can't imagine it being that good for them - it might keep them from freaking out because they are surrounded by other bettas, but they look more like they are marinating for some kind of tropical feast (or sitting in some kind of cruel mixed drink for a tropical party) rather than awaiting sale to a good home. I don't know exactly what it is. If someone can tell me what it is and that it really does the fish some good, I'll support it more, but as of right now - like I said, they don't look happy.

If my bettas are going to go into their own container for a while, I usually dump the top portion (75% or so, more if the betta was sitting in less than enough water to float in) of their water into the bottom of the container (I QT my bettas in one gallon jars before moving them into my divided tank) and dilute it with my own water. I figure that way, they immediately have more water, the chemicals are diluted out progressively, and by the time they are exposed to my other fish, the chemicals are undetectable if not totally gone.

As for heaters, I used to keep my tanks unheated in my dorm room because it does stay a constant 78-80 degrees, never drops below 75 (much to my irritation, I'm a cold weather person). Right up until the temperature outside dropped to single digits and my dorm room dropped to 65. This was very stressful, I couldn't afford to buy new heaters for every tank and I had a sick molly. The one heater I had access too almost immediately went to her, and as soon as the money arrived, I got new heaters for the others. In between, I rearranged tanks and lights so that the tanks had at least the little bit of radiant heat from the light bulbs. The temperature drop definitely affected all of my fish adversely, and I very much regret the lack of heaters prior to the incident. USE HEATERS!!!!!!

chickadee

It is supposed to have some antibacterial and stress removal properties in the blue water. Some of them also raise the oxygen level in the water without an airstone. Some breeders drop one of the tablets in the water for fish they are shipping to condition and keep the water good for them in route.

As far as heaters go the best heater is what you want to aim for. Scrimp on decorations or use a cheaper brand of dechlorinator, or even a less expensive filter, but never scrimp on your heater. Heaters are the items most likely to fail and to get a really good one is the best insurance you can get. In my opinion and the opinions of several of the others here that have posted, the Visi-therm Stealth heaters are the best. They are made of NON BREAKABLE material (not glass) and they adjust easily to the correct temperature, they automatically shut-off if you forget to turn them off when you do a water change and the water level gets low, they are completely immersible, they hold the temperature even and do not have fluctuations all the time, and they look nice, AND the big plus for me is that they are gauranteed for LIFE. (keep the receipt and box)

The one drawback is that they cost a bit more than some of the low priced heaters. Here is the current cheapest place to find them on the internet that I am aware of. (I just bought some for some new bigger tanks)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113767

I am glad that you are getting ready for a little one. I hope this information has helped.

Rose

lisa987

Ditto on the Visi-Therm Stealth heater that Rose mentioned. I bought mine because it had the best consumer reviews on Petsmart's website. If you print of this page that I'm linking to showing the price for the 50W heater as $14.99:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2030060&Ne=2

And bring the printout in to any Petsmart, they will price match it for you. You definitely want to print it out and get a price match though because the original price in the store is a rip-off at $29.99.

However, if you want a 25W I'd suggest ordering it from the site that Rose listed because I don't think Petsmart carries that size, but I think the shipping charge is somewhere around $7.