stevieg20

Good news! Ammonia is low, NitrIte is low and I have yet to test the NitrAte in the tank. I removed the UG filter and installed the AquaClear 50 (200GPH) Power Filter. I then added 2 ghost shrimp and 4 neon tetras to the original leopard danio (the danio is becoming a fin nipper so I think i'm gonna have to get more soon). The only thing I'm having a problem with is the heater! My first one broke, not sure on the wattage. Then I bough a 100 Watt one that couldn't get it over 45. Then a different 100 Watt one that would get it around 60. I even tried using them both together! I now have a 200 Watt submersible filter that got it up to 60 degrees farenheit and now its down to a steady 45. It is a 20 gallon tank. Any idea on whas wrong?

Butterfly

Stevie after sitting over night your water should at least be room temp(I hope your room isn't 45F). Do you think something could be wrong with your thermometer?
Carol

ncje

This worries me a little. Because if your tank was cycling with the UG filter then you removed it and installed a new filter you have nitrites and ammonia that the filter cant yet deal with. Then added fish. Your ammonia is going to spike first of all and will no doubt kill your fish. Sorry if I misunderstood, but seems to read that way to me.

stevieg20

I've been doing 50% water changes daily which is yes, drawing out the cycling process, but it didn't cycle after 4 weeks of having the UG filter, so hopefully this will just be like "restarting" yes i shouldn't have added fish but with the water changes all should be fine. As for the thermometer, when I didn't have a heater in there it dropped to about 40 degrees... Room temperature is about 69-75 degrees, which you would think would keep the water at least that temperature. But then I guess I don't know much about thermodynamics... The thermometer should be working just fine.

Butterfly

Your water really shouldn't be that much cooler than the room temp. There shouldn't be 25 - 30 degrees difference. What kind of thermometer do you have?
Carol

stevieg20

Its an on the glass one with a suction cup.. Really its working fine... The Heater is a Whisper Heater for 30 to 60 gallon tank. I really dont understand whats going on!

Gunnie

I don't understand either! What type of thermometer are you using? I didn't think most tropical fish could survive at such low temperatures. If your heater can't get the temperature up to 78 degrees, then there is something wrong with it unless your tank is in a room located in a freezer! My recommendation would be to take the heater back as defective and get 2 50 watt heaters, one for each side of the tank to reduce cold spots in the tank. You can lay them down sideways on the bottom in the back of the tank to hide them. I prefer the stainless steel or titanium because they don't break. If the 2 heaters is not an option money-wise, get at least a 100 watt heater of good quality and try and place it in the middle section of the tank. Via Aqua makes good stainless and titanium heaters which are reasonably priced. Although it's not metal, the Marineland Stealth Heaters come recommended by 2 of our members, and they have a lifetime warranty:

http://www.fishlore.com/Forum/heater...-heater.0.html

0morrokh

I'm really confused, I don't see how a tank could possibly be 45 degrees, and how the fish could still be alive if it was that cold!
I can say, though, that I have tried 4 different Whisper heaters and NONE of them worked. 3 overheated, the other one wouldn't heat at all. And all of them were very inaccurate and hard to set. I have also tried two or three other brands of heater which didn't work. The heaters I am using now are Marineland Stealth heaters. they cost a bit more but they work really well.
Try getting another thermometer and see if you get different readings. They're really cheap so you won't waste too much money. When I buy a thermometer I always compare several of that model of thermometer. If there is a difference between thermometers of more than 1 or 2 degrees, I won't buy one.

Cody

if you using the thermomiter that came with tank the usual sticker i would suggest getting one that mounts inside of the tank and compare them remember to have it on the otherside of the tank that the heater is on if you concider my suggestion