An aquarium water heater is essential for fish and corals. Fish species are cold-blooded creatures and therefore cannot lower or raise their body temperatures to compensate for the environment. The same is true for corals which cannot tolerate even the slightest changes in temperature.
A heater converts electrical energy into heat that is dispersed evenly all throughout the tank. It is typically composed of a ceramic core wrapped in nichrome resistance wire. It comes with temperature controls that allow you to set a low and high limit in temperature which tells the heater to start and stop working. When the temperature in the tank is too low, the heater kicks in. When the temperature exceeds the limit, this tells the heater to stop.
Aquarium heaters often come with thermostats, so that you can place the heater in one side of the tank and the thermostat in the other. In theory, this is supposed to provide an even distribution of heat all over the tank because the heat from the heater needs to travel to the other side of the tank to reach the thermostat.
The three main types of heaters for your aquarium water
There are a number of different types of aquarium heaters. These are the hang-on tank style, the submersible heater, and the heating cable system. The hang-on tank style is partially submerged in the water, which means that it only provides a small amount of heat into the system. The submerged system provides a more even system of heating for the whole aquarium. The heating cable system is the type of heater that you install under the gravel of your aquarium and is manipulated by a heating control unit. This system is used most often by owners of saltwater tanks but it may be used in freshwater tanks as well. This is often used to eliminate dead spots and provides even heat from the bottom up.
Factors to consider
Things to consider before you buy an aquarium heater include the kind of fish you have, the temperature in your room, and warranty of service. There are some fish that will not thrive in settings with drastic changes in temperature while other fish may tolerate these changes better than others. It is important to know the temperature requirement of your fish, since changes can affect their immune system, respiration, feeding, and breeding patterns. You also need to know the room temperature since you will be subtracting this from the ideal temperature for your fish to give you the amount of heating your heater needs to provide. Also, get a heater with a reliable warranty in case your aquarium water heater breaks down.
Tips for buying and using aquarium heaters
When buying aquarium heaters, make sure you buy a spare in case your heater breaks down. This is not a necessity but experts advice that you use multiple heaters in your aquarium so that you can maintain an even temperature even if one of the heaters break down. The extra heater can carry the load of heating the tank long enough for you to replace the broken heater with a spare heater. - 29957
A heater converts electrical energy into heat that is dispersed evenly all throughout the tank. It is typically composed of a ceramic core wrapped in nichrome resistance wire. It comes with temperature controls that allow you to set a low and high limit in temperature which tells the heater to start and stop working. When the temperature in the tank is too low, the heater kicks in. When the temperature exceeds the limit, this tells the heater to stop.
Aquarium heaters often come with thermostats, so that you can place the heater in one side of the tank and the thermostat in the other. In theory, this is supposed to provide an even distribution of heat all over the tank because the heat from the heater needs to travel to the other side of the tank to reach the thermostat.
The three main types of heaters for your aquarium water
There are a number of different types of aquarium heaters. These are the hang-on tank style, the submersible heater, and the heating cable system. The hang-on tank style is partially submerged in the water, which means that it only provides a small amount of heat into the system. The submerged system provides a more even system of heating for the whole aquarium. The heating cable system is the type of heater that you install under the gravel of your aquarium and is manipulated by a heating control unit. This system is used most often by owners of saltwater tanks but it may be used in freshwater tanks as well. This is often used to eliminate dead spots and provides even heat from the bottom up.
Factors to consider
Things to consider before you buy an aquarium heater include the kind of fish you have, the temperature in your room, and warranty of service. There are some fish that will not thrive in settings with drastic changes in temperature while other fish may tolerate these changes better than others. It is important to know the temperature requirement of your fish, since changes can affect their immune system, respiration, feeding, and breeding patterns. You also need to know the room temperature since you will be subtracting this from the ideal temperature for your fish to give you the amount of heating your heater needs to provide. Also, get a heater with a reliable warranty in case your aquarium water heater breaks down.
Tips for buying and using aquarium heaters
When buying aquarium heaters, make sure you buy a spare in case your heater breaks down. This is not a necessity but experts advice that you use multiple heaters in your aquarium so that you can maintain an even temperature even if one of the heaters break down. The extra heater can carry the load of heating the tank long enough for you to replace the broken heater with a spare heater. - 29957
About the Author:
Jeffry Johnston is a fish store owner and an aquarium expert who likes to help others succeed in raising their fish as well. He is a member and guest speaker at many aquarium organizations, as well as having a few very large tanks of his own. To learn more about aquarium water heaters and fish tank gravel, please visit marinedepot.com.
