Which Size Heater?

Question

I have a 12 freshwater aquarium, that normally stays 74*F on its own. What watt'age' do I need from a submersable heater?

http://www.petsolutions.com/Visi+Therm+Stealth+Submersible+Heaters-I-51303053-I-C-1021-C-.aspx

I wanted to get this one, but it doesn't really say how many watts for my tank??

if I used that formula, I would need a 60watt heater. Should I round down and get a 50, or round up and get a 75?

I need the heater to help treat ich.

Answer 1

If it is a 12 gal tank I think a 50 w heater would be fine.

Answer 2

I've never had to use an aquarium heater for anything under 30
gal.or for breeding/nursery,& for certain "hospital" tanks that need
temperatures above normal room temp.(such as treating for rot
or fungus)
Larger tanks NEED a heater since they are more difficult to main-
tain as to a constant acceptable temp.
If the temp. in your tank remains at a normal of 74*,then your fish
should thrive quite well w/o a heater.
Most mfg.s of these heaters have recommended applications on
the side of the box it comes in & a reputable tropical fish dealer
should have an applications chart that they can refer to.
Some species actually REQUIRE a higher temp.than others but
this doesn't work out well in the average community tank.
Under ideal conditions(tank unoccupied/all-the -time-in-the-world)
getting the thermostat adjusted can be a real "pain-in-the-'keester' " & can be disasterous if you have fish in occupancy.
At the upper end of the comfort range for your fish,they become
much more active,feed more often,& in some cases,can become
aggressive towards the others.On the low end,they become a bit
on the sluggish side & do not feed as well.
I always advise a weighted thermometer AND a floating unit as
well.Makes it a lot easier to maintain a uniform water temp.& a lot
easier to get that thermostat adjusted.
Without the two thermometers,it's comparable to setting your
furnace "stat" in a drafty,uninsulated house.Losing battle.
Also,the smaller the tank,the more rapid the temp. change,which
will most likely result in "Ich-zilla".
Just some thoughts.

Answer 3

i have a five gallon tank, so i bought the smallest heater i could find. Turns out, with the heater in, it gets to like 85* which is wayyy to warm. Sounds like you might not need a heater either. But I guess it would depend on the types of fish you have. If you do get a heater, make sure you monitor the temp. constantly or it will get too hot for the fish.

Stick with a small heater if need be. Sorry, i wish i could give you a wattage, but I can't remember what mine is. When you buy a heater, it should give the # of gallons it is for. Good luck!

Answer 4

A good rule of thumb is; 5 watts per gallon of water. (ex: 5watts x 10 gallons = 50 watt heater)

http://www.aquariumhelp.aliveinindy.com

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Well I don't know the wattage but it doesn't sound like you only need a little one. Get a thermometer so you don't get the water to warm. Thats allmost as bad