What Kind of Heater Would I need for my Goldfish?

Question

I have a 5 gallon tank with one goldfish in it. When the winter months come my room gets EXTREMELY COLD and I think my goldfish would benifit from a heater. I am asking this question now because there is a sale at my local fish store. What brands andf how many watts would you recomend.

The 5 gallon home is only temporary and I will be upgrading soon ( It is a fancy goldfish)

Answer 1

Goldfish can live in freezing water that is frozen over with a layer of ice on top. As long as the water remains liquid, goldfish are perfectly fine in freezing cold water. The only thing you need to know about goldfish and cold water is that, the colder the water is, the less food you feed them. From about 60 degrees F to 45 degrees F, you feed about half what you would normally feed. Below 40, you stop feeding altogether as goldfish go into a type of hibernation. Although they still swim, their bodies shut down to an extent that they do not need to eat and if you try to feed them in colder temps, the food will go uneaten and only result in contamination of the water. Very cold water is actually healthier for goldfish than even a simple 10 degrees too warm if it lasts for more than a few days. So, you don't need to give your goldies a heater. And yes, that tiny 5 gallon tank is too, too small for your goldy. If it's a fancy, you need a minimum of a 10 gallon tank, and if it's a slim body, you need a 20 gallon tank.

Answer 2

None - goldfish are a cool water species. They can overwinter outdoors in ponds that freeze over as long as the ice doesn't go all the way to the bottom. As long as the temperature stays above 55oC, the goldfish won't be bothered by the cold.

You fish will like a larger tank however. He may seem small right now, but he'll grow rather quickly! If this is a fancy goldfish (one with a double tail) he'll get around 8", but if it's a common type (single tail) then get get even larger. Golfish don't grow to the size of their tank like some pet stores will tell you. A single fish should have at least a 20 gallon tank as an adult.

As far as the heater, if your room does get into the 50s and you want a heater, you want to get a 50 watt, but only set it to about 65o.

Answer 3

Goldfish don't need a heater if they are inside. My sister had some in a small tank like yours. There was an ice storm. The family had to vacate the home because of no heat or power. A week later they came back. The top 3/4 of the water in the tank was solid ice, with only a couple of inches unfrozen in the bottom. The goldfish were under the ice. When it thawed the goldfish were fine.

Answer 4

Even though it seems extremely cold, they don't need a heater. They can survive in ponds with the top layer frozen over. Unless you want to spoil your goldfish, I would recommend a heater. Plus I've only seen heaters for 10+ gallons.

~ZTM

Answer 5

5 gallons is alittle small

The problem is i have had BAD experiences with relly small heaters. I had one that didnt have a control and like an idiot i plugged it in and came back to find my bettain 90*F water.

I would advise against getting a small heater, not because they are coldwater, but a heater should only be for a min of ten gallons, anysmaller and you may run into problems that i have had.

I understand that you want one, but as long as your tank isnt outside or your room isnt freezing 32* F or below,

you will not need one.

the chances of freezing a fishtank in a room is slim to none. Unless you trough it outside.

I advise you not to get one, as they arent reallygood for tank under 10.

Answer 6

gold fish are very adaptable and will not need a heater. I have had them for years in tanks as small as 1 quart to as large as 55 gallon. They are not aggressive and seem to do well as long as you don't get so many in a tank that you don't have enough oxygen in the tank
good luck

Answer 7

Many of the heaters will say what it is ment for (10-15 gal. ect.) but unless your in anarea were ther is snow they should be fine without it. Gold fish are pretty hardy, they can surive in frozen ponds, they can make it in a cold room.

Answer 8

No heater required for goldfish. They can tolerate water temps from 33 - 90 degrees. If the room isn't cold enough to kill you, it won't kill your goldfish.

Answer 9

There is not so much a need for determining watts but just get a heater with a adjustable thermostat. Your main concern is a thermometer to regulate the amount of heat being used.

Answer 10

Hi Francais Chick, I won't repeat again what majority of your replies have already said but below is a link to a site which will put all that info into perspective.