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Heater for an 8 gallon tank

742 views 6 replies 2 participants last post by  NaomiM 
#1 ·
I am going to be getting my first Betta fish soon and I have almost all of the equipment. The main thing that I still have to get is the heater. However, I am struggling to find the correct heater due to my size tank, so I have some questions about them.

Firstly, you need to know that I have an 8 gallon tank. I know it's a weird and unusual size tank and that's why I'm struggling to find a heater with the correct wattage for the tank.

My questions are:
1) Which type of heater is best?
2) How many watts will the heater need to be to heat up the tank?
3)Are there any brands of heaters you recommend?
 
#2 ·
Hiya,

The general rule of thumb for heaters is one watt per litre, rounded up, i.e. a 25W heater for under 25L, a 50W heater for 25-50L, etc. Eight gallons is thirty-something litres, right? So a 50W heater should do nicely :)

I'm not sure on which brands are best, but one important consideration with bettas is that they have a tendency to wrap themselves around heaters and can end up burning their delicate fins, so you need a heater guard. Some heaters come with guards, otherwise you will need to purchase a compatible heater guard.

Hope that helps, and please keep us updated on your preparations :) Will you be doing a fishless cycle with ammonia before getting your betta?
 
#5 ·
Sorry to hear that. If the cost of the tank is an issue, I'd recommend looking for a second-hand one on ebay, gumtree etc - you can get some good bargains. Both my tanks were second hand :) Unfortunately 2.5 gallons (just over 10 litres?) will not be enough for a betta or any fish. It may survive but its quality of life will not be good, and in such a small volume of water the water chemistry can swing quite suddenly, leading to all sorts of problems. The minimum size generally recommended for a betta is around 25L.
 
#6 ·
Thank you for that advice. I will now be getting a 25 litre tank instead of the 8 gallon one because I have found one which I can afford. Will this size be okay? I know it's the minimum size but does that mean it will be able to have a high quality of life in it? Or is it still too small?

Also, if this is an okay size then would it require a 25 watt heater or a 50 watt?
 
#7 ·
Great! Yes, 25L should be fine :) Just make sure you do regular water tests to minimise the risk of any swings/spikes. I'd recommend testing for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and maybe pH at every water change.

Re the heater, I'd have thought either a 25W or a 50W should be fine, but my personal inclination would be to go for a 25W if you can get hold of one, as there's less chance of accidentally overheating the tank if anything should go wrong with the thermostat.
 
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