Tropical fish have to have a standard temperature which is between approximately 22-29 degrees Celsius (72-84 degrees Fahrenheit). It's very common for fish to be kept at a ‘middle’ temperature of 24-25 degrees Celsius (75-77 degrees Fahrenheit). It is essential to maintain a stable temperature and particularly crucial to prevent spikes in temperature which may cause stress in the fish. There are a variety of methods to maintain the temperature within your tropical fish tank but most common currently are rod shaped combined heater-stats that are placed within the tank. These generally are available in wattages which range from 25W to 300W. These combined heater-stats use very reliable thermocouples to maintain a stable temperature.
External thermostats may also be used to manage heating elements placed in the tank and these provide you with the benefit of having a less bulky element inside the tank.
Thermofilters are external canister filters that have a heating element built into them. Most are fitted with a precise temperature controller, which can include a digital readout. Utilizing a thermofilter avoids having to have an unattractive heater unit within the tank.
Heating pads, placed underneath the aquarium, can be used to heat the base of the aquarium. It is sometimes suggested that heating the substrate is useful in planted tanks as it may promote warm convection currents through the substrate to carry nutrients to the plant roots. Heater cables are often used for this purpose. These are laid on the base of the tank with the substrate material placed above. Both these substrate heating methods are often used in conjunction with a regular tank heater.
With larger tanks it is a good idea to use two or more heaters to make up the required wattage. This gives a more even distribution of heat and also provides a degree of safety should one of the units fail - there will still be some heat provided to the tank by the surviving heater unit which will enable you to replace the damaged unit before the temperature drops to a critical state.
It is important to use a separate thermometer which you should check daily to make sure that the temperature is at the correct level. Although modern heater-stats are reliable and can be set to a specific temperature, a separate thermometer will allow you to check that they are keeping the tank at the required temperature and make any minor ‘tweaks’ to the settings. If you make daily temperature checks then you should be able to spot any breakdowns or malfunctions before it affects your fish.
As a indicative guide this is what heater wattage you should be using for various tank sizes:-
8 UK Gallons - 50-100 Watt 14-20 UK Gallons - 100-150 Watt 21-28 UK Gallons - 200 Watt 32-41 UK Gallons - 300 Watt 51-60 UK Gallons - 400 Watt 73-128 UK Gallons - 600 Watt
For tank sizes that fall in between the above guide sizes use the next higher wattage in the guide. A great place to find tropical fish tank temperature equipment is aquatic supply comparison website Aquarium House (http://www.aquariumhouse.co.uk) Compare and buy Tropical Fish Tank Temperature Equipment, Tropical Fish Tanks, Marine Fish Tanks, Cheap Fish Tanks and quality aquatic supplies from http://www.aquariumhouse.co.uk
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