Tyler Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) So I'm looking for a heater for a 5 gallon tank that I can use for breeding my pygmy sunfish. Im using 5 gallons as I'm limited for space and have lots of fry. Room temp for my tanks is around 71-72 degrees but it's not really the cold I'm worried about, I just want the temp to stay a pretty consistent 74-75 without having to worry about room temps getting too low. What I'm looking for is a heater that can raise temps only a few degrees and keep it there. I can't find any that I trust enough to buy. Would like something compact and accurate and reliable. Edited February 9, 2021 by Tyler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pakal Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 For my Betta's 3 gallon tank, I used an Aqueon Preset Mini heater that I got from Petco that worked really well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just now, Pakal said: For my Betta's 3 gallon tank, I used an Aqueon Preset Mini heater that I got from Petco that worked really well. I saw those but you can't adjust temperature manually and I believe that may make it much warmer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pakal Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just now, Tyler said: I saw those but you can't adjust temperature manually and I believe that may make it much warmer. I'm pretty sure they automatically turn off when the water is warm enough but I may be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arc Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I recently bought the Fluval P25 Submersible and am impressed with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I just got this one two days ago for my 14g tank. It's pretty accurate and really small which is why I chose it. I can't comment on how reliable it is but it's been running for two whole days now ;) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07ZNTYCXN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 54 minutes ago, CT_ said: I just got this one two days ago for my 14g tank. It's pretty accurate and really small which is why I chose it. I can't comment on how reliable it is but it's been running for two whole days now 😉 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07ZNTYCXN When it comes from Amazon it's a blessing if it works out of the box lol I was considering that one but like every other heater was put off by a couple of the negative reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 32 minutes ago, Tyler said: like every other heater was put off by a couple of the negative reviews Yeah I had that syndrome too. I think the thing to understand is that these have a 100% chance of failing eventually. I adjust mine at a few degrees above what I want and then use a controller to actually turn the heater on and off. if my controller fails or the probe falls out or something the internal controller will kick in and my fish are just a bit warm. if the heater fails in the on-state, no problem my controller is taking care of it anyway. If the heater fails in the off-state, I'll notice when things get cold. 68-70f won't kill any of my fish, just make them mad at me. If I get around to adding the feature, I'll have my controller text me if something bad happens. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I have this for my 2, 6 gallon cubes. One has been running for several months very reliably, matches the thermometer reliably. The other has been running just a few weeks but is also matching the thermometer in that tank very reliably. They also make this in a 35 watt for a slightly smaller tank but I haven’t used that size so can’t speak directly to it, but this one has been good for me. I like the large display numbers and it is compact enough for me. I’ve struggled in the past with small heaters being less than reliable for nano tanks (years ago I had a triple row bank of 15, antique, 5 gallon, metal frame tanks). Newer heaters are soooooo much more reliable than the old days! This one is super easy to set the temp and has been dead on temp every time I’ve checked them. I usually check at daily for the first couple weeks, then least a couple times a week after that, and they’ve been rock solid so far. https://www.amazon.com/hygger-Heater-Aquarium-Digital-Display/dp/B08GFQT2QP/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiApY6BBhCsARIsAOI_GjZtUurWvRNBoHUZIcs3nAMm9Ik_nc_S-7vQz6tnlLaO98Lwp2g--qIaAubDEALw_wcB&hvadid=485526078180&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9027285&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2192513221383278721&hvtargid=kwd-1064103765589&hydadcr=22518_11335638&keywords=hygger%2Bmini%2Bbetta%2Bfish%2Bheater&qid=1612985658&sr=8-5&tag=googhydr-20&th=1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 18 hours ago, CT_ said: Yeah I had that syndrome too. I think the thing to understand is that these have a 100% chance of failing eventually. I adjust mine at a few degrees above what I want and then use a controller to actually turn the heater on and off. if my controller fails or the probe falls out or something the internal controller will kick in and my fish are just a bit warm. if the heater fails in the on-state, no problem my controller is taking care of it anyway. If the heater fails in the off-state, I'll notice when things get cold. 68-70f won't kill any of my fish, just make them mad at me. If I get around to adding the feature, I'll have my controller text me if something bad happens. What kind of controller do you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 17 minutes ago, Tyler said: What kind of controller do you use? I built my own that does the lights, heat, monitoring over wifi, filter on/off (for feeding). But for just heat i think a lot of people here like the inkbird: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM5UAC/ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socqua Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 42 minutes ago, CT_ said: 1 hour ago, Tyler said: What kind of controller do you use? I built my own that does the lights, heat, monitoring over wifi, filter on/off (for feeding). Do you have a build thread or more info on your diy controller? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, Socqua said: Do you have a build thread or more info on your diy controller? It's still a work in progress. this is version 2 going into operation this week. I'm considering adding the air pump under control too and including a battery backup. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socqua Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Nice! Would love to see a tutorial with more info, if you ever put together something definitely tag me! Sorry to hijack this thread, I agree the inkbird is great for a heater controller and there is a wifi/smart version as well 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 15 hours ago, CT_ said: I built my own that does the lights, heat, monitoring over wifi, filter on/off (for feeding). But for just heat i think a lot of people here like the inkbird: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM5UAC/ I wish I had the knowledge to build my own 😔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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