Topic: I’ve had my guppy tank for a couple months now. I’ve successfully gotten by with NO heater for my aquarium. What water temperature do guppy fish need? I didn’t think they needed heated water but I could be wrong. Tank details: 10 gallon aquarium with 5 guppies. They seem somewhat different lately.. Maybe I’m over thinking this. Posted by Megan V: Your aquarium does need a heater and I’m surprised you have gone this long without one. Guppies are tropical fish and the water temperatures need to be in the mid 70s at minimum. I imagine your fish are starting to be put under stress from it. Guppy fish call out for tropical water conditions of 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit. If your tank isn’t within that range constantly… then you need a heater. I’m trying to hold back on being mean, but you need to better research your pets before you just dump them into a habitat. Your fish could easily die from a variable like this that you neglected to follow. When buying an aquarium heater, figure on 5 watts per every gallon of water in your tank.

you said your tank is 10 gallons, that means the heater needs to be 50 watts. Local fish stores overprice heaters so I suggest buying online. Here is a top rated one with hundreds good reviews. Aqueon Pro Heaters 100W Posted by James H: Guppies are from tropical climates so your tank needs to be of tropical temperatures. fish tank light got wetYou need a temp of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. fish tank stand sydneyIt’s very important to have the correct water temperature for tropical fish. fish tank stand cubeYou may be able to hold down that water temperature if you live somewhere with warm weather. fish tank sales brisbane

If you need to buy a heater, figure on needing 5 watts for every 1 gallon of water in your aquarium. You said your tank is 5 gal so that means you need a 25 watt aquarium heater. Posted by Jake N: Pretty common beginner mistake so I wouldn’t sweat it too much (but do take care of it). If your serious about owning a fish aquarium, a heater will be something you use all the time. cheap wall mounted aquariumMaybe you even want to get one that is a bit larger for future upgrades?… fish tank water gone orangeTen gallon tanks are so small and almost useless for anything other than live bearers or Betta fish. I’ve always kept my tanks around 77 Fahrenheit or above. 6 Marimo Moss Ball Variety Pack - 4 Different Sizes of Premium Quality Marimo from Giant 2.5 Inch to Small 1 Inch - World's Easiest Live Aquarium Plant - Sustainably Harvested and All-Natural

Posted by Kevin D: You will quickly realize that most fish that you keep in aquarium are going to be tropical but there are a few that are Coldwater habitat like the goldfish. Even when I told for snow I personally just used heater just because I would prefer warmer water if I was a fish. It kind of sucks because heaters are somewhat expensive for larger aquariums but once you have it it’s one of those things that you won’t need again. Just part of the cost to have a fish aquarium I guess. Posted by Brandy D: You can actually find heaters on craigslist for very cheap. If you look under aquariums you will notice that people are selling all of their stuff combined as one price but if you offer them like $5-$10 they’re usually going to take it I have done this numerous times for my multiple tanks. I problem was that I had multiple tanks and I just cannot afford to be spending $40 on heaters for each tank individually. I would actually advise just to get on craigslist and look for an aquarium set up for sale.

Posted by Kelley N: I have setup my first guppies tank and I need to know if I need a heater or not? What water temperature do guppies need in a smaller tank? I have a 5 gal with around 5 fish in the tank. I’m wondering if I made a mistake of not buying a heater for my little Fishies. Can someone help me that has experience keeping these fish. Please and thank you. Posted by Sarah E: I live in Florida and that is technically a tropical habitat so none of my tanks need heaters. But my cousin lives in Minnesota and he has to heat his water so much that it brings up his electrical bill. It is important to have the correct water temps for your fish though. I highly advise you take action on getting a heater if your water isn’t at the right temp range. I did a bunch of research on the best brands with reviews Posted by Pete M: It seems like a lot of those beginner set ups that include a small tank will also come with heaters and filtration systems built into them.

I see them all the time at Walmart and other pet stores are they sell them as a bundle package and it’s almost a good idea to just get it all at once if you’re in the beginning stages. The main problem with a lot of those bundle packs is that the heater is very underrated and even when you go to Walmart to buy aquarium heater they are regulated properly. Just like somebody else stated you need 5 W per every single gallon of water and if you look at the description of these heaters that are sold at Walmart and large retail stores they’re very under rated underpowered. Your aquarium is really small and I would advise that if you have hopes in getting more fish that you’re going to want a bigger set up. I don’t mean any offense by it just trying to speak from one aquarist to the other. There is always room for upgrades.August 9, 2016, Energy Efficiency Saving energy (and money) is always easier when you know how much you’re using. But because many of the convenient smaller appliances we use seem to draw little amounts of power, we all too often discount how their use really does impact our electricity bills.

With our How Much Energy Does This Appliance Use?, we’ll examine what’s watt in small appliances to see approximately how much they use. To help you understand very basic electrical consumption calculations, you’ll need to keep a simple equation in mind: Volts (V) x Amperes (I) = Watts (W). What you’ll discover is how just how small appliances can contribute to your home’s energy usage and how these little conveniences can make big differences on your bill. On this deep dive into world of fin-fanciers, we’re going to submerge ourselves in aquarium energy use. Because fish tanks are self-contained environments, maintaining their life support system on dry land — round the clock, year ’round — can eat up a significant chunk of energy. Three factors affect an aquarium’s energy use: The average sized aquarium is roughly 29 gallons to 30 gallons, making it about 30” long x 12” wide x 18” deep. Different fish have different habitat needs – for example, fresh water tends to have more oxygen dissolved in it versus salt water .

Consequently, salt water aquariums have slightly different water filtration, circulation, and maintenance needs to keep those fish thriving. Plants make the aquarium environment more interesting and healthy for the fish, but the plants require the right amount of lighting in order to thrive as well. To prevent this introductory discussion from becoming too complex, we will stick to the average medium tank size of 30 gallons. To keep our fish happy and healthy, we need to make sure that water is clean, aerated, and kept at the right temperature 24/7. That means we need the right kind of pump. Pumps — Going with the Flow There are two basic kinds of pumps: air and water. Both are used to help move water through a filter and to circulate the water for aeration. Air pumps make bubbles that float to the surface and move the water. Moving surface water constantly mixes air and brings oxygen into the water. Air pumps might be a great solution for small tanks, but in larger tanks, over 18-24 inches, resistance to air pressure makes the air pump use more energy.

In terms of energy use, an air pump wattage runs about 3 watts. Larger aquariums (and some ponds) >50 gallons using larger air pumps will run about 6 watts. Water pumps (including power heads) create currents and aeration, while moving water through various peripherals like filters, skimmers, and heaters. What determines the pump you need is the volume of water you need moved. Generally, about 6 gallons per hour is the recommended filtration rate; thus, if you have a 40-gallon tank, use a pump that moves about 240 gallons per hour (gph). In our case, we’re looking for a pump for a 30-gallon tank that can move at least 180 gph. Submersible pumps can be submerged, but while this is handy, some submersible filter pumps don’t generate the waves we need for aeration. In that case, we would also want to wave pump to help aerate and circulate the water. Inline pumps are outside the tank. Far more powerful than submersible pumps, these are connected via tubing to filters, heaters, chillers, etc.

There is also the pump-filter combo that hangs on the side of the tank pumping water through filter and uses a venturi to mix air and water to create the surface turbulence that aerates the water. Because water is heavier, water pumps require more robust motors. Water pumps that fit with in the flow rate for our 30-gallon tank include: Heaters, UV Sterilizers, and Lighting Water heaters help keep water at the proper temperature, 72° F to 82° F (depending on the fish type), with a minimum fluctuation of 1-2 degrees over a 24-hour period. A rule of thumb is that it takes 3-5 watts per gallon to maintain water temperature depending on the room’s ambient temperature. Naturally, the lower the room’s ambient temperature, the more heat the aquarium requires and the higher the wattage. If our room is at 68°F, it will take 102 watts to keep per day to keep the 30-gallon tank heated at 72° F. To keep it heated to 82° F, it will need 170 watts a day. We’re going to stay with 72° F, but since we want a little cushion for power, we’ll choose an Aquatop Quartz 150 Watt heater.

UV sterilization lamps come after the filtration section. These kill all sorts of free-floating green water algae, parasites, and harmful bacteria. Lamp wattage depends on tank size and flow rate. In our case, we’re looking at one rated between 3 watts to 9 watts, as the UV lamp runs continuously. Lighting can be an energy headache depending on the wattage. A basic T8 fluorescent lamp uses from 17 to 24 watts depending on the color temperature and lumen output. If you plan on having plants or corals, you want to be able to provide enough light to keep them growing and healthy — whilch will require better-quality lighting and keeping the lights on for 8 to 12 hours per day. A good rule of thumb is 2-5 watts per aquarium gallon, but this also depends on the needs of your plants. The deeper the tank, the brighter the lamps will need to be and the higher wattage it will require. These lights usually have a higher lumen output and, depending on the bulb type (halogen, fluorescent, or LED ), they can put out LOTS of heat — which may require using a fan or water chiller to keep the water at the proper temperature.

We’ve got a couple of plants in our tank, but with a somewhat shallow (18”) tank, so we’ll go with a 20-watt T8 fluorescent. All Those Details are Great, but What Does It All Really Cost?Let’s start by assuming we’re on fixed-rate electricity plan paying is 10¢/kWh. Our pump is going to be the Danner Supreme Aqua-Mag 190 ghr running at 19 watts. It’s powerful enough to move the water and still provide adequate flow rate for the filter and UV lamp. Since 19 watts/hour x 24 = .456 kWh/day, this becomes 13.68 kWh/month and 164.16 kWh/year for a cost of $16.42/year. As mentioned, we’re going with the Aquatop Quartz 150 Watt heater. This becomes 150 watt/hour x 24 =3.6 kWh, 108 kWh/month, and 1,296 kWh/year for a cost of $129.60. Our UV lamp requires 5 watts. This means 5 watts/hour x 24 hours = .12 kWh/day, .36 kWh/month, and 43.2 kWh/ year for a cost of $4.32/year. Lighting will come from a standard 2- watt T8 fluorescent. A cheap timer can help reduce the energy consumption, so we’ll estimate that the lights are on 66% of the time or 16 hours of the day.