Heaters?

[Alice]

I hope people don't mind me posting all these questions. It's really good
to find all these people who are also into GF....

So I have been wondering whether I should have a heater for my GF, esp. now
winter is drawing in. Tank temperature seems to vary between just over 20
and 22 degrees C (I guess about 69-72 degrees F) during the day and night.
I guess it may change more when it gets colder. Is this harmful to fancy
goldfish?

I read stuff on puregold about GF getting fewer diseases at higher temps,
i.e., 25-28 degrees C, 78-82 degrees F. Is this outweighed by the risk of a
heater sticking on and killing the fish? How long does it take for a heater
to get stupidly hot - can't bear the thought of being out at work all day
and coming back to find this. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I am wondering
what other people do and what you figure.

Cheers, Alice.

[Gunther]

In article >,
says...
> I hope people don't mind me posting all these questions. It's really good
> to find all these people who are also into GF....
>
> So I have been wondering whether I should have a heater for my GF, esp. now
> winter is drawing in. Tank temperature seems to vary between just over 20
> and 22 degrees C (I guess about 69-72 degrees F) during the day and night.
> I guess it may change more when it gets colder. Is this harmful to fancy
> goldfish?
>
> I read stuff on puregold about GF getting fewer diseases at higher temps,
> i.e., 25-28 degrees C, 78-82 degrees F. Is this outweighed by the risk of a
> heater sticking on and killing the fish? How long does it take for a heater
> to get stupidly hot - can't bear the thought of being out at work all day
> and coming back to find this. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I am wondering
> what other people do and what you figure.
>
> Cheers, Alice.

Tank temp swings in the 69-72F range are generally OK, as long as
it's not too rapid a change. The primary benefit of a heater is
the temperature stability they bring. I think 74F is fairly
optimal for goldfish. I try to keep my tanks between
70-74F, and have yet to experience a "stupid" heater. But the best
defense against that would be to use 2 independent heaters of about
2.5wt per US-gallon. That is, for a 20 gallon tank, use 2 50wt
heaters instead of one 100Wt. The chances that both get stupid
(or stop working altogether) simulaneously are pretty remote.

Also remember
- heating a tank above the surrounding room temp can consume
significant amounts of electricity;
- warm water holds less dissolved oxygen, so you may need to
add airstones if you go too high; (and 80F is too high, IMO)
- to unplug the heaters when you do PWCs, and to plug them
back when you're done.

Gunther

[[email protected]]

drops in temp of 4oF or more stresses fish and can bring on ich. Stability is the
reason for using heaters. Keeping temp higher is another reason. especially if fish
have floaty tendencies. but at higher temps more aeration is absolutely necessary.
I agree use 2 - 50 watt heaters rather than a 100. and if there is a cover on the
tanks it will stay pretty warm. fact is in cold areas that extra humidity is healthy
for people (and for my finches). Ingrid

Gunther > wrote:
>Tank temp swings in the 69-72F range are generally OK, as long as
>it's not too rapid a change. The primary benefit of a heater is
>the temperature stability they bring. I think 74F is fairly
>optimal for goldfish. I try to keep my tanks between
>70-74F, and have yet to experience a "stupid" heater. But the best
>defense against that would be to use 2 independent heaters of about
>2.5wt per US-gallon. That is, for a 20 gallon tank, use 2 50wt
>heaters instead of one 100Wt. The chances that both get stupid
>(or stop working altogether) simulaneously are pretty remote.
>
>Also remember
>- heating a tank above the surrounding room temp can consume
> significant amounts of electricity;
>- warm water holds less dissolved oxygen, so you may need to
> add airstones if you go too high; (and 80F is too high, IMO)
>- to unplug the heaters when you do PWCs, and to plug them
> back when you're done.
>
>Gunther



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

lucky,lucky,lucky,lucky,lucky,lucky
.... I already had my first paper cut due to everything being horribly dry. I hate
being desiccated. to hell with the bookcases, my face dries out and cracks.
Ingrid

Larry Blanchard > wrote:

>In article >, dr-
says...
>> I agree use 2 - 50 watt heaters rather than a 100. and if there is a cover on the
>> tanks it will stay pretty warm. fact is in cold areas that extra humidity is healthy
>> for people (and for my finches). Ingrid
>>
>I live in the inland Northwest (Spokane WA) We have LOTS of humidity
>during the winter months and average around 25% in the summer :-).
>
>I run into this all the time in woodworking. Books/magazines/newsgroups
>all talk about wood shrinking in the winter and expanding in the summer.
>HAH!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.