adding a heater?

[GandSBrock]

I'm a fairly new gf owner, I've had them for 3+ months. When I set up the
tank, the water remained at a nice stable temperature (79 degrees) without a
heater, so I didn't install a heater. Now that winter is arriving, the
temperatures are a little lower and I can imagine that it'll get even lower
when the dead of winter hits. I don't have the tank in a drafty location, it's
just the room temperature in general is cooler, and I'm not going to raise our
thermastat to tropical temperatures!

Can I safely add a heater to the tank? How do you recommend so I won't
accidentally boil the fish? :-)

Stephanie

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Steph,

Add the heater and gently increase the heat each day until
you get to a temperature that you are happy with. 77-79degrees
(your normal room temp in summer) will be fine.

[[email protected]]

get a submersible, like a visitherm. it has dial a temp. dont get the biggest one
they got. a 100 watt is fine for a 55 gallon in your conditions. Ingrid

(GandSBrock) wrote:

>I'm a fairly new gf owner, I've had them for 3+ months. When I set up the
>tank, the water remained at a nice stable temperature (79 degrees) without a
>heater, so I didn't install a heater. Now that winter is arriving, the
>temperatures are a little lower and I can imagine that it'll get even lower
>when the dead of winter hits. I don't have the tank in a drafty location, it's
>just the room temperature in general is cooler, and I'm not going to raise our
>thermastat to tropical temperatures!
>
>Can I safely add a heater to the tank? How do you recommend so I won't
>accidentally boil the fish? :-)
>
>Stephanie



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

[blove]

goldfish are more happier in temps that are 67-72, the cooler the water, the
more oxygen there is in it and goldfish require a high amount of oxygen in
the water. i would still get a heater so that the temperature remains
stable but you dont need the heat to be that high. goldfish are coldwater
fish afterall.


"GandSBrock" > wrote in message
...
> I'm a fairly new gf owner, I've had them for 3+ months. When I set up the
> tank, the water remained at a nice stable temperature (79 degrees) without
a
> heater, so I didn't install a heater. Now that winter is arriving, the
> temperatures are a little lower and I can imagine that it'll get even
lower
> when the dead of winter hits. I don't have the tank in a drafty location,
it's
> just the room temperature in general is cooler, and I'm not going to raise
our
> thermastat to tropical temperatures!
>
> Can I safely add a heater to the tank? How do you recommend so I won't
> accidentally boil the fish? :-)
>
> Stephanie

[Geezer From The Freezer]

blove wrote:
>
> goldfish are more happier in temps that are 67-72, the cooler the water, the
> more oxygen there is in it and goldfish require a high amount of oxygen in
> the water. i would still get a heater so that the temperature remains
> stable but you dont need the heat to be that high. goldfish are coldwater
> fish afterall.

True, but high 70's is fine if you have a good airstone or surface
disturbance.

[[email protected]]

goldfish are not cold water fish. they can survive in cold water, but their enzymes
and metabolism works at peak efficiency and they grow faster at higher temps, between
75-80oF. it is true about the oxygen and water temp, which is why air pumps are
essential. for single tails lower temps are OK, for fancies the higher temps really
are needed for the large body and long flowing fins. Ingrid


>goldfish are more happier in temps that are 67-72, the cooler the water, the
>more oxygen there is in it and goldfish require a high amount of oxygen in
>the water. i would still get a heater so that the temperature remains
>stable but you dont need the heat to be that high. goldfish are coldwater
>fish afterall.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

[E.Otter]

If you take it out of the water to clean any scum buildup, turn it off. I
didn't last night and made a really stupid mistake.

I took my heater out of the water to clean it without turning it off, and
set it outside the tank while I cleaned the bracket that held it too. Well,
after 2 - 3 minutes I put the heater back in and *BAM* the heater exploded.
Either the room temp was cooler than the heater temp or not being in water
caused the heater to overheat. So when I put it back... very hot item,
cooler water, sis-bam-boom... glass all over the bottom of the tank.

Oh yes, don't do that,
E.Otter

[GandSBrock]

Thank you for the warning!! I'm terribly sorry about your accident. Are your
fishies okay?

Stephanie
Jake and Ryan 9/3/99

[E.Otter]

They're fine and I'm reasonably sure I got all the glass out. Not 100%
though.
E.Otter

[Mick Manford]

I know a lot of tropical fishkeepers recommend getting two small
heaters instead of one big one. Heaters jamming on and overheating the
tank is still quite a common occurrence. If one of two little ones
goes wrong there won't be as big a risk of your fish getting cooked.

[Tom La Bron]

GandSBrock,

Unless your indoor temps are going to drop below 50 degrees F leave the
heater out. It is my experience that Goldfish, especially Fancy ones do
better if there is a cycle in their year. In the summer time my fish
experience water temperatures in the upper 80's all the time and they fish
seem to hardier when they experience cooler temperatures for a "winter"
change. None of my tanks or tubs have heaters. Temperatures in the winter
when I bring them in drop into the low 60's all the time and they do just
great. My Philadelphia Veiltails, my Blue and Calico Phoenix (all with long
tails) do just fine and their tails are beautiful. Most of my Veils have
tails as long as their bodies if not half again longer than their bodies.
My fantails are large and robust and my Ranchus are all beautiful specimens.

Just remember in the winter you may want to cut back on their feedings if
the temperatures are lower. I feed my fish only ever two or three days
during the time inside. Just make sure the water is clean and clear and has
plenty of oxygen supplied by airstones and your fish will do great.

Tom L.L.
"GandSBrock" > wrote in message
...
> I'm a fairly new gf owner, I've had them for 3+ months. When I set up the
> tank, the water remained at a nice stable temperature (79 degrees) without
a
> heater, so I didn't install a heater. Now that winter is arriving, the
> temperatures are a little lower and I can imagine that it'll get even
lower
> when the dead of winter hits. I don't have the tank in a drafty location,
it's
> just the room temperature in general is cooler, and I'm not going to raise
our
> thermastat to tropical temperatures!
>
> Can I safely add a heater to the tank? How do you recommend so I won't
> accidentally boil the fish? :-)
>
> Stephanie

[fishbee]

Yes. Very common mistake, lost a 200W a few weeks again....
Mime happens during a water change where half of the heater
was expose to air.

Fishbee
"E.Otter" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> If you take it out of the water to clean any scum buildup, turn it off. I
> didn't last night and made a really stupid mistake.
>
> I took my heater out of the water to clean it without turning it off, and
> set it outside the tank while I cleaned the bracket that held it too.
Well,
> after 2 - 3 minutes I put the heater back in and *BAM* the heater
exploded.
> Either the room temp was cooler than the heater temp or not being in water
> caused the heater to overheat. So when I put it back... very hot item,
> cooler water, sis-bam-boom... glass all over the bottom of the tank.
>
> Oh yes, don't do that,
> E.Otter
>
>