Feb 08
Mia asked:
I have a heater for my acrylic tank and the surface doesn’t get hot. So, can I use one in my plastic tank?
Or do I need to add a heater? I have never had fish in the cold weather. My fish for my own personal tank have heaters to be ready for the winter months, but this is for a teen who has a fish for the first time. So, will the water actually get very cold if it is kept away from drafts?
I have a heater for my acrylic tank and the surface doesn’t get hot. So, can I use one in my plastic tank?
Or do I need to add a heater? I have never had fish in the cold weather. My fish for my own personal tank have heaters to be ready for the winter months, but this is for a teen who has a fish for the first time. So, will the water actually get very cold if it is kept away from drafts?
4 Responses to “Can you use a mini heater in a plastic tank?”
February 8th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Hmm.. Just to be safe, I recommend you get a glass tank. Sometimes, when plastic heats up too much, it will release bad things.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:36 am
How large is this plastic tank and what fish do you plan on keeping in it? I don’t see this causing any problems tho. The water temperature will not be hot enough to melt the plastic. The only thing you might have to worry about is if your heater is resting against the side of the tank and malfunctions causing it to run away. Still even if that happens the possibility that it will harm your tank is very slim.
February 12th, 2009 at 12:08 am
I wouldn’t put a heater in a plastic tank. Some fish do well in cooler waters, like goldfish and bettas.
February 13th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I have 2 plastic tub ponds outside and a small, 2.5 gallon plastic container that I keep guppies in. All of them have heaters and there has never been any problem with them overheating the plastic or anything like that. Just make sure that the heater doesn’t actually touch the plastic and you’ll be fine.
As far as needing a heater, they are as much to keep the temperature of the water stable as to warm it up. If you have tropical fish, you definitely need one. White Clouds and goldfish can do without one, but unless you like to keep your house (or the room the fish are in) at 80 degrees F, you should have a heater for any tropical fish. Remember, the water temperature is usually a little cooler than the surrounding air temperature. So even a house at 75 degrees F can be a little cool for a tropical fish without a heater.