What Kind of Heater Would I need for my Goldfish?

5 gallons is alittle small

The problem is i have had BAD experiences with relly small heaters. I had one that didnt have a control and like an idiot i plugged it in and came back to find my bettain 90*F water.

I would advise against getting a small heater, not because they are coldwater, but a heater should only be for a min of ten gallons, anysmaller and you may run into problems that i have had.

I understand that you want one, but as long as your tank isnt outside or your room isnt freezing 32* F or below,

you will not need one.

the chances of freezing a fishtank in a room is slim to none. Unless you trough it outside.

I advise you not to get one, as they arent reallygood for tank under 10.

Many of the heaters will say what it is ment for (10-15 gal. ect.) but unless your in anarea were ther is snow they should be fine without it. Gold fish are pretty hardy, they can surive in frozen ponds, they can make it in a cold room.

None - goldfish are a cool water species. They can overwinter outdoors in ponds that freeze over as long as the ice doesn’t go all the way to the bottom. As long as the temperature stays above 55oC, the goldfish won’t be bothered by the cold.

You fish will like a larger tank however. He may seem small right now, but he’ll grow rather quickly! If this is a fancy goldfish (one with a double tail) he’ll get around 8″, but if it’s a common type (single tail) then get get even larger. Golfish don’t grow to the size of their tank like some pet stores will tell you. A single fish should have at least a 20 gallon tank as an adult.

As far as the heater, if your room does get into the 50s and you want a heater, you want to get a 50 watt, but only set it to about 65o.

Goldfish don’t need a heater if they are inside. My sister had some in a small tank like yours. There was an ice storm. The family had to vacate the home because of no heat or power. A week later they came back. The top 3/4 of the water in the tank was solid ice, with only a couple of inches unfrozen in the bottom. The goldfish were under the ice. When it thawed the goldfish were fine.

Even though it seems extremely cold, they don’t need a heater. They can survive in ponds with the top layer frozen over. Unless you want to spoil your goldfish, I would recommend a heater. Plus I’ve only seen heaters for 10+ gallons.

~ZTM