Heater Selection?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Nathan,

I have a question regarding heaters. I have a 10-gallon aquarium with 5 Zebra Danios in it. I also have a small quantity of live plants. Since Zebra Danios supposedly do okay without a heater, I did not think of getting one. However, I've read some books that say Danios need heaters too (and I trust books more than websites.) What are your recommendations? I've been thinking of getting a 50-watt heater. I see many types at the store, like a Radiant Clip on for about $15. On the other end, I see a Marineland Stealth heater (or something similar) for about $35. Which one is better when compared to value and efficiency? Thank you for your time.



ANSWER: Hi James,

It's a common misunderstanding that Zebra Danios do not need heaters. Zebra Danios are tropical fish in their own right. Even though their hardiness lets them stand temperatures of 70F (and sometimes even lower!), this does not mean that we should allow them to. For optimal conditions, Zebra Danios like a temperature of 78F, just like most tropical fish. In order to maintain this, we need a heater. A heater will maintain a temperature for you automatically. Whatever you set it to, it will turn on until the water reaches that temperature. Once it reaches the desired setting, it will automatically shut off.

There are many different types of heaters, and I'll list the pros and cons of each briefly:

Clip-On Heater (Radiant, Elite Clip-on, etc.) Effectiveness: **   Price ($10-25) 50W
-These heaters are now pretty much a thing of the past. They are not as efficient when compared to submersible types, and have a higher chance of overheating, but when it comes to value, they are strong. They are extremely inexpensive, and are excellent for aquarists on a budget. Make sure to fill up the aquarium water above the 'minimum water level' on the heater to allow for evaporation, because these heaters tend to overheat more than others. Make sure you don't get the outside part of the heater wet as well.

Glass Submersible Heaters Pre-Set (Tetra Whisper Pre-Set,etc.) Effectiveness *** Price ($10-35)
-These heaters are completely submersible, unlike the previous kind. They are also extremely cheap, because it does not need a thermostat that you can fiddle with to adjust the temperature. Most models come preset at 78F, the standard tropical fish temperature. The only problem is that
sometimes, the pre-setting can fail, and it doesn't maintain the temperature properly. These ones are not prone to overheating. The Tetra ones are a good choice when it comes to value, but they sometimes fail (underheat). At least they don't seem to overheat.

Glass Submersible Heaters (Elite Submersible, Fluval Tronic, Ebo-Jager Submersible heaters, Marineland Visi-Therm heaters, Rena SmartHeater, Various Hagen heaters, etc.)
Effectiveness **** Price ($20-50)
-These heaters are one of the best options. The difference of these and the Pre-Set ones is that they come with a temperature dial to set your own temperature. What's so good about this? Well, there's three main reasons. Firstly, if the heater is not calibrated to the temperature setting well, you can always turn the notch a couple of degrees higher or lower than the desired temperature. Also, a higher temperature helps in disease treatment. Additionally, colder weather may call for a small turn of the knob - and you can't do this with a pre-set! These ones come in many brands, and my personal favorite are Marineland, and Fluval/Hagen (which is Hagen).

Plastic-exterior Submersible Heaters (Marineland Stealth Heaters) Price($30-50)
Effectiveness *****
-These heaters are my personal favorite. They come in a easy-to-handle plastic exterior, which I find is easier to hide among plants and decorations. They also come with automatic shut-off in case it is ever taken out of the water by mistake. It is shatterproof and efficient, and is reliable and well-made. The only 'con' about this particular model, the Marineland Stealth, is that it doesn't have a pilot light. However, that does not matter if you have a thermometer (which every aquarist should have). Even though these heaters are priced at the top of the scale, they are well worth the price. I would recommend these heaters to any serious fishkeeper.

I hope this helps. Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the previous answer. I have one more question: Where could I find the Marineland Stealth heater that you mentioned?

Answer
Hi James,

The Marineland Stealth heater is a great choice. your can find it in most large pet chain stores, such as PetSmart and Petco. Some smaller locally-owned stores may also carry them. If you cannot find a store near you that carries them, you can also find them online at websites such as drsfosterandsmith.com

Good luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!