Setting Up Your First Tank - Part 3

The heater is electrically powered and (a resistor placed into a glass capsule with a thermostat) its main role is to maintain a stable temperature in the aquarium. Depending in what part of the world you live in, in the summer you might not need the heater because the temperature can easily reach between 25 and 30 degrees (Celsius), but when the climate is colder the water temperature must not vary or decrease too much. Sudden changes of temperature can cause stress and kill the fish so it's good to have a device to maintain stability. For most species of fish the recommended temperature is between 24 and 26 degrees but there are fish that prefer 28 degrees such as the Discus and fish that prefer colder water like the Carassius (the gold fish) which feels comfortable even below 20 degrees. Be careful when buying the heater. Choose one with a thermostat. Also, it must respect the proportion of 1W per liter.

The thermometer: This is a tool to monitor the water temperature in the aquarium and see if it matches the temperature on the heater. There are 2 types of thermometers:

 

- The ones that stick on the exterior glass of the tank, they work on liquid crystal technology which is not very accurate and they last about a year.

- Those which are attached to the inside wall of the aquarium and have direct contact with the water. Unfortunately, some of them (the cheap ones) are not very accurate as well so you better check their accuracy with a room thermometer (mercury based).

Hose for changing the water: Thanks to fish food and fish feces, the water and substrate become dirty, to avoid the accumulation of organic substances you must change at least once a week between 25 and 30% of the aquarium water. Also, with the changing of the water you must suck debris found through the substrate with a hand pump, a hose, and funnel. Such a hose is found in almost any pet-shop and cost around $2.