We see you are confused about how to install aquarium heater. Your worries are going to fade away very soon as we have mentioned the easiest and safest steps to install a heater to protect the life of fish.
A fish tank heater does not require complicated plumbing or connections to start work. Instead, you just have to put the heater in a specific way. It starts working in no time.
Fishes are wonderful creatures, and one can stare at the eir movement for hours. These delicate species require special care and attention regarding the maintenance of their home, which is an aquarium. A heater is vital equipment of a tank for the fishes to stay in their jolly mode.
Steps To Install Aquarium Heater
This main section includes a systematic guide on the placement and maintenance of a fish tank heater. Keep reading to find out how to install aquarium heater. We are sure that the fishes will love your efforts.
Step #1. Unpack and adjust the heater
Take off the heater from the packing and have a look at the manufacturer’s instructions regarding setup. Now you must adjust the temperature. Most fishes can survive in a range between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the corals will be happy in the water heated to 80° F. Then you have to attach the suckers with the heater in case of a submersible or hanging heater. Choose a location that is close to the filter and connect the suckers with the glass wall. Now the heater is ready to function.
Step #2. Install each heater type at a specific position
There are different types of heaters. So, you should install it depending on its type, such as the following:
Submersible heater: This heater is completely waterproof and the easiest to install. Because you can put it in all directions as per your choice. You can position it vertically, horizontally, and at any angle. Just choose a location where aquarium aesthetics allow you to put it in and set it with the help of clips or suction cups.
Hanging heater: This heater just requires hanging on vertically at any corner of the aquarium. You just have to make sure that water is not below or beyond the maximum waterline. Also, ensure that the plug and cord are not wet.
Substrate heater: This heater is particularly designed to heat the substrate as the name suggests. You have to take off the substrate and then put the cable, which is actually the heater, and then cover it again. This heater is for plant lovers as it helps the roots to stay healthy by providing enough heat to them.
Things To Remember To Install Aquarium Heater
Here are the things that you should remember in installing your aquarium heater:
#1. Reasons to install a heater
An aquarium heater is essential due to the reason that fishes are cold-blooded creatures, and they cannot regulate the temperature according to the atmosphere. They need a steady water temperature for a healthy life. However, this is the case with tropical fishes only like discus, betas, and ram cichlids. Alternatively, the temperate fishes do not bother the cold water at all. Therefore, you do not have to install a heater if you have Japanese rice or goldfish as a pet.
#2. Where you should not install the heater
We usually observe that the heater is placed at a corner. But you must not forget that the heater does it best at a position near filter or bubble, whether at the corner or center. In short, you have to place the heater where the water circulation is the highest than the rest of the tank.
Placement in heightened tanks
The heat will distribute more effectively if the heater is at the horizontal position in the tank with narrow spaces and high walls because the hot water goes upward while sending the cold water downward.
Placement in small-heightened tanks
The diagonal position allows the heater to fully submerge and provide even heat to all corners of a short-heightened and vast aquarium.
#3. Best room for aquarium installation
The room with drafts and without insulated walls is the most inappropriate choice to place an aquarium. The heater has to work hard to raise the temperature due to the cold surroundings. So, it would be better to place the aquarium in an insulated room. It may also be a good idea to read about the perfect location to put your aquarium in your home.
#4. Best aquarium for heater installation
A thin-walled fish aquarium tends to lose heat more often than a tank that has thick walls. You must be saving the electricity, and the heater will be less stressful too. In addition, a fish tank with a capacity of over 60 gallons retains the heat more than an aquarium that can hold 55 gallons of water r. So choose the heater according to the size and type of tank.
#5. Heater selection
- Just because you can adjust the heater doesn’t mean that you can buy a heater that is too large than your aquarium size.
- You must allow the heater to touch the glass or gravel. Otherwise, you have to deal with the broken glass.
- A steel heater can be tempting due to its unbreakable design, but it can leak electricity.
It’s A Wrap!
It was fun writing this guide on how to install aquarium heater. We are sure that you will be able to care to take your fish in a better way than before. Read related articles; know how to use aquarium heater and what fish do not need a heater.