Fish are cold blooded and maintain the same body temperature as their environment. This means that the temperature of the tank water is key to their ability to thrive in your aquarium. If the water is too hot then this can cause a lack of oxygen, making it difficult for you fish to breath. If the water is too cold then your fish could lose their colour, appetite, breeding ability and can also make them prone to disease. It is important to maintain a constant temperature. Sudden changes can cause stress and lead to disease.

Most tropical fish prefer a water temperature between 24°C and 27°C. You should ensure that species are kept at their optimal range. You should consider this when selecting fish for a community aquarium.

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The size of the heater should be selected with care. Too high a wattage will cause a large rise in temperature, which would stress your fish. If the heater is too small it will have to work overtime to maintain the required temperature. An over worked heater can be prone to failure.

Here is a general guide to selecting the required wattage for your tank. Based on a normal room temperature.

The temperature can be monitored using an aquarium thermometer. To avoid any misleading readings the thermometer should be placed at the opposite end of the tank from the heater it’s recommended that you check your tanks temperature every day. This can easily be done when feeding.

If you have a large tank of say more than 150 litres you may be better buying 2 small heaters rather than 1 large one. If a heater says on, it will give you a bit more time to discover the fact than if you had a single large heater. If one heater fails, the other heater should keep the tank warm.