streak of bad luck

[boston]

first my fish got ick and i was wandering why well i found out, my heater was very old and it is in a dark corner where i cant see it and it died i looked at my water temps they were at 73 degrees F arghhh!!! i forgot what wattage it was, its in a 90 gal tank, 250 or 300 watts which should i get..it will be submersuble.

[Lady Hobbs]

I have finally learned to turn my power plug off when I do water changes to shut everything down. I burned up a few heaters when the water got too low doing the changes. Most (not all) fish do fine in temps of 74-78 and I can't see as your temp dropped enough to cause them much harm. They would have become lethargic in water a bit too cool for them but I doubt would have killed them at 73 degrees.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I have finally learned to turn my power plug off when I do water changes to shut everything down. I burned up a few heaters when the water got too low doing the changes. Most (not all) fish do fine in temps of 74-78 and I can't see as your temp dropped enough to cause them much harm. They would have become lethargic in water a bit too cool for them but I doubt would have killed them at 73 degrees.
The heater died, not the fish. I don't know what the recommended wattage is for a 90g, but go with the best brand you can afford. With Heaters, you get what you pay for.

[boston]

the fish didnt die all are fine and recovering from ick but the drop i think might have caused stress that helped the ick.im thinking maybe a visitherm submersable heater.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I think the "stealth" is the one everyone seems to be recommending.

[cocoa_pleco]

isnt the rule 50 watts per ten gallons??

[Glasstapper]

isnt the rule 50 watts per ten gallons??


that's right for the smaller tanks. When you're getting up there in gallons, it tends to be a touch more flexible. A 300 watt heater is rated for between 60 and 90 gallon tanks. However, I would suggest two 200 watt heaters would be best. That way you can put one at either end of the tank to help achieve a more even temperature throughout the tank. Also, if one should happen to go out, the other should be able to keep it from dropping too low until you can replace the broken one. The visitherm stealth are the way to go and you really shouldn't have to worry about them breaking on you. They are submersible and have a temperature dial on the top.

[minabird]

Boston-

Here's a link to a guide on choosing a heater. http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/tipsandtables/l/blheatersize.htm

Basically, you want the heater to be able to provide enough heat to bring the tank water temp up from the ambient room temp. The greater the difference between the room temp and where you want the tank water temp, the bigger the heater you will need.

[fishlips28]

Are you supposed to unplug your heater when you do a water change?

[blue fin]

Are you supposed to unplug your heater when you do a water change?
yes, if your heater becomes exposed to air while performing a water change you should shut it off to prevent overheating and burnout.. most have a minimum water line if submersible it may not have that but read the directions carefully, for the health of your heater it should be shut off when not submersed sufficiently .

[jeffs99dime]

you're going to want two heaters for that tank. i also recommend the stealth line of heaters

[fishlips28]

wow..thanks a lot..i didn't kno that...I got my tank and things from my aunt...so I didn't read up on the heater, or any heater for that matter...it still works though. I think I have done atleast half a dozen water changes already! Thanks for telling me!

[cocoa_pleco]

When I was really sleepy I took my heater out and left it plugged in and 5 min later I put it in water and.... BAM TG there was no fish in the tank... GLASS ALL OVER. LOL