Part III2 chapters
Which fish need a heater and what size, running costs, and aquarium lights for viewing or for plants, with timers.
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Heat and light set the rhythm of a tank. Tropical fish and bettas need water warmer than most homes, while goldfish usually do not, so the first question is whether you need a heater at all. Aquarium heaters answers it by fish, sizes the heater from Aqueon’s wattage guidelines, works out the running cost at the average US electricity price, and covers heater safety: unplug before your hands go in the water, and use a drip loop.
Light is simpler, but easy to overdo. The RSPCA suggests 8 to 10 hours a day and advises keeping the tank away from windows. Aquarium lighting compares lights for viewing with lights for planted tanks, explains PAR, and shows why an outlet timer is a simple, useful upgrade.
Both chapters link back to the setup checklist, and the betta setup and goldfish setup chapters give each fish’s temperature range side by side from the sources.
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Which fish need an aquarium heater, what wattage for your tank size from Aqueon's chart, what a heater costs to run at US electricity prices, and heater safety.
Photo: Ewkaa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Aquarium lighting explained: light for viewing vs for plants, what PAR means, how many hours a day from the RSPCA, why a timer helps, and where to put the tank.
Other parts: Tanks and setups, Filtration and water, Fish food.
No. Tropical fish and bettas do: University of Illinois vets give bettas 76 to 81°F. Goldfish usually do not: the RSPCA gives 10 to 21°C and calls a heater optional.
The RSPCA suggests 8 to 10 hours a day, and RSPCA Australia at least 8 hours of darkness. A timer keeps the schedule steady.
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