# Is a 50W heater OK for a 3 gallon?



## corycatfish (Aug 30, 2015)

Dug up a spare 3 gallon tank in the garage from 8 years ago am and planning it to be a betta tank! 
I have a 50W Aqueon (adjustable) heater - this one: http://www.thatpetplace.com/submersible-aquarium-heater-50w-9in-20-gal 

Really concerned about any betta I get potentially getting fried by this thing! 

Would that heater work OK and if not, which heater should I get? I've looked through some of the 10W ones on Amazon and all the ones I've seen seem to have really bad reviews (overheating, etc.).


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

No, for a 3gallon you only need a 15W
I think marineland makes a 15W heater but not sure.


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## artemis35 (Jul 11, 2014)

I am going to disagree with the previous poster and say that, yes, your 50W _adjustable_ heater is just fine for your tank. If it weren't adjustable, I would say no way, but adjustable makes all the difference.

I used 50W Hydor Theo adjustable heaters in all of my large kritter keepers (~2.75 G) with no problems at all. I knew that I wanted to upgrade my tank sizes in the future, so I went with the heater that would still work in the larger (5.5 G) tanks I have now.

However, be sure to have a thermometer in the tank, and actually remember to read it at least twice per day. Sounds funny, but it is easy to forget to actually look at the thing on a regular basis 

As long as you are checking the temperature at least twice daily, it is extremely unlikely that a malfunctioning heater would be able to heat the water, unnoticed, to a point that would be fatal to your betta (since they can tolerate temperatures in the upper 80's to low 90's without much trouble).


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Yes you will be fine as artemis stated.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

I've dropped a 50w adjustable in a 2.5 gallon in a pinch. Be aware that should it fail & stick in the on position it will boil the tank in a very short amount of time.


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## Nomahe (Aug 29, 2015)

corycatfish said:


> Dug up a spare 3 gallon tank in the garage from 8 years ago am and planning it to be a betta tank!
> I have a 50W Aqueon (adjustable) heater - this one: Submersible Aquarium Heater - 50W - 9 in. - up to 20 Gallon
> 
> Really concerned about any betta I get potentially getting fried by this thing!
> ...


Going against the grain from the other replies here and they are correct but...

I've lost more fish to adjustable heaters malfunctioning than anything else in this hobby. (Other than my first tank when I was a kid and fed a can of food, that was large enough for almost a year in a week.. They didn't eat it in the water column so I kept feeding them and killed them all. To this day almost 40 years later it breaks my heart what I did to them) 

In a 3G it's hard to do what I do but I suggest a MUCH lower heater in case it gets stuck on and cooks your fish. In the aquarium world the heater is the weakest link and unless you check your water every hour or two, in a 3G tank you have no time to react to save your fish. 

In larger aquariums what I do is have two heaters, both rated at half the aquariums capacity. That way I have days to find out if a heater is stuck on. The other operable heater stays on to keep it warm enough to keep the fish alive or shuts off completely if too warm whereas the heater stuck on isn't of enough wattage to kill my fish.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

The problem with 2 half size heaters is getting them synchronized to turn on & off at the same time. One will always run more, one less. That being the case, set one for a few degrees cooler, should one stick off the other will kick in. Your best bet is an external controller, pricey but reliable.


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## Nomahe (Aug 29, 2015)

Tolak said:


> The problem with 2 half size heaters is getting them synchronized to turn on & off at the same time. One will always run more, one less. That being the case, set one for a few degrees cooler, should one stick off the other will kick in. Your best bet is an external controller, pricey but reliable.


Hi Tolak. I agree and that's why I prefaced my post with you guys were right. I didn't want to step on any toes with a differing opinion but felt the need because When I do lose fish it's because of heaters. Thank you for the reply to add more to what I should have said in my post.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

Nomahe said:


> Hi Tolak. I agree and that's why I prefaced my post with you guys were right. I didn't want to step on any toes with a differing opinion but felt the need because When I do lose fish it's because of heaters. Thank you for the reply to add more to what I should have said in my post.


Since my fishroom sits at 76F I run half the wattage all the time. I do mostly angels, which can handle temps well into the 90's, should one stick on it's not an issue. If it goes cold, that tank gets fed light for a few days.


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## corycatfish (Aug 30, 2015)

Nomahe said:


> Going against the grain from the other replies here and they are correct but...
> 
> I've lost more fish to adjustable heaters malfunctioning than anything else in this hobby. (Other than my first tank when I was a kid and fed a can of food, that was large enough for almost a year in a week.. They didn't eat it in the water column so I kept feeding them and killed them all. To this day almost 40 years later it breaks my heart what I did to them)
> 
> ...


Thanks for the help, I've lost many fish to malfunctioning adjustable heaters too! I do the two-heater thing for some of my larger tanks as well. Makes me kinda paranoid about heaters.


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## corycatfish (Aug 30, 2015)

artemis35 said:


> I am going to disagree with the previous poster and say that, yes, your 50W _adjustable_ heater is just fine for your tank. If it weren't adjustable, I would say no way, but adjustable makes all the difference.
> 
> I used 50W Hydor Theo adjustable heaters in all of my large kritter keepers (~2.75 G) with no problems at all. I knew that I wanted to upgrade my tank sizes in the future, so I went with the heater that would still work in the larger (5.5 G) tanks I have now.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice! 

I think, considering everyone's replies, I'll stick with the 50W but keep a close eye on the temperature.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I have a 150w glass fluval heater in my Aqueon Evolve 8, which has a rough gallonage of 5gals.... And I keep letting the back compartment with the heater in it run dry....

No issues yet!

I'm sure you will be fine. a 50w that dies will die just as quick in a 2gal as it would in a 5 or 10 gallon tank. And it would likely do the same damage.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Watermelons said:


> I'm sure you will be fine. a 50w that dies will die just as quick in a 2gal as it would in a 5 or 10 gallon tank. And it would likely do the same damage.


I agree the 50w heater is fine, but saying it would do the same damage is incorrect. The 50w would heat up the 3g tank much faster if it got stuck on than a 15w in a 3g or a 50w in a 10g.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

It will still heat up the entire tank to is maximum temperature and continue heating. Which would still be the same temperature in a 2.5 gal as it would a 10 gal. the only saving grace would be a super super cold room temperature for the larger tank, but even then water is more temperature stable then air. It will be cooked fish regardless.
If the heater is going to fail, it will fail in any of those situations, but it would likely fail sooner in the larger tank as it would have to work harder then in a smaller tank.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Aww man, you guys are making me paranoid. Can I just keep my house 85 degrees all winter (no).

What is the life expectancy of a heater? Should they be replaced before they go bad...? Or... Eh. I do not like the thought of "cooked fish". I am quite fond of my boys.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Accidents happen.
Regardless of how careful you are.
Buy a qality heater. They dont really have life expectancies. 
If youre really worried buy a controller that will shut th heaters off if they reach a certain temp like 85 or something you set it too. But thats $$$$$.
People survive with out them.


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