# Can I safely heat a .5?



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm sick of floating my assassins in a small cup in the tank, it gets so clumped with algae being so close to the light. SO while I took an hour scrubbing every inch of my tank I thought, maybe I'll keep the assassins in the .5 g with sand and a plant for aesthetics. Well, can I heat it safely with a 10 w heater??


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

10 sounds a little high to me and what do you mean by floating them?


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Well, that's why I am asking. 
I used to float them in a small betta cup in the 5 gallon but I got sick of cleaning the algae. SO, like how you float a betta?? That's how I was keeping the snails. :-D


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Have you looked up their needs? They might even be fine at room temperature. Snails are pretty adaptable.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

They seem to come to life in the heated tank. I kept them room temp before when they wouldn't eat pond snails. They only ate/hunted in warm water.
ate pond snails, I mean. They will eat bloodworms in any temp of water


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Why not keep them in the regular tank and Olympia Assassin snails are tropical I keep them too another two died in temperate and my two tropical are very active also they eat flakes too. 

P.S. An unheated .5 gallon will have tank Temp changes too much.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Bc my bettas would starve them.. They did before. I had these assassins sine early summer; they lived in temperate (could be why half of them died off bc I did have 7), then they lived in the betta tank, then in betta cups temperate, then betta cups in the heated water (where they did best bc I could actually feed them) and now the unheated .5.
They're used to moving around!! lol

And according to TFK profiles, they like 74-80F so I will dig out the 10w pre-set and hope for the best tomorrow in terms of not boiling them to death.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

not sure about preset heaters. but any adjustable will heat a half gallon pretty accurately. your problem would be whether they fit in the 1/2 gallon.

The hagen elite 25ws on Amazon will do the job. it's really not about wattage. rather I think it's about ... quality and accuracy.

proof...
This Jar was is under .5g. I kept a newcomer in there for a few days wholst hunting for a new home. it was tall enough to fit the heater. that's all that mattered


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Aw that looks pretty!! Even if it is small! 
I don't have a spare adjustable heater though.. If push comes to shove I'll set up the 2.5 gallon for the 10 w heater and stick something else in with it. I want adf's but I know they need a bigger home. Not another betta.. I am waiting until I find a dragon scale HMPK in either marble or mustard gas xD


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I've used the 10W in a .5 gal. Not the best fit. But keep a thermometer in there and it should work.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks  I'll bury it in the sand. It's a small aqueon heater, like the size of a chapstick.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Remember Assasin snails eat flakes too.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I don't have flakes. I have these high protein but garbage crumble things. I prefer to just feed them bloodworms. Also, how often should they eat? I usually gutload them once a week with like a half block of worms (minus the few my fish eat)


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## asukabetta (Oct 2, 2012)

there are these heating pads that don't need to be in the water but under the recipient is space saving, small and i think ideal for your setup.
Here are some details:



Increases water temperature 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit over ambient room temperature (2.7-5.4 degrees Celcius)
Right-angle cord attachment allows for easy heater placement in the bottom of the tank without straining the power cord
Can be used for glass or acrylic plastic bowls and tanks between 1-3 gallons
 Measures 3 1/8 inches across. Non-adjustable 7.5 watts


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks! I had a bettatherm before but it burnt out. I don't think they're worth what they charge for those. 
Also, update, in about an hour the 10w heated the water to 85F so I unplugged it. I'll see about setting up the 2.5 for them but it sees an awful waste of space (well, nothing to really look at in there besides the snails. Nothing to take the middle-top of the water.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I use them and no snails.


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## asukabetta (Oct 2, 2012)

Bloodworms is more like a treat more than daily food. Its like giving them candy everyday a varied diet flakes or pellets and ocasional worms, you could try ordering pellet food through the internet. I hear bettas prefer pellets than flakes my bettas kinda go PUAh when i tried flakes on them. So picky lol


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

asukabetta said:


> Bloodworms is more like a treat more than daily food. Its like giving them candy everyday a varied diet flakes or pellets and ocasional worms, you could try ordering pellet food through the internet. I hear bettas prefer pellets than flakes my bettas kinda go PUAh when i tried flakes on them. So picky lol




psst I think she's talking about the assassin snails.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

lol YES the assassin snails! My bettas get bloodworms once a week when I do their water change. The assassins gut load on that day bc I only feed them once a week too.


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8 (Sep 13, 2012)

Laki said:


> lol YES the assassin snails! My bettas get bloodworms once a week when I do their water change. The assassins gut load on that day bc I only feed them once a week too.


You only feed your bettas JUST once a week? Or you feed them pellets throughout the week also?

I'm asking because today when I got home I found cirocs pellet jar on my bed,chewed, with missing pellets ( I later found while sweeping. Lol) thanks to both my dawgs-.-

And I feed him bloodqorms once a week when I do a water change too, which was last night.
Think he will be okay till Saturday or Sunday?


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## asukabetta (Oct 2, 2012)

aokashi said:


> psst I think she's talking about the assassin snails.


oh lol XD


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

aokashi said:


> not sure about preset heaters. but any adjustable will heat a half gallon pretty accurately. your problem would be whether they fit in the 1/2 gallon.
> 
> The hagen elite 25ws on Amazon will do the job. it's really not about wattage. rather I think it's about ... quality and accuracy.
> 
> ...


 How long tell that Jett's gets a bigger tank is it a tempary breeding setup?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I like that set up - very nice!

Anyways, I have used a "250 gallon" heater for an 80. It literally is not the wattage, but rather that it does the job. I find it hard to squish a heater in anything under a gallon xD As long as the heater is adjustable and you have a thermometer you should be fine. Test the heater first in there, adjust it as needed, and there ya go.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

In all honesty I just do not like the setup I dont know why though but is yours not mine.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> How long tell that Jett's gets a bigger tank is it a tempary breeding setup?


he was in there for three days before he got a new tank. he'll eventually be living in a 5 gallon. I have the filter on full blast for him right now. and honestly the current is like a gentle breeze to the plakat


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

That sounds like a great envirement is it heated post pics sounds great.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> That sounds like a great envirement is it heated post pics sounds great.


lol, yes it's heated


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes but you also hate anything under 2.5 gallons. I've seen some awesome small setups - maybe because it is the live plants giving it that "look"?

Anyways, I forgot to mention but I would avoid the "bowl heaters" and such direct marketing items like it. They are not adjustable and some do not turn off...


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I keep my assassins in my twenty never seen another living snail sense except snack time and an not wait too see the healthy betta in the 5.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Can I have a mod close the thread now? I have my answer  Thanks.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Why?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

No problem.


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