# Keeping tanks warm in really cold weather



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

My house is old, drafty and doesn't have much if any insulation. I have several tanks and I need to be able to keep them all warm when my house drops to 30-50 degrees. And it does. I freeze my butt off in winter. Adjustable heaters are already struggling to keep a 10 gallon at temp and its already cranked to 88. The 20 gallon is holding at 75 with the heater cranked to 86. I worry to crank it to 89 but I might need to at night. 

Does anyone have very cold houses or thoughts on keeping tanks warm? I already have my personal heater pointed toward most of my tanks but I'm not even feeling it tonight.


----------



## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

My heaters do a very good job warming mine one issue tho heaters are not made for bowls i learned that now the water evaporates quickly

Also like to add that no my house is not cold, you kidding me i would be miserable lol 73 is the highest it goes


----------



## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

I suggest blankets thats what i hear but good luck!


----------



## DWS (Nov 4, 2014)

I know what you mean, Crossroads! This cold snap has been brutal up here. I have a nice heater in my cycling tank set at 82 and it is struggling. The best it can pull is 78 right now. I have the new Fluval digital heater in my betta's tank, though, and it has been rock solid. It will be switched to the new tank with my fish when the tank is ready.

I did read on another thread of someone putting a heavy towel on top of their tank at night. Not sure, but it might be worth a try.

Also, maybe a space heater in the room with fish to keep the ambient temp up? Those make me nervous, though.


----------



## artemis35 (Jul 11, 2014)

Here is a handy calculator for determining heater wattage:
http://www.aquariumlife.net/heatcalc.asp

I strongly recommend rounding up the given answer to the nearest 25 watt increment.

I also live in an old, drafty house so I can sympathize. My house doesn't get as cold as yours, but an indoor temperature of 60 degrees is not uncommon in winter. I run 50 watt heaters in my 5.5 gallons and 100 watt heaters in my 10 gallons, and I am able to maintain 80 degree tank temperatures.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I currently have a space heater and a personal fan heater going in the main room where I sleep and my tanks are. I live in a 30 year old house with weather stripping issues. During the summer its okay cause my house stays about 75-80 but the winters are brutal. Right now its about 45-50 degrees in my house. Outside its about 37 degrees and due to hit 28. Needless to say I'm a little concerned.


----------



## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

Winter sure is brutal i went outside today to walk my dog man was it cold the tanks temp droped about 78 degrees tho thank heavens for heaters lol


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

You should never let your house get below 50-60F inside while outside is freezing, your water pipes can burst and cause a very costly mess (happened to my parents house while they were away visiting grandparents.. its been a year and they're only just finishing unpacking stuff after having to remove 90% of the house items (not trashed from the water) to have 1/2 the home ripped up and rebuilt from the water damage). Do you not have insulation in your house's walls? if not, its costly but a definite good thing to have(can get blown walnut shells or expanding foam insulation).

If all your fish are in one room (hopefully a small-ish room) you can buy a space heater and keep the door closed, heat the room up so the tank heater can keep a proper temp.
[edit] hah just saw your post after i was done writing mine.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I cannot help my house getting that low. It has no central air or heat. My house is very old. The house has been this way for 30 years and been cold in the winter like this for about the last 3 or so. I have absolutely no way to pay to have my house reinsulated. Doing so would also mean recarpeting, getting all the doors and windows redone and having the house releveled and put on a foundation. I'm basically caretaker so the house doesn't fall apart (which its doing anyway) or get vandalized. It's my grandmother's house. She's in a nursing home so I care for the house the best I can. 

She was living in the house at the beginnings of her dementia, and had the butane cancelled and the entire house switched to electric, meaning the butane heater that used to warm the entire house and is still mounted to the wall is all but useless. The carpet in all but my roommates room and the spare room (which is full of her possessions) got ripped out. My fish are all in the living room which is where I stay. All my pipes are wrapped, my uncles did that a long time ago. 

Other than that, there's not much I can do without rebuilding the house.


----------



## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

Heat rises, cut some styro to completely cover the top. 30 isn't that old at all for a house, though I imagine if maintenance was neglected you'd have some costly issues. If you want the cheap way out build a small insulated area for the tanks.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

From that neat calculator Artemis35 supplied, you need at least a 200 watt for the 10 to keep the tank 60-80 degrees for 30-50 degree house and 300 watt for the 20. Calculator allows for maximum of 30 degrees difference between ambient and aquarium temperatures.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

It wasn't well built to begin with and then was neglected for the last probably 10 or so years. A lot of cosmetic maintenance was done but serious maintenance was not. The house is on cinder blocks and every time it rains the house shifts. I used to think the house was much older because its in such bad shape. The house should be rebuilt but making 10$ an hour, that's really not going to happen. It pays my bills and my debts and leaves a little pay money here and there which goes toward my fish. I'll grab some stuff from Walmart tomorrow to try to insulate my tanks until it warms up again. Until then I suppose blankets will have to do.

Edit: So I saw, which means until I can pick up some more heaters, right now I'm just going to have to try to keep what heat my heaters are generating in.


----------



## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

Go with the insulation, you may be surprised. 

I run a 150 gallon tub outdoors, years back it was pressed into service early in the season, March in Chicago. Helping a friend, he got a deal on about 20 cichlids from a 150 gallon tank. Wrapped it with U-Haul moving blankets, 2" styro top. I had the 1kw heater, but no controller in yet. It would get below 30F outside at night, I had to plug & unplug the heater to maintain temperature. 

Come morning that thing would be at 90F, a 60F increase with the heater running all night. Unplug it while I was at work, after 8 hours it would have a 15F drop, time to plug it in for a few hours. Thankfully this only went on for 3 days until the controller came in. 

Total low tech deal, couple layers of moving blankets held with duct tape, 1000w agricultural bucket heater, sheet of Home Depot styro insulation on top. A tub at 90F steams like crazy when you pull off the top in 30F outdoor temps, and snow hitting the surface is a real confusing thing for cichlids. 

With some rigged insulation, exposed to elements, 6.6 wpg knocked out a 60F increase no problem. Dig up some blankets, towels, tape and a sheet of styro insulation. It's cheaper than a heater upgrade, and will save on the electric bill.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I'll probably insulate all but the viewing panels which would cover all but the fronts of all my tanks. I still need to at least upgrade some of my tanks to adjustable heaters but If I can insulate them I'll be able to keep them warm...maybe I can find a way to do it that looks decorative as well. Not that the decorative part is important but would be nice visually, since I watch my fish to relax.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks for the advice guys with any luck my ladies and gents will make the winter without freezing their caudal fins off


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Would it be possible for you to get a wood-stove or a small heater, maybe you can just heat one of the more central rooms of the house?


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I found a nice radiator type heater in the spare room, the house is probably up to 60 degrees and I know there's a second one hiding somewhere. I put it by the one tank that I couldn't insulate tonight and its warmed up the house pretty nicely. It's not perfect but hey, I'm about 30 above outside temp and my fish aren't freezing (almost everyone is hovering at 75-77 with some tanks hovering at around 78-79 and while not ideal its much better than dropping down to the 60s.) If I didn't have bills to pay, heaters would be right on the top of my list. however, they'll have to hold until next paycheck.


----------



## selah (Oct 14, 2014)

Crossroads said:


> I cannot help my house getting that low. It has no central air or heat. My house is very old. The house has been this way for 30 years and been cold in the winter like this for about the last 3 or so. I have absolutely no way to pay to have my house reinsulated. Doing so would also mean recarpeting, getting all the doors and windows redone and having the house releveled and put on a foundation. I'm basically caretaker so the house doesn't fall apart (which its doing anyway) or get vandalized. It's my grandmother's house. She's in a nursing home so I care for the house the best I can.
> 
> She was living in the house at the beginnings of her dementia, and had the butane cancelled and the entire house switched to electric, meaning the butane heater that used to warm the entire house and is still mounted to the wall is all but useless. The carpet in all but my roommates room and the spare room (which is full of her possessions) got ripped out. My fish are all in the living room which is where I stay. All my pipes are wrapped, my uncles did that a long time ago.
> 
> Other than that, there's not much I can do without rebuilding the house.


I was going to post about the oil radiant space heater, but your post above seems like you found one.. I like them because they are safe and do help.. I also use the heavy towel at night and it does really help.


----------



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

selah said:


> I was going to post about the oil radiant space heater, but your post above seems like you found one.. I like them because they are safe and do help.. I also use the heavy towel at night and it does really help.


I love those radiant heaters. When I woke up this morning 3 of my tanks had hit 82 and I had to turn down the heaters in them. My other tanks were hovering at 78 so I'm probably going to find some more of those and plant one by my entertainment center so that the tanks there warm up more.


----------

