The question, Do Betta fish need a heater, is pretty common.
Yes, they need a heater. Betta fish need a temperature of 78-82°F which is ideal for them. A temperature of 76-82°F is good too.
The biggest effect is temperature fluctuations, being too low or too high. The temperature below 74°F or above 85°F affects the health of the betta.
A cool environment is the best for the betta fish although a majority of them will fail to survive in such a climate. This is the reason why the heater will be needed to avoid fish sickness. This heater is also useful in case you do not have a heater installed. Bettas and any type of fish are usually sensitive to tank temperature and constant temperature fluctuations.
You can do without a heater if only the water in the tank is at a constant temperature. Heaters are sold at fairly affordable prices. They are important because they help to keep the betta healthy. If the temperature is too cold, that is, temperature below 74°F, it causes distress to your fish which may cause them to die.
As soon as the temperature of the water in the tank begins to drop, automatically your fish becomes sluggish. A fall in temperature results in a slowdown of metabolism as the fish tries to regain energy. Cold temperatures also induces stress in the betta fish, making them unable to feed. Once the fish can not eat, the immune system weakens, adding more stress.
To identify if the temperature has fallen, the betta will try to stay deep below the tank in an effort to seek heat. The colour of the betta too begins to fade right from the skin to the scales.
In cold temperatures, the betta can also succumb to a disease known as dropsy.
For the fish living in too hot temperature:
Too hot temperature may rise up to 84°F or 85°F. This kind of heat will eventually cause the betta to overheat.
The fish lives in a cold environment simply because they are cold-blooded. Erratic swimming of the fish shows that the temperature is abnormal or too high. Extra heat weakens the immune system of the fish.
See also: Is it normal for a betta fish to swim sideways
To reduce or prevent the water temperature, having a fan at the top of the tank is viable. The fan helps to evaporate excess heat keeping the tank cold.
The 5 best heaters for betta fish
Gallons rarely come with heaters whenever you buy them. Heaters are never included in most Aquariums because they are not needed at large by some fish.
The heater is only better for a betta fish and it’s compulsory to buy it once to keep a betta.
The 5 best heaters for betta fish include;
1. Aqueon Pro Submersible 50W Heater
This is the best heater for the betta. Its price is negotiable. It comes with an adjustable heat setting ranging from 68-88°F, centered with an optimum temperature of 78°F and it is shatterproof and durable with no need of its removal when cleaning.
Another plus for this heater is that it has LED lights which show it’s state. A red light indicates that heating is in progress while a green lights shows the ideal temperature set has been attained.
This heater has an automatic temperature control switch that ensures that it does not heat the water beyond the preset temperature.
Pros
- The heater is fully submersible. It highly warms the tank better than partly submersible heaters. Aqueon freely distributes the warmth in the tank.
- The heater automatically turns off as soon as it gets to the required temperature.
Cons
- Having suction cups which are hard to stick to the sides of the aquarium.
- It takes some moments before heating up the tank.
See also: Why is betta spitting out food
2. Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Aquarium heater-heater
Pros
- This heater is durable too though expensive.
- It’s of good quality. In case you need a heater for your betta, Cobalt is the best.
- The heater is discreet-thin-profiled to make its identity in the tank clear
- The cobalt heater is easy to set up. You can see the previous temperature too and the one you want to set.
The cons of this heater are;
- Price- quite expensive
- Can only be adjusted by an increment of 2°F, yet, the ideal temperature on the thermostat is 78°F.
3. Eheim Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater
The heater has got a lot of valuable features. It comes with lights which indicate whether the tank is heating or not. The lights monitor the aquarium. Its glass is shatterproof and the glass enlarges the radiation space hence, heat is evenly distributed throughout the tank.
Pros
- This Eheim heater supports 0.5°C increments which is ideal for setting accurate Temperatures.
- An added bonus is that you do not require to monitor the tank frequently due to this heaters automation feature.
Cons
- It’s long that it can not fit in tanks smaller than 5 gallons.
- The heater’s different colours don’t appeal to the betta and visual of the tank.
See also: Betta fish fins turning white
4. Freesea 50W Aquarium Heater
The heater is great like other heaters with fine features.
It has several temperature settings. Temperature can be set from a wider range of 59-94°F. This Freesea heater can be used in a quarantine tank as well.
The heater does not have manual settings. Instead, it’s made up of a dial on the cord outside which reduces the risk of contaminating the fish tank. The importance of this feature is that you do not need tank water all over your hands.
Pros
- Like other heaters, you can set the temperature and never monitor it.
- The heater doesn’t take up large space in the tank.
Cons of Freesea heater
- Large red LED lights distract temperature reading.
- Its cord is not long
- The heater can not be taken out of the tank When on because it may overheat and break.
5. Tetra HT Submersible Aquarium Heater
Pros
- This heater does not have a lighting system to help determine whether the tank is heating or at an ideal temperature.
- The heater is small-sized. It can be laid horizontally at the bottom of the tank.
Cons
- It easily breaks up, leaving your fish stranded without a heater.
- It has one suction cup that, mostly gets knocked into a different position.
See also: 55-gallon fish tank filter
References
Build Your AQuarium [BYA]: Do Betta Fish Need a Heater? Your Questions Answered
Arielle Dolan, Maryville College: THE EFFECTS OF AQUARIUM SIZE AND TEMPERATURE ON COLOR VIBRANCY, SIZE, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN BETTA SPLENDENS