Ok I am new to this site but I have a question. I just finished setting up a 55 gallon freshwater tank. I have the filter situtation taken care of, lighting is done, but I need help with the heating. I am using this tank right now for oscars and the information that I have so far is that they require a high temp (around 86 or 88 from what I was told). I am leaning toward using the Visi-Therm Stealth heater. I have heard that it is better to use two smaller ones to heat the long tank evenly. My question is what watt heater should I get? I want them to easily heat the tank but not cook my fish. Also if anyone knows a cheap site to order them from let me know. Any advice about my current setup would be helpful, this is my first large setup and I want to get is right.
Need help heating a new aquarium
- Thread starter Hiram1982
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
69-82 degrees is your range oscars can handle colder water too.
I have a single visi-therm stealth in m 26g and I love it, its in the middle/middle right and I have the same reading all over the tank.
My Pops used to have over 100 tanks up at once when I was a wee tot, and even more when he was a teenager with no bills. He said oscars are a real hearty fish that can tolerate what most other fish cant.
How many do you plan on keeping in a 55?
This will help you
Oscar Fish Tank Setup | Oscar Aquariums | Sump Filters | External Canister Filters
The temps I listed above are that sites celcius to farenheit conversion.
I have a single visi-therm stealth in m 26g and I love it, its in the middle/middle right and I have the same reading all over the tank.
My Pops used to have over 100 tanks up at once when I was a wee tot, and even more when he was a teenager with no bills. He said oscars are a real hearty fish that can tolerate what most other fish cant.
How many do you plan on keeping in a 55?
This will help you
Oscar Fish Tank Setup | Oscar Aquariums | Sump Filters | External Canister Filters
The temps I listed above are that sites celcius to farenheit conversion.
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
depends, how long do you want to keep the crawfish?
tankmates.....other larger cichlids.
tankmates.....other larger cichlids.
Well I could care less for the crawfish, the only reason I have him in there is to take care of some of my oscars poop. My oscar is getting way to large for the little 10 gallon he is in. Thats way he is going in the 55 after it is setup and running for a couple weeks.
WhiteDevil
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok good, its a natural food and a delicious one at that( use em for bass bait) and some people keep em as pets.
I think you can use oscars as starter fish too, im not sure on that though.
I think you can use oscars as starter fish too, im not sure on that though.
FastFly67
Aquarium Advice FINatic
BigAlsOnline.com always has awesome deals. You can also check the classifieds section here. People are always upgrading or just getting rid of stuff.
I would recomend at least 250 watts going though the tank, and it's always a good idea to have 2 heaters in a larger tank so I'd go with maybe 2 150 watt heaters in there, that way if one somehow malfunctions, you'll still have the tank heated while you sort out the problem or get a new one.
For other tankmates, there aren't any for an oscar in a 55 gallon tank. They can easily reach 10 inches and can be brutal to other cichlids, and a 55 gallon doesn't have a large enough footprint for multiple large cichlids. You might even have a problem with keeping the pleco with the oscar, same with the cray since oscars will eat anything they can, people have lost large oscars due to them trying to swallow plecos (once they go in, they can't come back out due to their spines).
For other tankmates, there aren't any for an oscar in a 55 gallon tank. They can easily reach 10 inches and can be brutal to other cichlids, and a 55 gallon doesn't have a large enough footprint for multiple large cichlids. You might even have a problem with keeping the pleco with the oscar, same with the cray since oscars will eat anything they can, people have lost large oscars due to them trying to swallow plecos (once they go in, they can't come back out due to their spines).
Bigfoot1030
Aquarium Advice Regular
I agree, two 150 watt heaters.
