I need help/ideas on heating my fiddler tank.

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:44 pm

Its a 20 Long half water half sand. It took 3 gallons of water to get the water level up to an acceptable depth for the small world filter to work. Using a 60 watt moon glo and a 75 watt sunglo I cant get the water temp above 65 degrees. The water is about 3 inches deep at the deepest end.
Im afraid a UTH would crack the glass the sand is saturated with water.
I can get the sand side air temp up but not the water temp.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:02 pm

You'll probably have to use a small aquarium heater.

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:27 pm

The water is not deep enough to use a submersble heater

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:36 pm

Visi-Therm Aquarium heaters are 100% submersible. You mount it completely under water, on it's side. If the water is 3" deep, that's plenty deep enough for a Visi-Therm heater.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 4:01 pm

How long have you been running your lamp? I know that it takes a while for the heat lamp to heat up the water, a good day to make it perfect.

What wattage is your heat lamp?

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:12 pm

75 watt and I have it sitting almost directly on top of the screen top. I also have a 60 moon glo over the sand area the temp there is up to 77%. I sit it up last night and ran 2 moonglos over the tank all night and changed out to the 75 watt heat lamp this morning. (I didn't want the heat light disturbing the hermits)
I'm thinking about buying this heater I'm worried about the depth of the water though I have alittle more then 3 gallons of water in the tank the depth is still only 3-4 inches deep.

http://www.aquariumguys.com/miniheater.html

Hydor Mini Aquarium Heater
For 2-5 Gallon Aquarium
SKU: 997528
Hydor mini aquarium heater. 2-5 gal.

* Extra small: easy to hide in mini-tanks and bowls.
* Extra safe
* Completely submersible, ideal for use in both glass and acrylic tanks
* No damage if left running dry.

. Super safe, super easy.
Helps increase by a few degrees Fahrenheit/Celsius the water temperature of mini aquariums compared to the ambient/room temperature where it is positioned (ready carefully instruction manual).

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:25 pm

The only way to know is to try it. It seems like it should be fine with the water, since its made for aquariums (UTHs that we use for hermies are not made for aquariums, which is why they dont work well with water.)

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:36 pm

I will have to watch the heater I dont want it to get so hot if the fiddlers crawl over it they get burned or the water gets to hot. What is a good temp for the water. The 10 gallon water stays around 74-79

I have 2 males and 3 females that I am picking up tomorrow *which will even out my tank* Im in a quandry on what to do with them stick them in the 10 gallon with the fiddlers I have now with good temps are put them in the 20L and its low water temp.
By the way I love your new tank!!! I wish I had seen the pics before I poured all that sand in the new tank. I thinking of taking the sand out and getting some of the crushed coral to put in the tank if I can find some tomorrow.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:08 pm

Kayla, I have a mini aquarium heater I use for my fiddler tank. It works fine and the crabbies dont seem to mess with it when I use it, but Im lucky enough that their water is warm enough without it most of the time. I found the heater at walmart. Hope that helps

Angela

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:58 am

Im using the heater in the water, I put it in hmm before nascar came on about 2 and this morning the temp of the water is between70-75% its hard to read. I could not find small bags of the crushed coral it was 20 lb bags for $$ I going to try some different pet stores.
I moved the crabs over and they seem happy I only borught one female as all the males were missing limbs and the female was in a different tank and the workers didnt even know she was there. She's a large female so she should get along with my large male.
I've started taking the sand out of the larger tank...why does it smell like sewage blah shudder the top layer of sand is fine the closer I get to the bottom it gets blackish gray and RANK. Has to have something to do with airflow...I am hoping when I switch the tank over ot half coral and half sand it will help the airflow and the sand wont spoil.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:06 am

THe sand isnt spoiled...just dirty That is just where the fiddlers cant get to to clean the sand. Its probably particles of poop, food, algae...it washes out and everything is fine. I used the same sand that was in my fiddler tank, for my crayfish tank and some of the sand was black so I ran it under some hot water and its fine now.

Its also where the bacteria live that help to cycle your tank and keep it stable.

Good luck with your new female.

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:09 am

wow thanks I thought it was bad sand..learned something.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:56 am

Yea, if you "deep clean" their tank every so often, just run their sand under some water and swish it around. Drain it out, add a drop of dechlor and put their old water back in (we want to save that b/c it has all the good bacteria needed to keep the tank stable.

Fiddlers only clean/filter about the top 1/4-1/2 inch of the substrate, the rest gets littered and holds onto the bitty particles of poop, food, and algae.

When I gave my crayfish some of the "dirty" sand he actually cleaned it...apparently there were lots of tasty things in it.

who knew! (but yes, it is kind of rank smelling...kind of like our trash cans after a while

)