(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best aquarium heaters & chillers

It's not overprice. It's actually a very fairly price and well thought out kit. There's some unnecessary things, and the stock nuvo lights are fine (I actually have them only cause I got a sweet deal), but I would rather get the tank only and different lights. Here's my
attempt to piece that kit together with more ideal parts:

NUVO FUSION 20 BY INNOVATIVE MARINE ($200 anywhere)
This kit includes the TANK WITH THE LIGHTS, which are $400 MSRP. Just get the tank at $200. Use the $200 you would've spent on a better light and fixture:


AI PRIME HD AND MOUNT ($225 for light MSRP, $30 mount, MSRP)
This is a much better light. Stronger. Controllable (able to control all spectrums, set a sunrise sunset schedule, all from a mobile app). The Nuvo lights are just on and off, with no switch. You have to plug them into outlet timers. The AI PRIME is way better, for only a little more.


20 LBS. OF REEF SAVER ROCK ($52 bulk reef supply)
This is actually a good price per pound.


100 ML INSTANT OCEAN BIO-SPIRA (NOT NEEDED)
If you cycle your tank properly, this isn't needed.


4 OZ CLORAM-X AMMONIA REMOVER (NOT NEEDED)
You shouldn't be using a chlorinated water source to begin with, so declorinator only enables bad habits. Get RODI water from a local reef store, or make your own, or at the very worst, use vending machine water.


20 LB. SPECIAL GRADE ARAG-ALIVE! LIVE REEF SAND ($30 amazon)
You definitely want at LEAST special grade sand. Google it. Grain size matters. Too fine, and you'll get a sandstorm when the water is moved.
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-20-Pound-Special-Bimini/dp/B000EM2BRO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479312554&sr=8-3&keywords=arag+alive


HW-MARINEMIX REEFER SALT MIX (DONT GET THIS SALT)
Instead, get the gold standard:


INSTANT OCEAN REEF CRYSTALS ($50 for enough to make 160 gallons, Drs Foster and Smith, also, FREE BUCKET!)
Make sure you get REEF CRYSTALS if you want corals (it's the orange box/bag), or you can get just the regular INSTANT OCEAN (purple box/bag) if you're doing fish only. This is the most trusted and widely used and available salt. I recommend you use it, so your corals always get the same consistency of nutrients, since this salt is sold everywhere and reliable.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4856


REFRACTOMETER FOR READING SALINITY WITH CALIBRATION FLUID (THESE ARE UNNECESSARY)
Accurate? Yes. Pain in the ass? Also yes. Always having to clean these and calibrate them sucks. Get a standard plastic floaty arrow hydrometer instead.


HYDROMETER ($11 amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-tk504-SeaTest-Hydrometer/dp/B00019JOSO


TUNZE CARE MAGNET NANO - 0220.010 CLEANER MAGNET (UNNECESSARILY OVERPRICED ITEM)
Everyone knows that when it comes to cleaning magnets, Mag Floats are the go to. Sure you can pay more, but you don't always get more.


MAGFLOAT SMALL ($12)
https://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU030SM-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003WRKVUC


MARINE S PELLET FISH FOOD - HIKARI (THERE ARE BETTER FOODS)
The best widely available pellet fish good is New Life Spectrum.


NEW LIFE SPECTRUM THERA A ($10 most online places)
They have big pellets and small pellets. Make sure you get the small pellets.


HMA-S 50W FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE HEATER (YOU COULD BUY YOUR OWN FOR CHEAPER)


EHEIM JAGER 50W HEATER ($23 amazon)
These are pretty well regarded and reliable heaters. Avoid getting the $15 chinese heaters, for a few bucks more this is a brand you can trust.
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003U82YEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313472&sr=8-1&keywords=50+w+heater+jager


HPS-100 FINNEX DIGITAL SUBMERSIBLE (GET ANOTHER FOR CHEAPER)
It's cool that the BRS team thought of this, but you can get your own large cheap heater for mixing water. Since it's a nuvo 20, and water changes would be around 2-5 gallons, a 150 watt or even 200 watt heater could warm up the water to match the tank pretty quickly.


EHEIM JAGER 150 WATT HEATER ($25 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313666&sr=8-3&keywords=150w+heater


HYDOR KORALIA EVOLUTION POWERHEAD 600 ($29 Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Koralia-Evolution-Aquarium-Circulation/dp/B004F461UA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479313724&sr=8-1&keywords=hydor+koralia+600


So as you can see, you can do it with better parts and remove unnecessary things, but you'd be paying $697 before tax. Personally, I would still rather part it myself, because I know I can find used AI primes with mounts for $150-$200 (check the classifieds of reef forums or you local club). Also, I don't have to buy some of this stuff because I'm already in the fish hobby and have leftover heaters, or have friends who are that can help me get started. But if you're in a hurry and want to start, or this is your first endeavor into fish keeping and have no fish keeping friends, the BRS kit is not bad at all and the convenience is nice.

PROTIP: If you do plan on buying something this big from BRS, i'll let you in on a trick. First, make an account if you don't already have one. Then, add the kit to your cart. Then, leave it there for a few days. You'll get an email reminding you that you have it in your cart, and since it's a large purchase, they'll give you a coupon (i forget the percentage) to encourage you to buy it. Then use the coupon and buy it lol. WINNING!

Under 100 bucks will be a little tricky, I think I can get close but having to buy a lighting fixture/hood will end up pushing it over.

• 20 gallong Long aquarium (30 x 12 footprint) $32.99 @ petsmart(you might be able to find this cheaper with a glass top at a LFS where dollar per gallon on these smaller tanks is a little more common.
  
  Second Option 29 gallon - has the same dimensions and usually just a little more expensive--however, you might be able to find an all-in-one kit with a hood, heater, and HOB filter for about 100 bucks...if so, that's the way to go for sure.
  
  
• Marineland LED full hood 30"x12" $35.99 @ Amazon with free shipping.
  
  2nd Option - Nothing cheaper right now.
  
  
• Filter: Aqueon 50 $23.10 @ Amazon This gets even cheaper if you make your own filter media instead of using their cartridges. Aqueon are decent little filters, and for that price and GPH you'll have a tough time beating it.
  
  2nd option: Penguin 200 $25.49 with free shipping @ Amazon The penguin has more media options and more media volume even not counting the biowheel. But it is a much noisier filter. My true preference would be an Aquaclear 50, but they're just not on sale right now and we're on a budget.
  
  
• Heater: Aquatop 100W for $14.99 @ Amazon . Aquatop is a bargain brand so this is a bargain product. But it's cheap and comes with free shipping.
  
  2nd Option - eheim jager 75W heater $24.27 @ Amazon eheim's last and are very reliable. I have a pair that are over 6 years old and still work great. Spending the extra money here would be worth it if you ever want to perhaps use the tank for something else down the road.
  
  
• Thermometer - Going as cheap as possible here, and I always like the accuracy of an analog thermometer. $3.92 with free shipping at Amazon
  
  2nd Option - nothing cheaper that's anywhere near as close in the reliability/accuracy department.
  
  So, that puts my 1st option total @ $110.99 with shipping but without any applicable sales tax for a new set up. Now you can really find something on craigslist.org for cheaper often times, so it might be worth it to look around there--but a lot of that stuff i found is on sale currently so if you wait too long it would be gone.
  
  Now for the fish.
  
  
• I would go with a pair of convict cichlids. They will breed every 2-3 weeks and if there's nothing else in the tank they can put out 100+ fry. Now with this set up they're never going to get very big without a grow out tank, but they will never eat their babies and they're pretty cool fish in their own right. They are also hearty so if you take care of the tank they'll live for several years breeding like bunnies.
  
  2nd option - Guppy tank with 2-3 males and 12-14 females. They will match the convicts for numbers and like the convicts they are very low in Thiaminase (which is super important for predator fish). They are relatively hardy but I find them to be super boring. They will also eat the heck out of their own babies. But on the plus side they're a bit dummer and slower swimmers than the convicts and with several harems you'll have a nicer sizing pattern on the fry that do survive.
  
  Which ever way you go make sure to put a sponge or some panty hose over your filter intake to keep from fry getting sucked up. Also, always gut load with a good quality food right before feeding. Something like New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula for the convicts. This will make sure the Largemouth and Oscar are getting the optimum nutrition from the live food.
  
  Now that it's all said, you can actually breed your own earthworms for about 10 bucks in materials plus compost [Here's how to do that](
  http://www.herper.com/earthworms/earthworms-culture.html) and your fish will appreciate the live food variety.
  Hope this helped!

This is what you need for a testing kit. I'm currently cycling a 10g because I made the same mistake as you did, (it's almost done!) and it's been a lifesaver. Remember, you need to start taking steps to do a fish-in cycle in the 10g to keep your boy healthy. Daily water changes, daily testing, etc. Look on the betta care sheet stickied post at the top of this sub. There should be a really helpful link for both fish-in cycling and fishless cycling.

As for a light, here is a good list of tank hoods with lights. Sorry I can't give you a specific one, but I don't know the dimensions of your tank, so you'll have to figure that one out on your own. A good filter for a 35g is this one, and a good heater for a 35g is this one.

Bettas do fine with a variety of fish. I have my guy with 3 Cory catfish, and they're great. He doesn't bother them really and they don't bother him, but he was a little angry with them for the first hour or so. He got over it, though. They're also great algae cleaners.

They also do okay with some types of tetras. This is a pretty good list, although pleco fish will get HUGE. Like, nearly 2 feet in length, so be careful.

And with the constipation thing, all you have to do to make sure that doesn't happen again is fast him for one day a week and maybe feed him a little bit less than you're currently doing.

Okay, so that should pretty much cover it. Good luck, hope this helps.

$200 should be plenty for a tank ~10 gallons. The component that is going to cost the most is a decent light. People hate on them, but chinese LEDs can be pretty effective for growing while still on a budget.

After you get a light that puts out a good spectrum / wattage, the next challenge you will have is a solution for your nutrient export. I swear by a good fuge, but with a nano this can be tricky. This would leave you with a nano skimmer, such as the SkimMate ghosts or, doing water changes religiously. If you plan on taking the water change route, then I would suggest getting an RODI filter.

As for what goes in the tank, the best way to save with things like live rock and live sand are to... Well... Make them yourself. Starting with dry rock and sand then doing a cycle will take much longer, but save money and ultimately lead to better results. Your LFS should have some reef-saver (florida lime stone) for around $2.50 per lb.

The key to a successful nano is not having to mess with it. Stability is the best thing for small tanks, even though it is the hardest thing to achieve. This means if you can afford the option that produces the least amount of change in the system (like an ATO to keep salinity stable) then take that option. Otherwise, do what is necessary to keep parameters inside a tight bound. Good luck!

Also, here are some links that might be helpful:

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/open-box-skimmate-ghost-protein-skimmer-fullsize-innovative-marine/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwoebsBRCHARIsAC3JP0JCPpWDY6Dhu2A-R-i4FbB5f3GlK5zO3apyMz6boG2iO6D0Y-EhIw4aAuHgEALw_wcB

Sunsun JVP-110 528-GPH Wavemaker Pumps, 2-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LGRDF8A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PNKMDbNV2XCVK

Orlushy Submersible Aquarium Heater 100W for Marine Reef Fish Tank Sump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2L8DZR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oOKMDb0XHVA50

WATT Shine Aquarium Light 140W LED Coral Light,Large Angle Dimmable Reef Light,Full Spectrum LED Aquarium Lights for Saltwater Reef White Blue Aquarium Lighting Marine Reef Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNDY9L8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1OKMDbFK8DAQ2

> Regarding the heat mat, this is something that we have underneath the bottom glass of his viv, with a layer of felt on top of the glass so he doesn’t have direct contact with any of the heat elements.

Well, looks like I've got egg on my face then! Okay, way less concerning but!

>We live in the north of England, do you think it would be fine to take away the heat mat during the night and him have no heat source, or could you suggest an alternative?

Heat matters, and you are on the right course with paying attention for nighttime heating matters! If your house drops under 19C at any time, then supplemental heat is a requirement! 19C isn't some magical "they will die" number, but it gives them a nice healthy minimum safe range, below which we can have problems!

The issue then, comes with how we give them this heat. Bearded Dragons are hard wired little lovable scalebabies. They do things because they are programmed to. For instance, light == warmth to them. If they are cold, they will go to sources of light (thus why heat lamps are great! And making sure your UV tube runs along next to it gets you double the benefit!). Likewise, if they are hot, they will avoid light, and go down. They will seek out the lowest point they can, to beat the heat.

See how that might be a problem? If the primary source of heat at night is under his tank, his brain doesn't understand how to cope and he will drive himself to the least comfortable place he can. Woops!!

What you really want to offer to keep him over 19C at night is something like this. Ceramic Heat Emitters screw into a normal light socket, so you can treat it just like your already existing heat lamp. The plus here, is that they produce zero visible light. This means that it's fine to use at night, as it wont disrupt their sleep!

It's not a replacement for your basking lamp (once again, that light helps drive good behavior and lets him become comfortable!). But it's an awesome addition to a vivarium when your house cannot provide safe temperatures on it's own!

Buy one, get yourself a fixture to mount it around the middle of his tank to keep everything safe at night, and slap that puppy on a timer! If you are worried about getting things just right, you can over buy the wattage on the bulb, and then use something like this to tune it just perfect for your baby!

Again, Y wish you all the best luck in figuring out what's wrong here. I hope it's some environmental thing that you can identify and correct with this dude! It sucks when we mess up, but it's so nice when we get to fix it!!!

I don't know if it's different in Hawaii, but in most states a 5 gallon tank is like $13, and a 10 gallon is the same price. Used 10 gallons tanks are typically $10 or less, and petco/petsmart both do a "dollar per gallon sale" pretty often where brand new 10 gallon tanks are $10.

If that's still a pinch, you can use a plastic bin that holds a simiilar amount of water for like $5 or less. It wont look as pretty but it will keep him healthy until a tank is affordable.

As for heaters, here's a really cheap one that I've used!

Filters can be really cheap as well, especially sponge filters. This one is only $3 and would be great in a betta tank. Since it's a sponge filter, you also need an air pump, but those are cheap too. This one is like $6, you could probably do some googling around and find even cheaper ones though. You'll also need some airline tubing, which is pretty cheap as well, here's some that is $3 and way more that you need.

I've had my share of money troubles, so I know a lot of ways to make keeping a fish healthy a lot cheaper. If you get the filter and heater I recommended, it'll only cost $20.84 (plus tax and maybe some shipping costs). And then the tank or plastic bucket/bin or something will be another ~$10. So that doesn't seem too unreasonable. If you can't afford that all at once, the bigger tank should be top priority, along with the filter. The heater is also very important, but less so than the filter and the bigger tank.

If you can't get ANYTHING at all yet, in the meantime you'll need to be doing daily water changes (at least 50% of the water or more) to keep the ammonia down and safe for him. Make sure you're only changing the water with new conditioned water, not tap water. The chlorine in tap water is toxic.

One last thing, check your local craigslist listings too! I know Hawaii tends to be a bit more expensive than around here, but sometimes you can find REALLY good deals on used fish stuff compared to buying it new. That's always a good option on a budget.

Hopefully this helped a little bit!

For context I've spent the last 2 weeks setting up a Fluval Spec III, the 2.6 gallon little brother to the Spec V. The rear chambers and dimensions are mostly identical except the Spec V is twice as long.

The lighting you need depends entirely on what you'll be keeping in the tank. Fish only? Softies? LPS? SPS? Figure out your stock list and then research the temperament and lighting/flow requirements of everything you want before you buy any more equipment. I'm using this light and think it will be sufficient for me since I'll only have a few softies and some birdsnest SPS, only time will tell. It has a bigger brother that might work for you depending on your needs. (I was attracted to the fact that it comes with a mounting arm.)

I highly recommend upgrading the return pump. This Aquatop pump fits perfectly in my return chamber, is almost silent, and provides several times more flow than the stock pump.

Consider buying this media basket which is specifically designed for the Fluval Spec series. It might seem a bit silly to spend $50 on some laser-cut acrylic, but welcome to the hobby I guess. If you're on a strict budget you can get by with the stock foam basket; the benefit of the 3rd party basket is it's easier to manage the chambers and is more compatible with stuff like bioballs. The big block of foam struck me as a bit silly, I cut it up and use smaller parts of it for mechanical filtration that I can rinse out as needed.

Another awesome but ultimately optional purchase is the Cobalt Easy-Therm, an excellent slim heater that will fit in the return chamber better than a glass heater will. Trust me, in such a small tank you want to hide absolutely everything you possibly can out of sight.

Good luck!

I also started my first saltwater tank a few weeks ago and I'm 14. Now I went for a nano and it went just fine. First you need to learn about cycling. This is probably the most important thing. Ammonia and nitrite are extremely toxic to fish. There are bacteria colonies that make these into nitrates, the nitrates are only harmful in large quantities. Fish waster produces ammonia, which is transformed into nitrites by bacteria which is transformed into nitrates by bacteria. When you setup your tank, you need to throw a deli shrimp inside to produce ammonia. Then, with testkit you will test the water until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitirites and less then 20 ppm of nitrates. Nitrates are removed through water changes. You will need ocean salt, RO/DI water, a heater, a hydrometer, a test kit, sand, live rock, a powerhead, and a filter. First you clean up the tank. Then you add sand that has been rinsed. Mix your saltwater and fill the tank about halfway. For a 20 gallon, I would purchase around 30 pounds of live rock. Place the rock in the position you like. The live rock is probably the most important thing in the tank. It houses the bacteria that keeps your fish from dying. This should be done within 2 hours. When satisfied with the placement, fill the tank up. Let it run for a day with the heater, filter and powerhead on. Check for leaks. Also, when making saltwater test it with the hydrometer do the specific gravity is between 1.021 and 1.026. Most fish prefer 1.024. The next day drop in the shrimp ad start testing. It will take around 3 weeks until your tank is ready for fish sometimes longer. The cycling process cannot be rushed. Any fish placed in earlier will DIE. Now, you wait. Also pH can be an issue. Use a marine buffer to take care of this. Algae is a bitch in saltwater and you will need a good cleanup crew. Go to reefcleaners.org and look at their recommendations and go from there. What do you plan on stocking? Use aqadvisor.com to see if you will be okay. Don't buy any products that claim to provide bacteria and shorten the cycle. They don't work and result in dead fish. When you get your fish, use the drip acclimation method for 2 hours before placing them in your tank.
Here's some supplies you will need
http://amzn.com/B000260FUW
Inside the filter, remove the carbon and add this,
http://amzn.com/B0002A5VK2
Also, put pieces of live rock inside the filter.
http://amzn.com/B000256EUS
Use saltwater when doing a water change and use reverse osmosis or distilled water to replace water that has evaporated every 2-3 days. Draw a small line at where the water should be so you know how much to add.
http://amzn.com/B00019JOSO
When measuring salinity, hold the hydrometer and tap it a few times to get rid of bubbles which can affect the results. A refractometer is more accurate but more expensive.
http://amzn.com/B0002A5W9M
This is a pretty good buffer.
You will need around 25-30 pounds of Sand which you can get at your local fish store as well as the live rock.
These are some good heaters
http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-heaters/11442-526438/viaaqua-quartz-heaters.html
http://amzn.com/B001VMSK0I

Order a few of these for accurate temp measurement
http://amzn.com/B008SJ1H7A

This is a good high quality fish food and there is a lot of it for a good price
http://amzn.com/B0002E7ITK

For a background I like all black backgrounds so I got this for my tank
http://amzn.com/B002DWVIBI

I wouldn't suggest doing corals because they are pretty hard and sensitive.

As for lighting, this is pretty good http://amzn.com/B008K37X7C
But I don't know your tank dimensions. Someone else could probably offer better advice on lighting and what powerhead to get. Powerheads are also necessary.

Try to get a glass canopy for your tank. They are pretty useful.

Here's some pictures of my tank, I also did a planted 30 gallon last year when I was 13.

http://imgur.com/WTMuqma

http://imgur.com/AhfkVu2

http://imgur.com/8X69aA1

http://imgur.com/meI9XCH

http://imgur.com/UFGoJYU

http://imgur.com/AN3juZa

My freshwater tank

http://imgur.com/Uvw0iM

http://imgur.com/wbWgKPY

http://imgur.com/jIJs0x5

http://imgur.com/HnkVhau

Your tank is really too small, and should be heated. He's probably gotten a lot less active because the weather has gotten cooler and he's cold.

If you can, upgrade to something a little bigger so that you CAN heat it without fear of cooking him. something like this works pretty well for a small tank... You can also usually get a little 2.5 gallon tanks for about $10-12 at most pet stores. It will give him more space, but still not take up much room in your house. (they don't always come with lids tho, and bettas can be jumpers, so you may need to find some way to make sure he doesn't escape) If you can't upgrade the tank size, get a thermometer as well just to be sure it's not getting TOO hot in there... you might be able to put the heater on an outlet timer and just do something like an hour on an hour off, or whatever to try and keep it from overheating, but I dont really have experience with that.


If you have a water testing kit, check your water parameters as well. In such a small tank, it's easy for your ammonia or nitrites to get to toxic levels. Live plants help with nitrites, and just having a fully cycled tank should deal with ammonia, things like Java ferns, Marimo balls, java moss... are all really easy to care for low maintenance plants that will look nice and help keep the tank balanced, and make sure your doing frequent water changes.

I would suggest changing out the eco terra thermostat to something like Inkbird - the eco terra ones have a bad reputation and off fail and you end up with a cooked snake. Inkbirds are cheaper and ship quick from amazon, but if you do have the spare change, the best thermostat in my opinion is a Herpstat

FOr the glass thank, they are not the best for ball pythons as they don't hold heat or humidity. It sounds like you are not in the position to really make a ton of changes right now, but in the future you might want to look into a tub instead, it's very DIY and can be done cheaply. It doesn't look as nice as glass, so if you want something good for ball pythons that is also aesthetically pleasing, check out some PVC enclosures like boaphile or animal plastics - you gave units in Celcius so I'm not sure where you are from and the ones I linked are USA companies but you can find makers of these enclosures all over the world, we can probably give you recommendations if you let us know the country.

But, since you are stuck with glass now (it sounds like) go to lowes and get a piece of acrylic and have it cut to the size of the screen top minus a small bit for air and a small bit for your heat lamp. use it to cover the screen. You want to minimize airflow as much as possible, as airflow is what lets humidity escape.

Second, I would switch to a ceramic heat emitter - these give off heat but no light. Ball pythons need total or near darkness at night, having lights on at night stresses them out. They can see red light, so red night lights aren't appropriate for them. Using a CHE, you can have your ambient temperatures at appropriate levels at night, too. Just don't forget to get a seperate thermostat for it so it doesn't overheat, too.

Third, get some foam board and affix it to the back and sides of the tank on the outside. This serves two purposes: it will help trap heat in (glass is a poor insultator) and it will give your ball python more security. Right now it probably feels like it is out in the open and a predator could sneak up on all directions, blocking off some of the sides help it feel less threatened.

What kind of hides are you using? It sounds like the set up you got probably included a half log hide, and those are not appropriate for ball pythons, or any snake really, as main hides. If you haven't already I would recommend looking into something that looks like these ones with only one small entrance that is off set. There are some from eco terra and zilla that looks like this and are caves. I use the ones linked above as they are dishwasher safe and easy to clean. The smalls should be appropriate for a baby, my hatchling is currently using smalls and my yearling is in the mediums. The mediums are quite a size jump, so I made some of my own by using take out boxes. I cut an offset hole, sanded it down, used a solder iron to melt it a little bit, and then sanded it down again so there were no sharp edges. My rainbow boa is currently using the home made ones until he's big enough for the mediums.

Last, I am glad you are down to only feeding once a week, that's a great start. I would start looking into getting her onto rats soon, though. Adult mice won't be a full meal for a ball python for very long, and getting a ball python to eat multiple prey items in one meal is tough. Changing prey type also gets harder as they get older.

I know this is a lot, and I know you probably feel as if you did a ton of research before getting your BP and hearing that that research is wrong is TOUGH. I made a lot of the same mistakes when I got my first snake. I tried really hard to make a glass tank work, I modified it and threw out a ton of aspen bedding and really struggled to get it to be a good home for my BP but I eventually gave up and got a PVC enclosure from Animal Plastics and I am 100% less stressed about her now, and I have two more snakes living pretty happily, now! Having read bad info and followed it doesn't make you a bad snake parent so long as you learn from your mistakes and correct them going forward. Please PLEASE don't hesitate to ask more questions or post pics of your set up and ask for help! We really want you and your BP to be happy.

The betta in the picture is Murphy, he's been my fish for one year now. Before now, he was in a bowl. No filter, no heater, no light. I changed half the water once a week and fully cleaned the bowl once a month, but beyond that I was not treating Murphy properly.

The last few weeks Murphy wasn't looking good. His fins became small and didn't fan out, he just hung out in his cave all day. I didn't want to lose him, so I decided to finally get a proper tank. All of my friends tell me "No, Bettas are just fine in a bowl, they're made for that," but from reading online and seeing them in stores, bettas are not supposed to be in bowls.

So here's my setup:

• Tank: Fluval Spec 2 gallon -$45
  
  
• Heater: Fluval 25w compact -$20
  
  
• Decoration: White rocks, plastic plant, rock cave ~$15
  
  
• Fish: Basic betta fish -$3
  
  Yeah yeah, it's a lot for a 3 dollar fish, but I like Murphy a lot and I'm happy to see him happy. In the new tank he moves around, he's starting a bubble nest, and he eats. The difference in his behavior is night and day. And the Fluval Spec is a pretty sweet tank, it's got a built in filter, pump, and light, and it looks great.

You will want some airflow so covering the top entirely isn't a great idea. During the summer months I had no issue with humidity in a glass tank but once fall hit I had to change over to a rubbermaid tub with holes drilled in half of the lid to keep my percentage around 60. You might consider doing something similar. You also want to make sure you have a hide on both ends of the enclosure so the snake can regulate their temps. I use flukers heat mat and this digital thermometer with great success so far. The nice thing about the fluker mat is that you don't have to stick it on the bottom of the enclosure. Once you are ready for a bigger enclosure (assuming the mat is big enough) you can use the same mat. For hides I suggest you go with something cheap being that once your ball is established it will start growing like a weed. Hopefully this helps!

lol thats great xD Its a 250 watt ehiem jager. Pretty damn awesome and easy to calibrate and keeps the temperature perfectly where you set it after you calibrate it. Heres a link, its actually on sale right now so go grab it! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I6U23C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and shoot me a link once you got your pic up I'm interested to see what you've done with our concept lol

I and my wife are aquarists. I own a koi beta myself and it's really common to run into people that think that betas are just designed to look good. In my case, I have a 1.8-gallon classic bowl, with a marimo, a light bubbler, and some decor she can hide behind. I suggest you get a tank similar to this. Get a marimo a small bubbler, depending on how cold your house gets a small heater. After that just get some easy to clean rock and some decor your beta and you can be happy with. It may cost some cash but if done right your beta will look much better, instead of a fish that practically sits all day it will move around and depending upon the attitude will even play or act friendly. There actually intelligent for domesticated fish so if they are happy they can pick up a personality more so then most.

Edit: Enough of the attacks. I'm looking into it. I've never had any issue with my fish in the past and they have all lived long fishy lives. If there is a better way then that's cool, we will learn and improve but attacking me about it does nothing to help. Please stop.

Looks really good. The 6" fan and filter is more than you need, even ratcheted down with the variac. 4" should be more than enough.

The clip fan isn't great. Get a 7". Difference is night/day.

I know it's more money, but a programmable thermostat will do a better job of regulating heat, while leaving humidity. Also in NE, so deal with the humidity and temp swings. These have been super helpful. Basically, set the probe at canopy height, fans kick on at 80, off at 75. Or whatever temps you set. Keeps VPFD much closer to ideal than a constant fan running. And does it as the weather swings (like tonight!).

Commercial turtle docks aren't very expensive. Just get one that is big enough, and it'll float. This way you'll be able to raise your turtle's water level to any height, which is really the greatest injustice here. There honestly is no real need to make your own unless you have many turtles or something. Just get a standard floating one, and allow you turtle the luxury of swimming a bit more.

This dock comes in multiple sizes, here's one of them: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Turtle-Gallon-Medium/dp/B000256ELW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320098&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+dock (If you're worried about the size, just get a larger one.)

These fluval filters seem expensive, but they really aren't, when you consider how low the maintenance is. You will end up spending more money with the filter you have now, replacing the carbon and such over and over agan, than you will with this filter. Also the time and hassle you save is priceless, of course: http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A217-Fluval-External-Filter/dp/B005QRDCWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320124&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+filter

This is the heater I use to keep my turtle safe: http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320208&sr=8-9&keywords=aquarium+heater Honestly, the importance of a solid heater cannot be understated. Dipping temps can quickly cause your turtle to get a respiratory infection. The reason I like this heater specifically is because it has the plastic casing around, so your turtle won't get burned or won't break the glass.

Even if you don't move your turtle to that 60 gallon soon, you should still seriously consider getting one of those floating docks. They aren't expensive, you won't have to worry about the basking area working functionally and you can raise the water level.

Let me know if you have any questions or need any more help. Keep us updated!

I'm a Hydor girl myself; got their 300W in-line heater to go with my Hydor 350 canister filter; perfect temperature regulation and added bonus that it's outside of the tank!

Pretty much every submersible heater review I've seen on Amazon included multiple stories about water getting in and frying someone's fish. Hydor was no exception.

That said, Amazon reviewers gave the highest reviews (I included number of reviews in my assessment) to the Aquatop Quartz Glass Submersible Heater and the Aqueon Submersible Aquarium Heater. I'd go with the 150W (up to 40g) for both.

I'd personally go for the Aqueon here because I like the dial better. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Easily. I mean, if your situation is unlinke mine, you could taste test after a day or two and see where it's at and cut it when it's what you're shooting for.

My set up for sours is really pretty simple. I have a dedicated PET carboy with a carboy heatwrap and an InkBird temp controller. It's super efficient as far as I'm concerned. Just wish I had something for cooling down rather than just relying on ambient basement temp to cool, just haven't found the right fridge to gut or any other reason to jump up into a keezer build.

I typically pitch my wort directly onto the fruits I'm using, as that increases my contact time, as well as gives ample time to get the majority of the sugars fermented out, as to preclude bottle bombs. I've only tried to cheat and add the fruit after the primary souring once or twice as an attempt to knock down the temp faster when it's wamer, like summer time.

I like to think that this is somewhere in between kettle souring and "proper" souring, as I'm not killing anything before it goes into the bottle, but I am also not aging for months on end. Ultimately, I can't complain with the results I've gotten so far. I think Jeff and the guys at Bootleg are killing it and the products they're making are super high quality. I recommend my technique, because it works for me, but I'm sure there are some other brewers who scoff or have better set-ups for doing quick sours.

As far as lighting, I love the Finnex FugeRay series. It has done my plants a world of good, and LED lights really make your aquarium look great. Hygros start to turn a pretty purple/red on their leaves in high lighting, so mine have started that on the top leaves! Also, I keep my light on for far longer than most people suggest. Since I have shrimp and otos, I have no problems with algae from it, and my plants are growing great. A 30-inch FugeRay is what you would use for a 20 long.

With heating, I would suggest this Fluval. It is digital which lets you be precise in your temperature.

As far as algae like I mentioned earlier, I have no problem with algae from my plants and algae eaters. I usually have my light on for roughly 14 hours per day, and have no problems. It also eliminated the brown algae that I had in my tank at first.

I would be wary of having that many platys. They breed like rabbits, so unless you have a local lfs that purchases fish or takes donations, you will soon overrun your tank with them, and I don't think any of your current stock will eat the fry except the platys. You will still have many that survive. Personally, I would decrease your platys and add more tetras. It's better to have a bigger school with shoaling species.

Definitely get an aeration system. Your fish will need it. I also suggest you get more than one hygro. They really help with nitrate levels, and usually turn two different colors with high light exposure.

As far as shorter, foreground, bushy plants, you can try some micro swords, dwarf baby tears, and some marimo moss balls as possibilities.

It doesn't HAVE to be 5 gallons, that is best though. I use a couple of 3.7 gallon tanks with built in 3 stage filters. Sleek and compact but I keep up on weekly water changes to keep my boys as healthy as possible until I get my 33 gallon tank divided and cycled. I'll try to find a link for the tank. If you do end up getting one, a very specific heater tucks away in the last compartment of the 3 stage filter and I'll link that, too. Be back in a minute.

Tank Toss the carbon filter. It isn't needed unless you're trying to pull specific things out of the water and once carbon's done it's job it can leech bad stuff back into the water.

Heater Small, adjustable, submersible and inexpensive. I have 3 and they all work great.

Digital Thermometer This is the easiest way to monitor the water temperature.

If you do get this tank, I will mail you a little round sponge filter which slips over the plastic outlet and gives the fish a nice soft little bed out of the current. You can see it in the picture on the back left of my tank.

A single Nerite snail will keep algae in check and give the betta a buddy. My bettas just flair at the snails if they encroach their bubble nest areas. Snails only come after there's algae to eat so, you wouldn't get one right away.

Some other supplies you will want to consider are, Seachem Prime, API Freshwater test kit and some 5 mil droppers but I get those for free and the pharmacy counter in my grocery store.

"why wouldnt you just use a lightbulb or even just the heater on its own...

I don't know if you are being serious but because a light bulb or non-certified heater"

this makes no sense... I clearly mean the heater for the aquarium we are both talking about... and I happen to know the difference

between ones that can run dry and ones that will heat up and explode.

my heater, for example has run dry in my terrarium many times and has ALWAYS been perfectly safe.

https://www.amazon.ca/EHEIM-Jager-Aquarium-Thermostat-Heater/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487961631&sr=8-1&keywords=eheim+heater

Unlike the one I owned before that which exploded when I left it on like a rookie while I changed the water.

$5 and small size make for quite a nice benefit. I am actually looking at heating elements right now and the 'official' product for homebrewing is $50 (on sale for $30 some places). It's a 25 Watt, 110v heating pad effectively. I got to looking for other heating pads (I like pads as they are low profile) starting with those relating to 3d printing (too powerful), Plant Heaters (too weak), Reptile Heaters (can work!) and personal heaters (Too powerful):

• Homebrew Pad, ~ 11" x 11" - 25W - $30-50
  
• Large Reptile Pad, 8" x 18" - 24W - $25
  
• Different Large Reptile Pad, 11"x17" - 30W - $30 Has 11"x11" 12W version for $20
  
  There are likely others too but looks like a 1 fermenter pad is going to be $20-30 and mostly heat the item above. Heating the air in a fementer is likely the more cost efficient solution even if it takes more space than pads. Edit In relation to heating multiple fermenters in a space. A heating pad can work in a single fermenter mini-fridge if there is a flat surface to set your fermenter on. /edit *

RCS are dwarf shrimp. Don't know what cbs are.

Sponge filter/airpump is best for shrimp yes. Get a small sponge on amazon with a weighted bottom.

Cobalt Aquatics 5 watt heater on Amazon. Best choice. I did the research. As I said above, pay attention to be sure it doesn't get too high in spring and fall when the seasons change and I unplug in summer.

Can someone help clarify something for me? I feel like I'm completely missing something obvious...

I have a shiny, new Ehiem 250 canister filter. I would like to get an inline heater for it, but can't figure out if the line I have will fit. The Ehiem has a 12/16 hose--the hydor heater I want makes 1/2 or 5/8in options. Will one of those fit? I feel like thousands of people before me have figured this out, but those measurements just don't line up for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Line-External-Aquarium-Heater/dp/B0002JEMM6?th=1

This is a lot of questions to answer all at once.

First up, I'd just start getting all 5 gallon ball lock corny kegs. It doesn't really matter if you're putting 1 gallon or 5 gallons into them and it'll give you more flexibility. They're also cheaper in a lot of cases than the smaller versions (because you can get them used). Since you already ordered one ball lock, stick with them so you can use the same disconnects on all of your kegs. I'd get one more ball lock for now, if you can swing it ($65-$70ish).

Next, you need to get some fittings. Google "Ball Lock Quick Disconnects" and get a few sets of those. MFL is great for interchangeability; barb is cheaper because it saves you on fittings. If you're on a budget, just get the barbed disconnects. I'd get two sets of these (a set is one grey "gas" and one black "beverage"). ($20).

Next, you need a bottle of CO2 and a regulator. Since you're penny pinching, get a single-pressure regulator. ($50). You'll also need a manafold to provide pressure from your single regulator to multiple kegs at once. Figure out how many beers you're going to want to have on and then get a manafold with the matching number of lines. This will be $10-$20. Go to a local welding store and get a bottle of CO2. You're "renting" the bottle if you do it this way, so the up-front cost is higher than the realized cost. The cost of the gas itself is going to be ($7-$10). A 5# bottle will be better, but you can make this work with a 2.5# bottle as well.

Then, all you need is some tubing and a cobra tap. Get 3/16" line for your beer and 5/16" for your gas. Both of those should be well under $1/foot. You want about 10' of 3/16" per keg you're serving and as short a length of 5/16" to go from your regulator to manafold and your manifold to kegs as possible. Total, all of the line should be ($10ish). A cobra tap is ($3-$4) per, so that depends on how many kegs you want to serve at a time.

If my math is right, that'll put you at about $190 and you'll be able to serve two beers at a time. Each additional beer will cost about $15 to get flowing (so $205 to have 3 beers at once, $220 to have 4 at once, etc.).

The real key is temp control though. If you want to just get the kegs cold the day before you serve you can. It's not ideal (and you'll have to burn more CO2 to keep those warm kegs carbonated) but you can do it. You're going to want to peruse craigslist and find an old fridge/chest freezer sooner rather than later though. They can be had for cheap. If you get a chest freezer, you'll need a temperature controller to convert it to a fridge.

yea thats probably a bit too cold. do you just keep your room that cold? how big is your tank? i only ask because most people keep their houses closer to 70-75 which works fine for the cool side. its ok to use the light to help boost the temps if you need too. theres also things called a CHE that put off heat but no light. personally i dont like them that much because they get extremely hot to the touch and since heat rises hardly any reaches the floor. I just use a small 45w halogen floodlight on a dimmer. even on its lowest setting it warms the floor up enough without being very bright. the uth will only heat the area directly above it, it wont really radiate much outward, you want to pick a uth thats big enough to cover about 1/3 of the tank. place the heat mat under the tank, and the probe from the thermostat on the inside of the tank. One of those little $12 temp guns is an awesome tool to grab too, you can see exactly what temp your floor is and adjust the thermostat accordingly. If you need a cheap temporary hide you can make them out of tupperware containers. I made one out of a big salsa bowl and he loves it.

This is my copy and paste from another thread, so if there's a few assumptions it's not pertaining to you, but I have everything you'll need in this!

You're going to need a 5.5 gallon in order for him to thrive, otherwise you're gonna have a very unhappy fish who might live but will not be doing good. An aquarium is a tiny ecosystem in an enclosed space, so a .5 gallon gets very toxic, very quickly. It'll hurt his gills, it'll hurt his fins, just everything. The ammonia will buildup quickly and reach very dangerous levels, and although 100% water changes will decrease that, an established bacteria colony (made up of harmless ones) needs to be there for the fish to really be healthy!

When you see a happy and healthy betta, you will never want to go back!

Cheap quick solution for now: Five gallon Rubbermaid from Walmart, this filter, paired with this air pump, and this connector tube. It will run you about $20, and can hold for a while! This heater works so well and is the cheapest you'll find anywhere!

Long Term: Buy a 5.5 standalone aquarium tank from Petsmart (only $14.99) and a little pack of gravel, and some live plants of your choice! Check our r/aquaswap for some cheap plants from other Reddit users. Just move over the filter and heater, and you have the perfect set up! There are also some cheap lighting solutions that you can buy to help your plants grow!

Everyone gets tricked in the beginning, but making steps towards helping your betta will enhance his life so much! The whole set up, the filter/air pump/tubing and tank from petsmart, will cost you $35.59!

Hey folks,

I just noticed this a day or two ago. The water directly above my guppy tank heater looks weird. Almost like something is coming out of it. It almost looks like heatwaves on top of hot pavement. I'm not sure about what I'm seeing, which makes me concerned. I think I have it set to 80 degrees F. Is the heater becoming faulty? Am I just actively seeing the water being heated? Does it need to be decommissioned? What do you guys think? I appreciate your guys' help!

Link to heater in question: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073P6NW71

Thank you for the very detailed response!

So far I have only bought a Fluval 25W heater. I am planning to put this in the pump compartment. I hope it will be sufficient. Otherwise I will upgrade to a 50W compact heater. The ambient temperature in my basement can drop to 60F when we are at work on a cold day. 25W might end up being insufficient.

I am waiting for the Spec V to go on sale here in Canada.

You are right about modding the tank. That is a big part of the experience. I would like to buy the upgraded 3rd party media basket but it runs close to $50. I think I will run it with the stock filter except I will swap out the charcoal media out for ceramic on day 1.

My biggest question right now is about lighting. I have been looking at purchasing two Fluval PCL13s. Do you have any experience with that light by any chance? Or should I get the LED light by Fluval? I am not looking forward to cutting pieces out of the lid to make the light fit. But I don't believe there is any way around that...

I've successfully used a water bath with my Speidel. I put it in a large plastic tub (similar to this https://smile.amazon.com/United-Solutions-TU0014-Nineteen-Featuring/dp/B005SB1P82/ref=sr_1_2), then filled the tub with water approximately to the same level as the wort inside the fermenter. I placed an aquarium heater (similar to this https://smile.amazon.com/Aquarium-Heater-Submersible-Water-Thermostat/dp/B073P6NW71/ref=sr_1_2_sspa) in the water and set it to the temp I wanted. You may have to fiddle with the temperature to get it where you want, but if you're patient it will work pretty well.

I've gone through 3-4 different heater brands. I highly recommend Eheim. It allows you to calibrate it so you get exactly the temperature you want.


EHEIM Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater 100W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SNU1I2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YVzyxbMR0SMV4


Don't worry about getting one that is rated for a tank larger than yours. I have a 50 watt in my 5 gallon tank and it shuts off perfectly at my set temperature of 78°F.

Got some various DIY glycol chiller questions:

• I plan to use this AC unit. Do I need to implement a delay time between cycling the unit on and off? If so, how long?
  
  
• When/how often should I recirculate the glycol, and how long should I do it each time?
  
  
• Is there an ideal temperature difference between the glycol reservoir and the fermenter temperatures? Or in other words, should I change up the glycol temperatures depending on whether I'm fermenting or cold crashing?
  
  
• If the answer is yes to the above, I'm assuming then I should get a heater to heat the glycol up if I want to change the temperature of it. What heater would you recommend? I was thinking of this one.

I like the Aquaclear 20 a lot. It moves a lot of water, you can customize the media (like adding more biomedia, Purigen instead of carbon, etc), can easily adjust flow, and is VERY quiet. I've used the Whispers and they're alright, but tended to blow my biggest betta around. It is possible to baffle it with a cut water bottle (google it) but I prefer the Aquaclear hands down.

Heater: Eheim 50w (adjustable), Cobalt 50w (also adjustable, and looks sleek). A lot of people like the Hydor heaters as well.

Thermometer: the Marina one. Strips tend to not be as accurate.

So I actually posted this as a thread about 20 minutes ago but it was removed without telling me why... Maybe it fits better here anyway...

So I'm about to set up the laser in the garage - after drilling the hole for the venting I'm hoping to have it up and tested this weekend. And then I thought of something....

I'm going to have a glass tube filled with water in an unheated garage... There's a server-rack in the corner, and it's not likely to get below freezing in there, but it's possible. I really don't want the water freezing in the tube.

I have a CW-5000 chiller sitting in the box waiting to be installed. There doesn't appear to be any protection against freezing built into it either, so I'm wondering what the options are:

• Antifreeze. This seems to be problematic. According to 'lasergods' (really?) the conductivity is an issue, and RV antifreeze - which has the lowest conductivity - is prone to "excessive" bacterial growth. I've seen tig welder coolant suggested as a low-conductivity alternative, but that seems to be corrosive to some things, and I'm not sure if it would be a problem for the cooling system loop components.
  
  
• Warming the water. The tank of water is contained within the CW5000, so I doubt that's an option. If I get an inline heater, I'd still have to pump it through the system, and I'm not sure if the CW5000 would allow that (depends on which type of pump it uses itself)
  
  
• Draining the tube/chiller at the end of every session. That doesn't seem like a great plan.
  
  
• Warming the garage up. I guess I could put a space heater in there, but I'm not overflowing with enthusiasm for this idea either. Those things have been known to go on fire, and we do go on vacation in the winter...
  
  All this assumes there's a temperature-monitoring system that can control an external pump/heater, but aquarium monitors have that down pat, and some temp. monitors can control relays like that too.
  
  So, in a plea to the wisdom of crowds... What do y'all do ? :)

The HOB filters are fine if you put a sponge over the intake. Shrimp do fine with medium/high flow. You should get this kind of heater because they cannot malfunction and cook your livestock. Finally, I would recommend getting the plants to grow first, as your shrimp feed off the bio-film and feel safest among the plants.

With a 3.5 gallon you might be able to put one or two shrimp depending on how friendly of a betta you get. Black gravel looks really cool with bettas, especially if you get a light colored one. Remember that with a betta the water needs to be about 75-80 degrees F, so you might need a small heater. I have these in two of my smaller tanks and they work really well for a decent price.

Bettas are tropical and will not do well at 70F for very long. 76-82 is a good range to shoot for. ViaAqua has a decent and reliable 100W heater for around $13. Eheim Jager heaters are rock solid and super reliable for a little more than $20. I'd suggest getting a heater ASAP.

Fish in cycling will also be rough on your betta, but is manageable with frequent water changes. Is there anything else in the 10 gallon? What kind of filter do you have? Do you have a water test kit to monitor the nitrates and ammonia?

Edit: Can you move the tank to a warmer part of the house until you're able to get a heater?

Sure! It's this one.

I'm sure there's higher quality out there, but this has mostly good reviews and I just need something small/cheap to start with while I research further.

As far as equipment goes, get an AquaClear 20 (or 30) filter, an Aqueon (or other reliable brand, I've used Hydor with good luck) ADJUSTABLE heater. A thermometer. The lights you get depends on what you plan on doing with your tank. You're also going to need a water testing kit, a dechlorinator (most people will recommend Seachem Prime).

Is this going to be your first aquarium?

I've had great experience with Zo oMed in my 1.5 gal tank. I've seen a lot of bad reviews about it, but here I am in year 3 of using it and it's been wonderful.

I have the fluval e300 and love it. They make a 200w version, you could go with that. What size tank is this for? The 300w version is only a buck more too on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Here are some pictures from setting up the hardscape, as well as a close up of the plants

And here's some info!


Tank - mr aqua 12g long The back of the tank has been painted with plastidip.

Filter - Eheim 2215

Heater - Hydor 200w inline heater

Light - Current USA Satellite LED+. Have it dimmed to ~60% RGB/White on a memory setting.

Light stand - This off amazon which I had to bend a bit since it's narrower than the Satellite.

Pipes - Chinese lily pipes off ebay. Going to be replacing them with these stainless steel ones


----------------

Sand - Carib sea sand

Gravel substrate - Seachem Flourite

Rocks - Seiryu Stone I bought a few packs and have a good amount extra, just to use interesting pieces. Took a chisel to one rock to get smaller parts to work with.

Wood - 4 Pieces of small / medium spiderwood from my LFS. My LFS had a good selection and they let me configure some pieces to see how they'd work together.

-----------------

Plants:

• Anubias Nana Petite
  
• Cryptocoryne Parva
  
• Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
  
• Java Fern Sp. Narrow
  
• Anubias Nana Thick Leaf
  
• Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red
  
• Staurogyne Repens
  
  -----------------
  No fauna yet but I plan on moving my RCS over, and getting some micro crabs and possibly another type of shrimp!

Personally I greatly prefer Eheim heaters, as do amazon reviewers. I would suggest getting an Eheim heater instead of the one you have listed.

Here is a little quick start guide that says "You should have between 4-6 watts of heating per gallon. It is normally best to evenly spread this out. In my 55 tank I have two 150 watt heaters. One at each end of the tank."

Here is a 250W Eheim heater

You'll need to get an adjustable heater then, likely 100 watt. Like this one.

You can treat with meds instead, like ich-x, but heat + salt has worked well for me in the past.

They make a cover for the Fluval Chi. Here is a link for you:

http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A13957-Fluval-Chi-Cover/dp/B005QRDEDM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332723783&sr=8-1

It does an excellent job at covering as much of the surface as possible, and is only $7. Also here is a decent heater (The same one that I use in my Fluval Chi, and Fluval Edge):

http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Edge-25W-Compact-Heater/dp/B002Y2LEG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1332723831&sr=1-1

Shopping list.
Filter - https://www.amazon.com/Tetra-25772-Whisper-Filter-20-Gallon/dp/B0002DHY4K/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503975350&sr=1-4&keywords=20+gallon+filter

Light - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C84SLRO/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp?smid=A33ZKFW4KOEZQ4

Substrate - https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Eco-Complete-20-Pound-Planted-Aquarium/dp/B0002DH0QM/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503976036&sr=1-2&keywords=tank+sand+black

Heater - https://www.amazon.com/Mylivell-Aquarium-Heater-Submersible-Thermostat/dp/B073P6NW71/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503976318&sr=1-4&keywords=20+gallon+tank+heater

I want to do a rock wall, like this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROZPt7M2uIk.

So I should put all the above together in the tank with water and then cycle that for 2+ weeks before trying to add plants, then cycle that another 2+ weeks before trying to add fish?

I have this one. It should work for 10 gallon and you wouldnt need to upgrade it if you get a 20 gallon tank. I set it about an inch horizontally under the surface so that he can rest on it. He loves the heater
Orlushy Submersible Aquarium Heater 100W for Marine Reef Fish Tank Sump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2L8DZR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_InB2Db5XRQ1FD

Just a quick tip, if you want to hide the fact you have a heater, get an inline one. I picked up the Hydor 200w inline heater and it's been fantastic, I just cut my return hose and added it right in the middle, I did make sure to ensure it is completely vertical and not on an angle as I read that can lead to bubbles in the heater and cause it to be damaged.

here's a 2.5 gal that comes with a filter and light. I keep my betta in one of these and have a heater and a thermometer and he's doing really well.

Would this be a good choice?

ViaAqua 100-Watt Quartz Glass Submersible Heater with Built-In Thermostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00513MZ1I/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_QQj9ub0SDDDV6
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00513MZ1I/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_QQj9ub0SDDDV6

Or what is the minimum temperature I should look for? 65?

Edit: also, I realize my main concern is keeping temperatures down (I live in Vegas). These aquarium heaters probably don't do a good job of controlling at keeping at 65-68 if the ambient temperature is like 80. Am I right?

Also - some sites for reference

Care Sheet for Red Eared Sliders

Austins Turtle Page

Turtle Times

Read through the forum here for helpful info. It's a very robust community of posters from around North America and beyond. I learned a lot from posters here.

Also, depending on the ambient room temperature, you may need a water heater for the young turtle. Younger turts are more susseptable to resperitory illness and things of that nature so make sure to read up on the temp requirments for these guys. You can find very affordable heaters

I have this Eheim Jager 75w on my 20 long.

It's been working great. It's too long to fit vertically, so I have it at a slight angle. No complaints so far.

I've used a few of these sponge filters in my setups and recently bought one of these heaters that seems to work pretty well, but might take up too much space in a tiny setup.

http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Betta-Submersible-Heater-Aquarium/dp/B00AE23Z88/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458162226&sr=8-3&keywords=betta+bowl+heater

Marina is a solid brand in my book. Had luck with one of these for a while, but havent used one very recently.

Go try to return it anyways. Just say it overheats and nearly killed your fish. Get a fully submersible heater, like this one and never worry again. These eheims are very reliable and easy to callibrate the thermostat,

There's these tiny little heaters you can buy on Amazon and ebay meant for minuscule Betta tanks. I live in a pretty warm climate (Australia) but winter's coming down here. I can't personally recommend the one in the link because I haven't bought it, but these little 5 watt heaters seem to be the way to go. I plan on getting one at some point.

Could this work? http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Betta-Submersible-Heater-Aquarium/dp/B00AE23Z88

It is the same brand as the tank that I bought and was even recommended on their box.

It's currently at 76.2 F and has typically been in the 75-77 range. I've seen it as low as 74 I believe. (Mind you I'm using this cheap thermometer though so I wouldn't 100% trust its readings: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SJ1H7A/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

I use this heater, had it for 3 weeks so far plugged in 24/7 and it's doing just fine: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090I7RC2/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have 4 females and 2 males. After being in my tank for about 4 days 1 of them was berried. The other 3 females are saddled and apparently ready any minute now for a male to fertilize 'em.

I got this: ViaAqua 100-Watt

On Amazon it was $14 and change

Eheim Jagar, readily available on Amazon.

EHEIM Jager Aquarium Thermostat Heater

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003M7P9YU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_jKgGwb0RM4XKN

Probably select the 200 watt model for a 55 gallon.

I bought a large beverage tub, the kind you'd put a keg in for a party. Then placed an aquarium heater in it. My basement was dropping my carboy down to 62 and with this setup I was able to keep it at 72-74.

Kind of a poor picture but you get the idea.
http://imgur.com/OniXLA6


Here is the heater I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00513MZ1I/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1416786670&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

The Inkbird or whatever controller you end up using will have a temperature probe to put in the thermowell you are going to use.

https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Inkbird-Digital/dp/B077N22T3W/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1519254178&sr=1-9&keywords=inkbird


If you look at the picture in the link above, the cord with the silver tip is the temp probe that you will put into the thermowell to be able to measure the temp of the wort.

Hydor slim heater

Small sponge filter

Suitable air pump that comes with an adjustable valve, so you can damped flow.

Air tubing plus check valve

Get an inkbird. Will turn on/off based on your temp you set.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077N22T3W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_WLLWAbRZQ3MNF

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002JEMM6/ref=twister_B00ZX0EJCC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Inkbird

I use the temperature controller that you linked with one of these Hydor in-line heaters.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydor-7-5w-Heater-Bettas-Bowls/dp/B0079G74TI

Dude, get a STC1000 Temperature Controller eire it up and get a Heat Cable I set it to say 60 f and forget about it. All for about $30 and if your not good with electronics get a Inkbird Temperature Controller. Put the cider someplace cool and that's it oh and get a mini fridge. And if it's just a 1 gallon batch I got this crock pot plugged into my stc 1000.

Ahh I see. If you have a canister filter than I would recommend these if you dont want the heater in your tank. I am using one now and I see no issues with it.

EDIT: Heater link Not sure of what wattage you'd need.

That's an M model. I'm sorry I ended up looking at the E model which does have a cage on it. https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I?th=1 In that case I don't think they'd be that different.

I've had the same Fluval E300 for two years with no problems. My tank is much larger than yours, so you could downgrade the wattage, though.

You set the temperature manually, and the display will light up red if the water goes within a two degree difference either way from your set temp. However, it is more of a temperature regulator than a heater. If you put it in 50 degree water and set it at 72 degrees, it won't be able to heat it that high. If you start at ~72, it will maintain that temperature. The changing display light is especially helpful when doing water changes. It does have to be totally submerged, but that only requires about 3 inches of water, which you should have anyway.

I've never checked the temps, but maybe a medical heating pad? We use this as our beardie doesn't like heat on his belly.

My ZooMed heating pad died after about 6 months, I use this one now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00164K2H0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works well but I use a mini fridge as my chamber.

Fluval sells a specific heater just for their systems. It's a 25 watt heater that will keep the temperature at a constant temperature, it has no controller on it.

http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Edge-25W-Compact-Heater/dp/B002Y2LEG6

I'm using this one. I stuck a separate thermometer into the water, too, since it's really hard to read the heater's setting when it's submerged (I assume because it's designed to be viewed through an aquarium).

Heater

Air Pump I stopped using because with all the plants it was unnecessary

Lights

Filter is a Penn-Plax 20 gallon dual carbon / sponge filter, I can't find a link for it, sorry

I also have small tanks of around 2.5 gallons for my bettas (only because the apartment I live in restricts them to around 3 gallons). I have to be on top of water quality maintenance though, so API Freshwater Master Test Kit (buy on amazon.com cheaper than most LFS) to frequently check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. I also have to do 50% water changes around every 2-3 days to maintain a decent water condition, and use Seachem Prime (water conditioner) + Seachem Stability (BB) + Seachem Pristine (BB) to help in between water changes. Also buy a clear plastic or glass turkey baster, specifically to do spot-cleaning to suck up any poos or leftover food pieces that you can see, any time you see any waste sitting around.
For heaters, I have Marina 8-watt Always-On type, but plugged into external thermostat Outlet controller to maintain proper temps without boiling my bettas (cuts off heater power when max set temp is reached).

Temperature outlet controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB8LQA8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

up to 2.5 gallons Always-On heater (USE ONLY WITH THE EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE OUTLET CONTROLLER linked above, or other similar Temperature Outlet Controller): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AE23Z88/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (it says its for up to 1.5 gallon tanks, but since it's an always-on, it could work for slightly larger tanks, if using the appropriate temperature outlet controller).

COMFY Temperature zone for bettas = 78-80 F, so set the temperature outlet controller's low temp to 77 F, and max temp to 82 F, then stick the probe in the water (preferably across from the heater, in the tank) put the heater submerged in the water, and then plug the heater into the outlet controller. DO NOT plug the heater in before putting it into the tank. (and you probably know to rinse everything in hot water before first use, NO SOAPS)

Plants - CLOTH types (test plastic parts w/ pantyhose if any rips/snags/tears then NO NO unless you get rid of the sharp parts) or LIVE plants (can quarantine up to 2 weeks to observe for any unwanted hitch-hikers)

Hidey-Cave - No sharp pokey edges or innards, or tiny spaces betta can get stuck in.

High quality FOOOOD: NORTHFIN Betta Bits http://www.northfinusa.com/betta-bits/ , https://www.amazon.com/Northfin-Food-Betta-Pellet-Package/dp/B00M4Q5DQ4
OR New Life Spectrum Betta https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Formula-Semi-Float/dp/B0038JTL1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1503088646&sr=1-1&keywords=new+life+spectrum+betta
Test pellet-size soaked in water to observe the fully swollen size; betta tummy = size of their eyeball, feed accordingly the number of pellets as judged by the water-soaked size.

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-AZMBP5-0-12-Ounce/dp/B003ZWCTZO
(additional variety food, for a happy healthy betta)