# Heater or no Heater?



## GreenGreenGrass (Oct 23, 2010)

Do many people with 15 gal or less tanks go without a heater? I've got a 14 gal BioCube that I'm starting up again and it sits at 24 C. It's in a heated room so I'm not too worried with large temp swings. My primary goal is to grow Glosso and maybe have some shrimp.

Who has grown plants well without a heater?


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

If the room temp is maintained at that for the majority of times, it will be fine. For me my main tank normally sits at 23 degrees, but my wife started opening windows more often so it sits at 21 and will drop lower if i don't add one.


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## CGY_Betta_Guy (Jun 2, 2010)

If you are doing shrimp like CRS then the lower temperatures are fine and you dont need a heater as long as the room temp stays consistent. I think the plants wont have any issues with the temperature.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

I had a 5 gal that grew plants amazingly well without a heater. I ended up tearing it down because topping off was a PITA


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

depends entirely on what you're keeping. None of my shrimp-only tanks are unheated, same with white clouds, danios and heterandria.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> depends entirely on what you're keeping. None of my shrimp-only tanks are unheated, same with white clouds, danios and heterandria.


 None are unheated? Is that a typo?


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

Most of the plants we keep in the aquarium are tropical plants. They do prefer to be 20c to 28c temp.

Temperature swing isn't too bad as long as the low doesn't drop below 20c any time of the day. In the wild, plants goes through regular temperature swing from day and night.


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## christhefish (Nov 8, 2010)

it should be fine without a heater 
with a heater things will grow faster


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

The Biocube is pretty good at keeping in any heat it has, so if yours sits around a stable 24 degrees, I'd think it should be ok...but keep an eye on it as the winter comes along just to be safe.


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