Fish tanks can house different species of fish. For example, tropical fish can be your pet, but they may require a different temperature from cold-water fish. This is why you may need to look for the best heater for 5 gallon tank.
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A heater does the job of heating your tank’s temperature so that it may be suitable for your fish and make the environment similar to their hometown.
Take note that not all heaters work well with all tanks – you should know which tank size you have before buying. Too much heat and it can kill your fish!
Additionally, aside from tropical fish, even coldwater fish such as goldfish may need a tank heater if you live in a very cold country where water can get extremely cold for fish to survive.
Top Heaters for 5 Gallon Tank
Here are our top picks for the best heater for 5 gallon aquarium:
boxtech Submersible Aquarium Heater
Made with automatic digital control, this one is made with explosion-proof material so that it will be safe to use even under pressure.
At 50 watts of power working for 110-volt systems, it has a range of 68 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit so you can set it to the right temperature that you need.
Since it has an automatic stop feature when you lift it up to the water, it is going to be safe to operate.
Additionally, it also automatically stops when you have reached the ideal setting that you configure it to.
This can give you less headache and hassle in having to set it up again.
Things We Liked
- The explosion-proof quartz glass material
- The external thermostat is easy to use
- Non-slip silicone cups
- No more than 0.5 degrees of difference in its temperature accuracy
Things We Didn’t Like
- The wire could be too long
Hygger Titanium Tube Submersible Pinpoint Aquarium Heater
This one has a digital thermostat with an LCD screen, which makes it easier for you to know the right temperature and set it accordingly.
It has two suction cups for you to place it onto your aquarium and setting the thermostat is quite easy due to the up and down buttons.
You can also change the unit to Fahrenheit and Celsius for added convenience.
The titanium housing makes it more durable than most heaters that are made of glass.
You can use it for either freshwater or marine/saltwater aquarium due to its design and it has corrosion-resistant material as well.
With 50 watts of power, it has a waterproof grade of IPX8, which means it can be submerged up to 4 feet underwater.
Things We Liked
- Durable titanium material
- Good submersible rating of IPX8
- Has two suction cups
- LCD screen for easy controls
Things We Didn’t Like
- Could get too hot for fish to touch
Mylivell Aquarium Heater Submersible Auto Thermostat Heater
As a fish tank heater, this one can be set from 65 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit and it is also rated IPX8 so it is submersible up to 4 feet as well.
Quartz glass is used for this one so it is less prone to explosions and overheating.
You can also use this for saltwater aquariums other than freshwater ones due to the waterproof design.
The unit comes with 2 suction cups for easy installation while the plug is also polarized to avoid the likelihood of accidents.
Its dial can be easily adjusted to set your tank’s temperature. It can be used if you have a betta fish tank of 5 gallons.
Things We Liked
- Great for betta fish tanks
- Rated IPX8 for waterproof qualities
- Easy to set up on its thermostat dial
- Can be used on saltwater aquariums
Things We Didn’t Like
- The temperature could have a bit of difference in very hot settings
Hygger Titanium Aquarium Heater for Salt Water
If you have a saltwater tank, this may be for you. It is rated for use in 110-120-volt systems and has 50 watts of power.
Because of its digital controls and screen, you can easily set it to the desired temperature.
This one is similar to our previous Hygger brand that we reviewed earlier but this one is meant for saltwater systems.
It has an emergency stop when it reaches the set temperature and it also automatically starts when you place it in the water.
What’s more, it remembers your last setting! Using the buttons can be easy for most aquarium keepers.
Things We Liked
- Easy to set up
- Has digital displays
- Good for saltwater systems
- Remembers your last temperature setting
Things We Didn’t Like
- No separate temperature control
Mylivell Aquarium Heater Submersible with Case
This heater is a different model from our previous one since this one has a protective case to shield it from the fish so it doesn’t get too hot for them to touch.
It has 50 watts of power and is fully submersible so you can easily set it up. Since it has covered design, you can use it even for saltwater aquariums just fine.
The thermostat can be set between 68 and 93 degrees Fahrenheit and it can be easily attached to the back part of your aquarium wall without getting in the way of your fish.
Things We Liked
- IPX8 waterproof rating
- Has a protective cover to shield it from the fish
- Can be used in saltwater aquariums
- Has suction cups
- Low profile design
Things We Didn’t Like
- The dial can be a bit hard to read sometimes
Things to Consider
After our heater for 5 gallon tank reviews, you may also want to consider the following when you want to look for the ideal heater:
Why do I need a heater for a fish tank?
Most aquarium keepers will recommend you to get a heater if you are keeping fish that require tropical temperatures so that they can thrive normally.
Having a heater in your aquarium will keep the optimum temperature of the fish. However, even cold-water fish may still need a certain temperature as well, so they can still use it.
How do I choose the best tank heater?
To choose out of the different products out there, here are some criteria you may want to consider:
- The size of your tank. The best rule of thumb is to start with 25 watts for every 5 gallons of water, which means that 25 watts are the minimum for very small tanks. Having a heater that is too hot for very small fish tanks could possibly kill fish, and heaters that are too low on power may not work well for most larger tanks. We’ll discuss the specifics on later sections for 5-gallon tanks.
- Your budget. No one wants to keep fish on a short budget, so you may also want to consider a cheaper option at first if you are new to fish keeping, and then gradually work your way up towards better products. Keep in mind that you still need to consider products that are safe and will not kill your fish (or harm them).
- The space of your aquarium. You may not like a tank heater that gets too bulky for the fish to swim or too much of an eyesore in your aquarium, so you may want to look for a heater that doesn’t take up way too much space inside your aquarium, whether it is a submersible type or the one type that you can just use a suction cup with to attach to the glass walls.
- The fish you have. Do you have tropical fish or do you have cold water fish? Tropical ones may need more temperature adjustments than coldwater ones since they cannot survive in very cold water.
- Examples of tropical fish are gouramis, swordtails, plecostomus, harlequin rasbora, and black skirts.
- On the other hand, saltwater fish for beginners may include the clownfish (a.k.a. Nemo), longnose hawkfish, firefish goby, yellow tang, and the Auriga butterflyfish.
Here is a helpful chart for you to know which temperature may be ideal for your fish:
| Type of fish | Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) | |
| Minimum | Maximum | |
| Goldfish | 65 | 68 |
| Fancy tail goldfish | 65 | 72 |
| Tropical fish | 72 | 80 |
| Betta fish | 74 | 80 |
| Swordtails | 72 | 79 |
| Yellow tang | 75 | 82 |
| Gourami | 74 | 79 |
| Harlequin rasbora | 72 | 81 |
| Plecos | 69 | 80 |
| Clownfish | 72 | 78 |
- Safety features. A good set of safety features to look in a heater would be the following:
- Automatic start when placed in water. At the same time, it also automatically stops when you pull it out of the water for safety. This can mean that it will be less prone to overheating and such.
- Automatic stop when reached the desired temperature. When you set it to a specific degree, the heater should already stop there and not raise or lower the temperature.
- Waterproof material. IPX8 ratings are the most ideal ratings for any heater in a tank so that it can be submersible up to 4 feet.
- Explosion-proof material. Milky quartz glass is mostly used for this, but titanium heaters are also good since they tend to be more durable, although they need to be enclosed in a case to avoid getting the fish fried.
What’s the ideal wattage I should use for 5 gallons of water in a tank?
A fish tank with 5 gallons of water is best with 25-watt, 50-watt, or 75-watt heaters since they don’t heat as much. Remember that you should always keep in mind that heaters could kill fish if they get too hot, so consider the size of the tank before you buy the tank heater.
How do I use a heater for a fish tank?
Here are the simple steps on how to use your heater for your fish tank:
- Read the instruction manual on how to set it up. There are generally two kinds of heaters for fish tanks: the ones that are submersible and can lay low on the substrate and the ones that can be attached using suction cups.
Refer to the manual that is included in your purchase to know how to set up the heater for the tank. Usually, it requires for the heater to be fully submerged and you shouldn’t turn it on when it is still not in the water to avoid accidents.
The heater is also best placed in an area that is closest to the filter so that when your filter blows out the clean air, it will effectively heat it up and circulate it throughout the aquarium or fish tank.
- Wait for the temperature to rise. It may take about 24 hours depending on the size of your tank and the wattage of your heater. For smaller tanks that are about 5 to 10 gallons, you may have to wait on a shorter time since there is less water to heat as compared to larger tanks. However, you shouldn’t be impatient and install a higher wattage tank heater because too hot of a heater could possibly harm your fish.
- Monitor with an external thermometer. Don’t always depend on the thermostat of the fish tank heater – consider putting an external thermometer to always check on the temperature if it is just right, otherwise, you could be harming your fish.
Conclusion
Our top pick would be the boxtech Submersible Aquarium Heater due to its explosion-proof quartz glass material, non-slip silicone cups, easy setup thermostat, and accurate temperature.
You can just easily create a workaround on the wire length and it does the job well. Most of our other top picks didn’t have as accurate readings like this one, so we chose this from the rest.
To wrap it up, choosing an aquarium heater for 5 gallon tank can be a bit tricky, but if you know the criteria then you’ll surely find something for your needs. We hope you liked our reviews of the best heaters for 5-gallon tanks!
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