Just recently welcomed a new friend Arthur (pictured above!) and I’m pretty sure I’m doing all of the right things.
I have a 3 gallon tank with a heater and a filter, and have some live plants inside so that he doesn’t get bored. The tank was the Top Fin starter kit, and I also bought the heater from the same brand.
He’s doing great so far, I love watching him explore. My poor friend I had for about 4 years in middle school was in a small tank with no accommodations, and I want my new friend to have the life he deserves.
Now here is my problem. I have a big phobia of fires being started. What is the likelihood that my tank will spark and start a fire? There are so many wires and electrical pieces coming out of this tank, and I’m afraid if I leave for a day and come back it will have malfunctioned and started something devastating.
This should have been something I thought of before I decided to commit to this responsibility, but I am committed and emotionally attached so I am here for peace of mind!
All suggestions and constricted criticism welcome!
https://i.redd.it/swbek06xfvrg1.jpeg
Posted by Sonnywithachanse
8 Comments
If you use a the drip bend (or whatever its called) you won’t risk anything.
Fire isn’t really a concern for me
Hi! Congrats on the new friend!! First things first – you should be okay. Ive been using an old ass heater i bought at a garage sale and a cheap Amazon HOB filter for YEARS and have had no issues. I’m also prone to anxiety so it’s very natural to worry something bad would happen. As long as you have your cords plugged into appropriate extension cords / surge protectors I’m sure you’ll be ok.
You may already know this, but 3gal is a little small – your little guy should be fine mentally and everything, but tank parameters tend to fluctuate faster the less water you have. So u may have to do water changes more often (I can’t remember exactly what helps lol). If you have enough cash to upgrade to a 5gal down the line and use the same filter/light/heater that would definitely help, but it’s not bad now!
Last thing – Check and see if the plants/rocks have any sharp edges if you haven’t. Flowy finned fish can be injured by plastic plants sometimes.
Fire shouldn’t be a problem. Have you looked into how to cycle a tank? You’ll need to test your water (preferably an API freshwater test kit, which is more accurate than strips) and do water changes accordingly. This will prevent your water from becoming toxic to the fish. The other issue you might run into is your tank size. 5 gallons is the recommended minimum size for betta fish, larger tanks also tend to be easier to cycle.
It’s more common for heaters to cook the tank when they malfunction than catch fire.
Don’t leave it plugged in during water changes or otherwise out of the water though. I had one burn up that way, but it kind of just shattered and melted and smoked. It was a fairly old heater though.
If you’re concerned about the electric components get a gfci outlet.
There’s odds of fire within the tank are basically zero. There’s no oxygen in there to feed it.
The risk of an electrical fire starting outside the tank can be entirely mitigated by keeping the water inside the tank
If you’re worried water will somehow exit the tank you can 1) include a u-bend in the wire so it would drip on the floor and not reach the outlet and 2) use a GFCI outlet to make sure power is cut in case of any short.
Its more likely to leak then start a fire.
Get a inkbird for the heater and plug directly into the wall not an extension chords. Use a gfi. You’ll be fine
Drip loop and make sure the water is ALWAYS above the minimum level, I messed up a tank not noticing the water dropping below. It was pretty bad. Nothing else was damaged thank goodness.
As long as the cords are lower than the plugs, you will be fine. You could also install a GFCI outlet, or use a GFCI adaptor. This is something you should have if you ever place your hands in a tank of water with electrical devices in it.