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Jerrick 
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Joined: January 07 2011
Location: Logan
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 Topic: HEATER SUGGESTIONS?
Posted: March 02 2011 at 1:40pm |
I have a 150 W Submersible now but it just does not keep up on cold nights......My tank is a 65 Gallon with a 20 gallon fuge and a 50 gal ( 40 actual water ) so approx 110 Gallons total Water. I looked online and there are so many!!!! that range from $12 for a 300W http://cgi.ebay.com/Aquarium-Heater-300W-300-watts-Submersible-up-to-90-gal_W0QQitemZ160508128031QQcategoryZ46311QQcmdZViewItem#ht_3532wt_1139
HELP ANY SUGGESTIONS!
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SGH360
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Joined: April 04 2010
Location: Centerville, UT
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 2:43pm |
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ebay is not a good idea IMO when it comes to heaters. i would have recommend the stealth heaters but after the recall i would think twice. I replace them with the fluval M series is not fully submersible. I would just buy another 150w of the same brand that you have on your tank right now since it proven to be reliable.
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Mark Peterson
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Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 10:20pm |
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A 175W heater should be able to keep that system nice and toasty.
If you don't mind let's help you look at a few things:
What brand is it?
Is it mounted vertically or horizontally?
How cold does the tank get at night?
How cold is the room at night?
What temperature do the room and the tank warm up to during the day?
Are you setting the heater by the marking on the knob or by the actual temperature of the tank?
It's probably less of a problem than you think. It could be the simple fact that most often the knob marking/setting is not accurate.
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Jerrick
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Posted: March 03 2011 at 11:47am |
Well The room does get pretty cold at night......It is upstairs and there is no heat vent in the room...so it could easily get down to 55 or 60......I didn't think about the knob not being accurate... The Heater is not vertical or horizontal it is slanted...The other night the tank dropped down to 75....I have a control unit that when the tank drops to 77 it turns on the heaters and when it rises to 78 the heaters turn off and when it gets 79 the fan turns on......does that make sense????? The Fan does a pretty decent job at not letting the tank rise past 80....The room really does not heat up past 68 during the day now......SUMMER is a different story and I will have a window AC running during the day..........
PLAN! Turn the knob on the heater up to 80 to make sure that when the control unit is turning the power on to the heater that it is actually heating.....since the heater itself might not be accurate............I Still think it might be smart to have 2 heaters JUST IN CASE ONE decides to FAIL!!! SO I would still like a second heater in my system NO MATTER WHAT! WOULDN'T YOU SUGGEST THAT????
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bfessler
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Posted: March 03 2011 at 1:04pm |
Having redundant heaters is a good idea especially in a room with little heat. I like the Via Aqua Titanium heaters mainly for the remote control which makes adjusting the temp easy without getting into the tank.
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Burt
An equal opportunity reefer,
I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping.
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Ahanix
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Posted: March 04 2011 at 1:04am |
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My very favorite brand of heater so far is the Rena Smartheater. Has been extremely accurate, they are pretty small and cool to the touch always
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kellerexpress
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Posted: March 04 2011 at 1:14am |
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I also like the via aqua titanium heaters
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IM 30L
Kessil A160we x2
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CapnMorgan
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Posted: March 06 2011 at 12:55am |
+1 for the titanium heaters, I use a 500w and have had no problems.
If you don't like the Via Aqua, check out the Ebo Jager. They last forever and are reliable.
And as Burt said redundant heaters are always a good idea. I personally use 2. One set for 75.5 on my controller, and one at 72 in case the first one fails.
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Steve My Old 180G Mixed ReefCurrently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: March 06 2011 at 1:07am |
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Heaters usually fail in the "ON" position.
The best way to use two heaters is to use undersized heaters. If one fails "ON" you will have time to notice the water being warmer than usual. With a larger heater, it "cooks" the tank within hours. Unfortunately this usually happens while you are away.
Having two heaters does not really matter when you have a controller. In fact you can use a failed "ON" heater on a controller, because the controller is the thermostat. As you correctly figured, when using a controller, the heater knob should be turned to a position where the heater thermostat is constantly in the "ON" position. I would guess that is why the tank was cooler than you expected. But take note, 75 degrees is not cold. It's very normal and healthy for many reasons.
Edited by Mark Peterson - March 06 2011 at 1:09am
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