heater thread

[reef tank 2.0]

As I was reading the newbie section of reefing which was started by WATERKEEPER, the topic of heaters came up. Here is the quote:

"For a 110 three 150 watt heaters are usually enough. I use one active heater in the sump of my 130 and one in the tank. The third heater is set a couple of degrees lower and serves as an emergency back up. I only use a little over two watts per gallon to keep my own 130 at 80º F. I find that the larger the tank the less watts it takes to heat it. Of course, it takes a lot longer to get it up to temperature when you first start out but, hopefully, you will not need to do that again on an established tank. Smaller tanks lose heat more rapidly than large tanks so you will need higher wattage per gallon if you have a nano. I usually find small tanks, 30 gallons or less need about 4-5 wpg to maintain a stable temperature."

Now with that. I have a 130 gallon tank and would like to have all equipment inside the sump, rather than in the tank itself. Is it wise to have (2) xxwatt heaters in the sump? If so, do I get two heaters that can individually heat the 130 gallon tank? Or do you buy two small ones to work together?

can anyone help me in deciding how many and what wattage would be best?

thank you

 

[DDon]

I use 2 heaters in my sump. 1 is set at my desired temp with second set a degree or 2 lower in the event the main heater fails or cannot keep up for some reason. Both are hooked up to my apex so outlet will shut off in event heater fails on. No heaters in my display.

 

[thegrun]

It is best to split the total wattage needed between two heaters. Heaters tend to stick in the on position when they go bad, so splitting the wattage between two heaters usually will give you time to notice the problem before your tank is overheated to the point of causing a complete crash, if you only had one heater you would not have much time before things went bad. Most of us use between 3 and 5 watts per gallon of the display tank in total wattage depending upon how cold you let the room get where the tank is located. I would go with 400-500 watts for your system (2-200 watt or 2- 250 watt heaters). Even with two heaters it is still strongly recommended to use a controller.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

thank you, i appreciate it.

so lets say i want my tank at 78 degres (just saying), one of the heaters would be set at 78, and I would have the second heater set at say 75 degrees, right?

with both heaters running together, that means they wouldnt have to stay on as long at one time, right?

 

[RocketEngineer]

The heater at 75 would only turn on once the water temperature was under 75. Once it was above 75, that heater would turn off and the other would stay on until it hit 78 degrees. The heater set at 78 will run more often and for longer times than the one at 75 but you don't want to change temp too fast.

I use a system like this on my tank but I chose 76 and 78 as my set points to ensure the tank never gets below 75.

And I agree with thegrun, a controller for the heaters is highly recommended.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

appreciate the feedback

 

[ayionna06]

I wish mine was that easy. My sump is in the basement which is 125 gallons. My fuge is also in my basement. The fuge sits higher than my sump amd is gravity fed to drain into sump. It gets cold here in New York so it's a pain to try and maintain temp. Not to include my boiler took a crap last winter. My display tank is right above the sump on the first floor. Distance in height maybe 10 feet. I usually experience quite a difference in temp from my sump and main tank

 

[Ma_reefer]

I wish mine was that easy. My sump is in the basement which is 125 gallons. My fuge is also in my basement. The fuge sits higher than my sump amd is gravity fed to drain into sump. It gets cold here in New York so it's a pain to try and maintain temp. Not to include my boiler took a crap last winter. My display tank is right above the sump on the first floor. Distance in height maybe 10 feet. I usually experience quite a difference in temp from my sump and main tank

I'm in Massachusetts and I'd agree that the winters can be rough

 

[ayionna06]

Anyone with any ideas or suggestions as far as wattage or how many heaters I should use? Greatly appreciated. I'm going out today to get new heaters so I know what to pick up. My tank is below the desired temp. My fish are lethargic and my corals don't seem to be too happy either

 

[RocketEngineer]

3-5 watts of heater per gallon of system volume is a good start. Split that wattage between two different heaters.

My system has about 120g of water in it (not the "tank size", the actual volume of water inside the glass). I have two 250w heaters and in the winter keep my house around 70F. So I have 500W of heaters on 120g of water.

 

[ayionna06]

So I would need almost 1500 watts then. Main tank is 240. Minus sands and rocks let's say 200. Sump in basement is 125. Half filled plus some live rock so let's say 60 gallons. Fuge is also in basement which is 75 gallons. Minus the rocks let's say 55 gallons. Total water volume approx 300-320 gallons

 

[Owensue]

It is a good idea to keep 1 in the display, say your main pump dies while your away, at least you have heat and circulation from power heads. Even a small 'backup' that would help keep from a rapid temp drop.

 

[Teenreefer15]

split the necessary wattage between two heaters. You won't regret it when your heaters go bad and get stuck in the on position.