Heaters

jamest0o0

New member
I have a heater for my tank that doesn't seem to be working right.... it keeps the temperature at safe levels, but it seems to change from 75-79 throughout the week even though I have it set on about 78... is this bad? should I get a new heater? If so what kind?

thanks
 
new heater

new heater

you do not want to have those kind of fluxuations in temperature , i would definitly replace the heater possiblie use two instead of one and make sure they are the right size for you tank.

jager makes a great product
 
The heater might be malfunctioning, or it might be set improperly. The temperature on the dial doesn't necessarily mean anything. :( If you have the time, it could be place in a small container of cold water with a pump, and then the temperature could be measured when it becomes stable. Otherwise, you could try moving the dial up when the temperature hits 75.

I don't trust heaters anymore, and use two of them plus a temperature controller on my tanks.
 
i have a Jäger and have the same problem. just ordered a Visi-Therm Deluxe Heater. gonna try running 2 people say its good incase you have one fail.
 
thanks a lot guys... so running two heaters is probably good? where do you guys place them in your tank, or doesn't it really matter?
 
Placement doesn't matter. Running two heaters is likely better. I stick to the Tronic heaters, because they have a reputation for failing "off", rather than trying to cook the tank. I've had 4-5 fail "off" and none fail "on".
 
I would definitly follow the others' advice and think about replacing the heater since most references say there should be only about 2 degrees of fluctuation in you tank temp (between lights on and off). However, reef lighting adding too much waste heat or big fluctuations in the room tempature can cause similar problems. Have you changed anything in the tank (or room) lately? Is this a day-night fluctuation or a day-to-day fluctuation?
If you do decide to replace the heater, the usual rule of thumb is to have about 3-5 watts of heater per gallon of tank water. Of course, you have to take into account where the tank is located. If the tank is in a cold/ hot room, subject to drafts, etc. you may need to increase or decrease your wattage. Dividing this total wattage across two heater allows you the safeguard of having at least some heating in the tank should a heater fail. Additionally, having two heaters allow you to space them out in your tank/ sump for more even heating.
E
 
Forgot to tell you. When I went looking to replace my heater, I bought two new Visitherms. Good brand (couldn't find anyone saying anything bad about them) and reasonable price. I got the stealth models which had the advantage of being sealed with thermal plastic (no glass to break). So far they have been dead on accurate.
E
 
Back
Top