Heater size

[Xavier613]

Tried searching the forums but couldnt really find an answer...

What size heater would you recommend for a 29gal tank with about a 15gal sump/fuge? I have a 200w heater and my temp is around 83 or so for the past few days... i keep turning it down to around 78 but it keeps going on and my thermometer says its at 83...either the thermometer is broken, the heater is broken or the heater is too big?

 

[JRWOHLER]

Or your lights are heating your water up. Oversized heater unless it is broken shouldn't have any effect. If it breaks and gets stuck on you can cook your tank. I don't think your heater falls in that catagory.

 

[Xavier613]

I dunno why CF lights would be cooking my tank... my room is at the same temp it has been since i got the tank set up... (advantage of a cement basement of a room and it has just been hot for this past few days...

Im back from work now, and i had the heater off for the past 5 hours. the temp is down to high 79 low 80's so im less worried now, just need to find the problem.

 

[jonathan.]

83 is not a bad temperature.

 

[Xavier613]

ive seen it go as far as mid 85's and as low as 75... im just trying to stop the fluctuation. (sorry if i didnt mention that before, was on the way out the door) would a smaller heater work better in not heating the tank up a ton then not going on for a while

 

[Hawkeye]

if a heater is too small - you have the disadvantage of it constantly being on to try and warm the tank up in the winter. Of course the other problem with a correctly sized heater is if it gets "stuck"...

Some folks use two (smaller) heaters - this way if one gets stuck - it's not going to cook everything. Then also by having two - they don't work as "hard" to keep the tank heated during the winter.

Just an idea.

 

[mfisher2112]

What brand heater is it?

Keep in mind, MOST of the average heaters you buy for your tanks at your local store do not have accurate temperature settings on them. I disregard that completely and use the thermometer in the tank to set the heater. it takes some adjusting, but usually with a decent brand heater, once you've adjusted it to match the thermometer, it will hang pretty accurately at that setting.

I've seen heaters that were set at 76 take tank temps as much as 5 or more degrees in either direction. I've even tested more than one heater fresh out of the box of the same brand and had them behave completely the opposite of each other, with one being on the high side and one being on the low side.

If the tank temp is at 83, and your heater is coming on, adjust the heater down slightly until it goes off. Keep an eye on it and the temperature. If the heater comes on again before the temp in the tank is at the level you want it to be, turn it down slightly again until it goes off. Repeat until you get the tank temp stable, with the heater coming on when the tank drops below the temp you want it to be at. Whatever you do, I would never trust the adjustment settings on the dial.

I know it sounds like a pain in the behind, and could take some time, especially with less accurate heaters, but once you get it "tuned in", you shouldn't have a problem after that.

I generally keep my tank at a pretty constant 80 degrees with no ill effects.