Need your EXPERT advice on heaters for nano reefs :-) 01/11/09
Are there any new heaters out there that will really keep a 6 gallon
reef at a consistent decent temp? I was into reefs for about 12 years -
got out of it for a while - recently got back into it with a friends 6
gal nano cube. The heater she gave me will not keep a consistent temp
and goes anywhere from 78 - 84 plus degrees. Your EXPERT advice on
heaters would
be appreciated :-) thank you!
<I've always been a
fan of the Hydor products. They make this mini-heater that I've used
myself. I don't know if it would work for you, but it worked for me and
I like it.
http://www.petco.com/product/102429/Hydor-Mini-Aquarium-Heater.aspx
They also make other heaters that haven't disappointed me.
Best,
Sara M.>
Re: Need
your EXPERT advice on heaters for nana reefs :-) 01/12/09
:-( That's the one I have.... the temp is swinging really bad... will
check my thermometer...
<Hmm... strange... have you tried a second
thermometer? Thermometers are notoriously inaccurate.... try 2 other
thermometers. They don't have to be for aquariums necessarily... can be
the cheapo outdoor ones from Home Depot even. Just anything you can dip
in water will work...
Sara M.>
Marine substrate heating 12/18/07
Hi Crew,
<Hello.>
Thanks
for all your previous good advice. Every day and with your assistance I
am getting a step closer to my dream tank becoming a reality.
<Great!!>
I would like your opinion on the use of under gravel
heaters in marine tanks.
(the long rope type that go inside the tank
under the substrate, as apposed to the large flat ones that sit under
the glass bottom).
I am planning a 900L mixed tank with a 6" DSB and
sump. I have a digital Thermostat I was planning on using to power two
or more heaters but have am unsure where to place the probe or heaters I
have plenty of traditional heaters as well as an under gravel on the
shelf from previous years of hoarding in preparation for this big marine
setup. Working on the idea that I do want to keep the unsightly
traditional heaters out of the main tank.
Would you use an under
gravel in the main tank? Would this cause problems with "burning" life
close by in this relatively tightly packed (1mm crushed coral sand) or
stop it getting cold areas in such a DSB?
if sticking to traditional
heaters in the sump would you put the stat probe in the main tank or
keep things simple and just put the lot in the sump ?
<I would stick
with traditional heaters here. Just not enough water flow through a DSB
this thick. You will end up heating the substrate, not the water in it.
Put the probe upstream of the heaters in your sump. This will give an
accurate reading of your tanks temperature, keep the probe out of your
display and make things simple for you.>
Thanks again and regards
Steve H
<Welcome, have fun, Scott V.>
Re: New Tank And How. Heaters 9/23/07
I could not either,
but here it is:
http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/itemdetail.asp?itemid=PS-PCRPS-3000
I wonder how we should maintain the proper heat for this size tank. I
have a feeling several 100, 200 watt stick heaters will not maintain a
very accurate temp. I am looking for no more than +/- 1F in a 24-48 hour
period.
<Any quality heater should give you this. The Jager
Temperature Sensor Heaters are said to maintain an accuracy of +/- .5
degrees. Temperature swings of +/- three degrees are not harmful as long
the change is very gradual. The lighting system should pose no heat
problems with the chiller you have on your quote from Tenecor. James
(Salty Dog)>
Won Bros. Heater Failure (A Common Tale?)...What’s A Good Replacement? –
08/20/07
Hello WWM Crew!
<<Hey there Adrian!>>
I currently
have a Won Bros. 1000 watt Power Heat II Titanium Heater in my 300
gallon aquarium.
<<Mmm...that’s a big heater...>>
Unfortunately
the digital temperature reader went out on me a couple days ago.
<<I
had this same problem with a couple of the 300w heaters from this
manufacturer...cheap circuit boards I imagine>>
Is there a heater the
crew recommends which is more reliable and won't die on me?
<<I make
no guarantees, but I did a little research/heard good things about the
Finnex electronic titanium heaters so I purchased a couple of these
(year or so ago I believe) and they have performed well/are still
working well for me at the moment>>
Would it be advisable to use two
heaters instead of one?
<<In my opinion, yes...is safer/less chance
of damage should one “stick” on...also provides some backup until you
get a replacement should one fail. I use a pair of 300w units in my 375g
reef and they have proven quite sufficient...but if you want “more
power” they build units as large as 500w>>
Your assistance is
appreciated.
<<Happy to help>>
Your website is great . . . has
taught me many things.
<<Very good to know>>
Thanks,
Adrian
<<Regards, EricR>>
Closed-Loop Musings...And
Some Particularly Helpful Ebo-Jager Heater Info From a Reader/User of
Our Site – 05/17/07
Hello,
<<Greetings>>
This is my
first email to the "Crew".
<<Welcome!>>
I usually just search
the site for information. I am fairly new to the world of saltwater
tanks, but I have had a freshwater tank of some sort for over 15 years.
<<Cool>>
I converted my 125 gallon freshwater to a saltwater tank
almost a year and a half ago using the wealth of information from the
WWM site. I had four 3-inch holes (two on each side) drilled on the
back of the tank to accommodate 2-inch bulkheads.
<<Excellent>>
The glass company only had 2 or 3 inch bits. I also plumbed a ¾-inch
closed-loop around the perimeter of the tank with 8 outputs.
<<Very
nice...and will require a very large/powerful pump to operate
efficiently, something in the range of 4800gph after headloss>>
I
ended up capping one output off due to it's proximity to the Remora Pro
Skimmer.
<<Mmm, an excellent skimmer...but I would have gone for
something a bit larger for this size tank>>
I bought the skimmer
before I decided to have the tank drilled. After reading about the
numerous floods and the statement that it wasn't a question of if, but
when, I decided it
would be in my best interest to have the tank
drilled.
<<Yes indeed...though many such calamities could be averted
if hobbyists would employ some redundancy to their overflow systems
(i.e. – use “two” hang-on overflow boxes but supply only enough flow to
max out “one”)...but still, my preference is to drill for “gravity”
drains as you have done>>
I used 2 of the bulkheads for drains for
the closed-loop, and one for a surface drain to the sump. The forth
bulkhead is reduced down to 1-inch PVC and then down to ¾-inch PVC in
the tank.
<<This last is the sump return line then?>>
The Remora
Pro utilizes a Mag Drive 3 pump. I have a Mag 7 to pump water from the
sump to the tank via a one-inch PVC pipe that over hangs the back of the
tank.
<<I see...then obviously the fourth bulkhead is “not” for the
sump return>>
I also added a Mag 5 to pump water in a loop through a
Coral 18 watt 6X UV sterilizer and then back to the sump. I am only
supplying all the details of my setup because I read on the site is
better to have a lot of information than not enough.
<<Yes>>
I
also plan to reduce the number of pumps I am utilizing. I bought a Mag
3600 to run the closed-loop.
<<You will likely have to cap a few
more nozzles to achieve strong enough flow from the remaining
nozzles. Figure on 550gph-650gph per ¾” nozzle...much less than this
and the flow from the nozzles is too weak to be of much use>>
At
first, the pump was unbearable. I called the company and they sent me
a new impeller.
<<Good>>
This did quiet the pump a lot, but the
pump was still way too loud for a living area.
<<This is often the
case...and the reason I turned to Tunze to meet the flow requirements of
my large SPS dominated reef system>>
Also, the pump was mounted
externally, but the heat transfer was way too much.
<<This seems to
be another common issue with this otherwise reliable/good value for the
dollar brand of pump>>
I have since read some of the postings on the
site of people that have heat problems and/or noise problems with this
same pump. Most all have the same problem I did. Way too much heat
transfer and way too much noise.
<<Indeed...common as stated>>
The other 3 Mag pumps I have are submersed and are no problem
whatsoever. They work great.
<<Ah yes...and also stated, a
reliable/good value pump brand>>
However, I think it would save some
people a lot of problems if they avoided the Mag 3600 altogether if they
are planning on using it in a living area and/or do not own a chiller.
<<Maybe so...though adding a lot of pumps/pumps of large size of most
any brand will cause heating/noise issues in varying degrees (no pun
intended), especially in concert with the intense/high power lighting
associated with reef systems. Employing ancillary equipment/methods to
deal with heat buildup is something reef hobbyists must consider as a
matter of routine in many cases>>
Also, my tank has about 10 feet of
head-loss and the Mag 3600 just doesn't pump enough to run the 7 ½-inch
outputs on my closed-loop.
<<Ah, ok...you didn’t state the nozzle
size previously. For ½” outlets/nozzles you still need to figure 350pgh
per nozzle...or in this case, a minimum of 2500gph after head loss>>
They all have flow, just not enough.
<<Yep>>
2 of the 7 have
sufficient flow.
<<All will work fine with a large enough pump>>
Recently, I replaced the Mag 3600 with a Dolphin Amp Master 4000/3000
pump.
<<These are popular pumps for closed-loop systems>>
I was
pleasantly surprised. This pump is super quiet and also, the tank is
no longer too hot.
<<Excellent...and apparently worth the extra
cost>>
I was amazed that I actually needed my heaters. Due to some
dumb mistakes in my calculations, I ordered the wrong pump though.
<<Really?...still too much head loss eh?>>
I should have ordered the
Dolphin 5600/4700 pump.
<<I see>>
Marine Depot stated that if I
tried the pump I could not return it. However, Dolphin Pumps stated
that I should go ahead and try the pump and if it wasn't pumping enough
they would upgrade it. Well, they took care of me. I did have to pay
the shipping so I did waste about $20, but Dolphin Pumps is sending me
the 5600 pump for the difference in price plus shipping.
<<Very
nice...and so good to hear of such service>>
It will also line up
exactly with the pipes I have plumbed for the 4000 pump since the pumps
are the same size and dimensions.
<<Handy>>
Now that I actually
need my heaters, I kept noticing that my Ebo Jager heaters were set
almost 10 degrees cooler than the temperature in my tank, but were still
coming on. I have two 250 watt heaters in my 25 gallon sump. Well,
after checking the temperature in my sump with my digital thermometer I
realized that my sump wasn't a different temperature than my tank like I
thought.
<<Why would it be?>>
I just assumed that the water was
somehow losing heat on its way to the sump.
<<Ah, I see...nope,
doesn’t happen that quickly>>
It became obvious to me something
wasn't right when the heaters were set lower than the room temperature,
but were still coming on. How could the water be 73 degrees in the sump
when the room was 75 degrees?
<<Could possibly happen under certain
conditions (a large system with lights out and fans on, providing
evaporative cooling), but in most all cases the pumps/equipment keep
system water warmer than ambient room temperature as you surmise>>
I
don't own a chiller and the pumps and lights create heat.
<<Indeed>>
Well, after a little searching on the net, I found out that the Ebo
Jager heaters needed/could be calibrated.
<<...?! ...really!>>
After measuring the temperature of the sump with a accurate thermometer,
I turned on the heaters and then turned them off just till the light
went off. This temperature should have matched the temperature of my
digital thermometer. Of course, it didn't. Now I realize this isn't
rocket science, but it is very informative and useful for anyone having
similar problems. After turning the knob on the heaters slowly just to
where the light goes off, you unplug them. Then, you pull out on the
knob at the end of the heater all the way, turn the dial to the correct
temperature, and then push the knob all the way back in. "Presto"! I
now have two heaters that work correctly.
<<Wow...great
information, thanks for sharing>>
I also found that my sump and tank
do have the same temp.
<<Hee-hee!>>
So in the course of about a
week, my heat problem was solved, my pump noise problem was solved, and
my fish should be a lot happier with the extra flow from the new 5600
pump.
<<Excelsior!>>
Also I read somewhere on the site not to
put a shut-off valve before the pump.
<<Can be used for maintenance
purposes in conjunction with a union fitting, but should never be used
to “starve” the pump. If a valve is wanted/needed to temper flow it
should be plumbed on the output side of the pump>>
This ended up
being a pain when it came time to service the pump because I had to
block the drains and then drain water out of the pipes. It is
definitely worth whatever head loss there is to have a shut-off valve
before and after the pump. It's a hundred times easier to service or
remove the pump.
<<Much agreed>>
Thanks so much for the wealth
of information I was able to find on your site.
<<Is our pleasure to
serve/share>>
I have learned a lot in the past 18 months or so and I
just wanted to pass on some helpful information.
- Jeff
<<It is much appreciated, thank you for your contributions. Eric
Russell>>
Quartz Emersion heater 4/24/07
I
am looking for a Quartz Emersion
<...? Do you mean immersion?>
heater 3 or 4 kw. Could you give me a cost for one?
<No... we don't
sell heaters... Use your search tool/s. BobF>
Karen Burgess
Black sea cucumber burn 2/10/06
Dear Mr. Fenner,
While reading your article at wwm.com re: sea cucumber, you mention
masking the heater to prevent disturbing them. Could you be a little
more specific?
<Yes... mostly the use of "sleeving"... at the
simplest, plastic pipe over the unit/s, that is/has been drilled with
numerous holes>
Our black sea cucumber recently burned itself on the
Visi-therm heater and eviscerated ( we believe ).
<Yikes...>
There were sticky strings in the water and a brown patch on the cuke
that later came off. None fo our other livestock were harmed.
<Fortunate>
I believe the cuke is regenerating, and I would like to
prevent any further harm to it. I have looked on the web and called my
local store regarding some form of heater guard without success. My
husband is handy if given some direction. Thank you for your time and
consideration of this matter.
Respectfully,
Amy Smith
<Mmm,
folks/companies have made these over the years, but they were never very
popular... log sorts of designs principally... I'd fashion your own if
you can't remote these heaters... as to a tied-in (plumbed)
sump/refugium. Bob Fenner> Heater Positioning - 2/28/2006
Hi
Folks,
<<Hi Johnny.>>
Quickie for you,
Can submersible
heaters be positioned vertically? I read that they need to be positioned
horizontally to prevent the heater switching off too early due to
inconsistent heating. None of the manufacturer's instructions mention
this.
<<I position all of my heaters vertically, in a high water
flow area. Shouldn't be a problem.>>
Johnny.
<<Lisa>>
Fwd: heater costs
I would appreciate any information on how much
power (kw/h) is used by your heaters.
I have eight aquariums and am
trying to get an estimate of heating costs.
Thank you
<We don't
sell heaters... most uses call for 2-3 watts per gallon... kilowatts per
hour depend in turn on insulation values, differences in
external/internal values... You can hook up devices which will monitor,
measure your electrical consumption... or guesstimate how long each are
on... multiply the wattage times the time... to get kilowatt hours
used... multiply this in turn by cost per kilowatt (see your electrical
bill)... to find cost. Bob Fenner>
If you can't
take the heat, stay out of the tank.. 2/17/03
Thanks Phil!<No
problem man!>
That heater thing... I have no problem adding more
heaters, but where?
I figure the 350 in the sump of the
wet/dry....can I put more than one in there and have them accurately
assess the temps or should I just get a controller for heat/cool and put
the probe in another part of the system and let the two heaters run in
the same sump?
<If you go the route of more than one heater putting
them on one controller would be best and they can be place near near
each other! A dual controller is rather costly at Pet Warehouse I
believe it's nearly $200. But of course it's up to you. If you want to
do two heaters w/o a controller they need to be IMO placed at different
ends of the tank. If they are together they may overheat one area and
under-heat the other. Hope this helps! Phil>
Sump melted by
heater?
>Hello to all at WWM:
>>Good morning, Marina here.
>This might sound like a silly question but here goes. I currently have
two 200w Visi-therm heaters in my sump. I have always been concerned if
the suction cups did not hold and the heater actually was laying
directly on the acrylic can it in fact melt the sump?
Always
wondered......never asked until now. Thanks a million,
Gene
>>If
the sump is acrylic, and the heater were to become stuck in the 'on'
position, yes, it could happen. Is it *likely* to happen? Not very
likely at all. But, if really concerned, then you could simply slip
them into a sleeve of PVC, with many holes/notches cut into it, they
won't usually be sufficiently hot to melt PVC. I would like to suggest
spacing the heaters, though, to help reduce temperature
differentials. I like having one hidden in the tank, and one remotely
located (the sump).
Lifeguard heater modules
Is it
possible to use two of the heater modules together with one canister
filter, or would this be to much pressure for the pumps to deal with?
If it is to much to use two on one filter, should I shoot for using two
filters and two modules? I'd rather not, but gotta do what's best.
<Good question. I would use a larger wattage heater first here (likely
there are up to 300 watt units that will fit), and if you need to use
two, set them up in parallel (not series) to save on induced resistance.
And after located after the canister filter of course. Bob Fenner>
Re: lifeguard heater modules
What do you mean by setting up two
heaters in parallel?
James
<Running water through a "tee" to each
module separately, rather than (in series) one after the other... Bob
Fenner>
- Ich & Kerosene Heaters -
Hi.
Two questions,
if you have the time.
I have recently set up a new salt water tank,
going great, except for some ich. I got a cleaner shrimp and he seems
to be keeping it under control. I want to try this before I catch all
the fish and return them to the QT, and let the system go fallow. Is
this ok? <In the interim, sure... but there's really no guarantee that
the cleaner shrimp will actually keep things under control. In the long
run you very well may end up fallowing the tank.> I really do not want
to resort to chemicals if I don't have to. <I don't blame you, but this
may be what's necessary if the fish go back to quarantine.> I have not
done any fresh water dips as of yet. I am not sure how to raise the pH
to 8.3. <Baking soda.> My fresh water pH adjuster can only get it to 8.0
and then not for long. Beside I have no idea what the chemicals that
raise the PH will do to the fish. Only two fish have a couple of spots
on them and they keep going over to the shrimp. He is not eating all the
white spots but spends a lot of time on the gills. Neat to watch. They
are not breathing rapidly or acting strange such as darting, scratching,
or hiding, they eat well. I am not sure what made the ich appear.
<Hmm... under the worst-case-scenario, the parasites have dropped off to
breed in your sand bed. They'll be back.> I have no temp fluctuations as
I use two heaters it is always 78F day or night even if the basement
gets cool. Ph 8.3, alk high (I know get a better test for that), ammonia
0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, calcium?, LFS is having trouble getting this
test kit for some reason. I did quarantine each fish for 4 weeks, and
let the tank cycle for 6 weeks with 45 lbs of live rock, before I added
my first inverts and corals. Anyway I read your ich pages. I am a
little confused, some say let the system go fallow, and others recommend
what I am doing. <Personally, I think cleaner shrimp can get
overwhelmed, not be able to get everything and the problem blows out
into epidemic proportions. Do keep an eye on things and keep that
quarantine tank ready to go.> Lots of opinions about it though. <It will
always be thus.>
The big question though is this. I heat my basement
(this were I keep the tank) with a kerosene heater, as it is much
cheaper than running my electric baseboard heaters. Is there a danger in
this, and if there is, what is it, and what should I look out for?
<Egads, there is most certainly a danger of primarily carbon monoxide
which can kill you. It has no odor and can build up in an enclosed space
like a basement. If I'm not mistaken, kerosene heaters aren't meant to
be used in enclosed spaces. There are other toxic byproducts of
combustion that should be worried about, but those will only make you
sick - CO will kill you. So yeah... there are issues with using this in
your basement not just for your fish but for you as well.> Is there a
test kit I should be using? <There are electronic CO detectors, I would
plug in at least one of these.> I cannot afford to upgrade my whole
house heat as that will run into the thousands of dollars, last quote I
got was 8 grand and some change. <Then get some big heaters for your
tank.>
Thank you very much in advance
Craig B.
P.S. Is there a
web site where I can download a log book designed for salt water tanks?
To use with Word. <I've not seen any products like this, but I'll refer
you to Aquarium Journals who makes a log book for keeping track of such
stuff.
http://www.aquariumjournals.com
Cheers, J -- >
- Heat
Solution in Event of Power Loss -
Just a quick suggestion.
<Sure.>
During loss of power (electric), aquarist loose the heater
function... my suggestion is to use hot water bottles...(Rubbermaid
one's)... stick em in the tank... this should work right..? <At least
for a little while, but if the hot water is generated by electricity
then there would be trouble. It's a good suggestion, but I also suggest
wrapping the tank in blankets to help slow the heat loss in the first
place.>
Jess
<Cheers, J -- >
Saltwater Pond in SoCal?
Dear WWM Crew,
<Sean>
First, and foremost, thank you for
staffing such an incredibly informative site! Between WWM and
ReefCentral I've been able to answer countless questions over the past
three years that would still be mysteries without you... On to the topic
-- I'm evaluating the feasibility of adding a saltwater pond to the
1000+ Gal reef system I am in the process of installing. The
indoor portion of this system will consist of a 575 Gal display tank in
my office, and approx 500 Gal of refugium/grow out/sump volume. The pond
I am considering is roughly 12' x 8' x 4' deep, or ~3000 Gal. The two
would be plumbed together via the 200 Gal sump.
<Okay>
The
display will have roughly 6500 GPH of flow, and I was planning on the
same amount of flow to the pond/lagoon via a separate pump. My idea is
to keep SPS coral in the display, and run the lagoon as a large FOWLR
section of the system.
<So far...>
My area of greatest concern
is around temperature. After researching this for the past two
months it seems that a gas fired heater and heat exchanger would be the
most economical way to keep the system warm in the winter months.
Unfortunately, I am having trouble sizing this. These systems are rated
in BTU/hr, but I can't gauge my requirement without local (to SoCal)
pond anecdotes on temp in Koi/Shark setups... specifically, I'm curious
to know what fluctuations folks experience in their ponds that are NOT
heated/cooled. I've found a good deal of information on your site, but
no specifics as to average seasonal
pond temps in this region.
<And so a bit more info. on historical temps in the area would help...
but a rough guess... 100-200 BTUs... There may well be a better
long-term thermal regulation mechanism in the way of plumbing a
recirculation line through a line that would through an exchanger and
your gas-fired water heater... with a thermostatic mechanism to set the
temperature. Bob Fenner>
Any help you can provide in that area would
be GREATLY appreciated.
Regards, Sean
Heater Question
hi, I was wondering what sort of watts for my heater should I be getting
for my 4 ft tank?
<Hi, Ryan with you. I'd recommend at least 3-4
watts per gallon of water in your aquarium, although with more flow, I'd
recommend 5 watts per gallon. If you use a sump, don't forget to factor
that in to the total water volume! Good luck, Ryan>
thanks
Heating an aquarium? - 11/17/04
So, my tank is 55 gallons, the
sump is in three compartments, 1st is the skimmer part (kind of the
actual sump) about 10 gallons, the next is the refugium about 10
gallons, next is the exit out to the main tank with a pump about 3
gallons. Anyway, I have put the heater in the refugium part (ok?) now,
<Should be fine. Curious as to why you would think it shouldn't be
placed there?> should this heater be 200 watts or only 50 watts cause
its in only a 10 gallon area? <Is the heater responsible for heating the
total of all gallons in the aquarium? From what I can tell you have a 55
gallon tank with another 23 or so underneath, correct? So, now you need
to ask yourself is this heater to heat the entire volume of the tank? If
the answer is yes, then you need about 5 watts (my personal preference)
per gallon. So in your case, you would need to heat 75 gallons (I
rounded the numbers a bit), so 75 gallons times 5 watts per gallon
equals 375 watts of heater to efficiently heat 75 gallons of water.
Understand where I came up with the numbers here?> And would 200watts
be too much for a 10 gallon area. <If a heater works properly it would
be fine. However, if the thermostat were to malfunction it would easily
overheat the tank in a very short amount of time.> Would the heater
heat that area too hot for a refugium and its Chaetomorpha and worms and
such? <See above answers.>
I have a euro reef skimmer and it
recommends that is should be 6-8" of water, what if I have say 9-10"
would it not work well. <Not sure what you are asking> Also, how high
should the intake pipe be, to the top of the container, or up into the
neck? I should probably ask euro reef, huh? <I do think that would be a
better place to ask as I am slightly unfamiliar with their product.
Plus, why wouldn't you want tech help from the manufacturer first? In
any event, I hope I was able to help shed some light on your issue and
help you gain some understanding regarding heating an aquarium. Thanks
for participating in the greatest underwater community....WetWebMedia.
~Paul>
anyway
Thanks
Mark
Thermal question
I
am moving to topsail, NC....however, there is no place for my tank in
this person's house....he does, however, have a downstairs that is not
insulated.....would it be possible, if I spent the right kind of money
(but not too much), to keep it down there for about two months....I am
assuming it would not be that hard to heat? I could buy 3 or 4 heaters
for the tank....a digital thermometer....would it even be possible? any
advice or suggestions would be great.....
<Actually, most places in
NC aren't "that" cold. Should be able to get by with five or so watts
per gallon... if it were mine, I'd also stock a "thermal blanket" (such
as those sold for water heaters) to aid in insulation. Bob Fenner>
Re: Thermal question
I was thinking of putting 3 nice heaters in
the tank....putting one on 78, one on 76, and one on 74... and
purchasing a digital thermometer.... any particular brands you suggest
for heaters?
<Ebo-Jager and the new Aquarium Systems products. Bob
Fenner>
- Heater Won't -
My Jalli 500 watt heater keeps
quitting on me. <That's not good.> I have a 90 gal tank with a 20 gal
sump, the heater is in the sump, has never come out of the water while
plugged in, is not covered by anything, the control head is properly
mounted and connected, temp probe is in the middle of the tank. I just
got the entire heater replaced 4 weeks ago, under warranty, because of
the same thing. <Nice to see they're batting 1000.> Is this a cheap
heater? <I'm not a huge fan of Jalli, but I know someone who is and
swears they [Jalli] try very hard to get past problems like this. If it
were me, and I'd had two heaters broken, I'd ask them to buy me a new
heater. There seems to be a flood of heaters with electronic controls
coming from Asia... I think each one needs to be well tested before
tried on your main tank as you might be in for a surprise.> Would I be
better off with 2 -250 or 350 watt units? <In the cold parts of the
country, I would suggest having two 350's with one set a little lower as
a back-up should the main one fail. With larger heaters, they tend to be
'on' less often, can heat a given volume of water quicker and I think
[in my own weak non-scientific study] they will last longer. Any under
or exactly-sized heater that is 'on' all the time will break eventually,
regardless of brand - is just my observation, but have seen it happen
often enough.> I do have a 250 watt backup working now, it struggles to
keep 78 degrees. <Using two 250's would guarantee the failure of one,
and then the other.>
Chilling here in Pa, thanks... Mike
<I
believe it. Cheers, J -- >
Heaters
I have a question
about heating the tank. <sure> My main tank is a 50 gallon and I have a
29-tall underneath serving as a sump. In the main tank I have a 150
watt Ebo Jager and a 100 watt Ebo Jager heater. These heaters stay on
most all the time. Sometimes one or the other will go off briefly. My
question is, does it hurt anything for them to run almost
continuously? I have a large ritteri, an ocellaris, and a bicolor
blenny. I keep the tank around 81 F. The temp is very stable. The
room is usually in the mid-70's. Is it okay for the heaters to run so
much? <Shouldn't be a problem, seeing as that's what they're made to
do. Ebo-Jager heaters are very durable, so I wouldn't worry about
it. Also, for future reference please capitalize "I" as well as the
first letter in every sentence. M. Maddox>
Re: Temperature
Fluctuations
Hi Bob,
<Walt>
Thanks again for the response.
I took your advice and returned my heater. It was only a month old and I
still had the receipt so they refunded my money no problem.
<Great>
I tried in vain to locate a Eheim Ebo Jager heater but to no avail.
<Strange... should be available from online etailers... Ken Wong/Marine
Depot, Bayside distributes Eheim in the U.S.... they must list them.
Wow, actually, they don't! In fact, I don't see them listed by anyone...
must be a demand/request of the manufacturer... now owned by Eheim...
which ARE sold by discounters...>
I did a bunch of "consumer review"
searches on-line and found consistent positive reviews for the Aquarium
Systems (Marineland) Visi-Therm heaters.
<Ah, yes, also fine
products>
My local pet store stocks them so I went and bought a 250
watt unit. It held the temperature to within one degree overnight and
that is saying something as it was very cold up here in upstate NY. Have
you had any experience with the Visi-Therm models? Thanks again.
Sincerely, Walt
<Yes, a great deal... have even been to Italy where
they're made... Bob Fenner>
